Book of Common Prayer
The Perfect Revelation of the Lord
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
19 The (A)heavens declare the glory of God;
And the (B)firmament[a] shows [b]His handiwork.
2 Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
4 (C)Their [c]line has gone out through all the earth,
And their words to the end of the world.
In them He has set a [d]tabernacle for the sun,
5 Which is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
(D)And rejoices like a strong man to run its race.
6 Its rising is from one end of heaven,
And its circuit to the other end;
And there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 (E)The law of the Lord is perfect, [e]converting the soul;
The testimony of the Lord is sure, making (F)wise the simple;
8 The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart;
The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;
9 The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever;
The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than (G)gold,
Yea, than much fine gold;
Sweeter also than honey and the [f]honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned,
And in keeping them there is great reward.
18 For thus says the Lord,
(A)Who created the heavens,
Who is God,
Who formed the earth and made it,
Who has established it,
Who did not create it [a]in vain,
Who formed it to be (B)inhabited:
(C)“I am the Lord, and there is no other.
19 I have not spoken in (D)secret,
In a dark place of the earth;
I did not say to the seed of Jacob,
‘Seek Me [b]in vain’;
(E)I, the Lord, speak righteousness,
I declare things that are right.
20 “Assemble yourselves and come;
Draw near together,
You who have escaped from the nations.
(F)They have no knowledge,
Who carry the wood of their carved image,
And pray to a god that cannot save.
21 Tell and bring forth your case;
Yes, let them take counsel together.
(G)Who has declared this from ancient time?
Who has told it from that time?
Have not I, the Lord?
(H)And there is no other God besides Me,
A just God and a Savior;
There is none besides Me.
22 “Look to Me, and be saved,
(I)All you ends of the earth!
For I am God, and there is no other.
23 (J)I have sworn by Myself;
The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness,
And shall not return,
That to Me every (K)knee shall bow,
(L)Every tongue shall take an oath.
24 He shall say,
[c]‘Surely in the Lord I have (M)righteousness and strength.
To Him men shall come,
And (N)all shall be ashamed
Who are incensed against Him.
25 (O)In the Lord all the descendants of Israel
Shall be justified, and (P)shall glory.’ ”
4 though (A)I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I (B)more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, (C)of the tribe of Benjamin, (D)a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, (E)a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, (F)persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But (G)what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss (H)for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having (I)my own righteousness, which is from the law, but (J)that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the (K)power of His resurrection, and (L)the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may (M)attain[a] to the resurrection from the dead.
ל LAMED
89 (A)Forever, O Lord,
Your word [a]is settled in heaven.
90 Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
You established the earth, and it [b]abides.
91 They continue this day according to (B)Your ordinances,
For all are Your servants.
92 Unless Your law had been my delight,
I would then have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts,
For by them You have given me life.
94 I am Yours, save me;
For I have sought Your precepts.
95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me,
But I will [c]consider Your testimonies.
96 (C)I have seen the consummation of all perfection,
But Your commandment is exceedingly broad.
מ MEM
97 Oh, how I love Your law!
(D)It is my meditation all the day.
98 You, through Your commandments, make me (E)wiser than my enemies;
For they are ever with me.
99 I have more understanding than all my teachers,
(F)For Your testimonies are my meditation.
100 (G)I understand more than the [d]ancients,
Because I keep Your precepts.
101 I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
102 I have not departed from Your judgments,
For You Yourself have taught me.
103 (H)How sweet are Your words to my taste,
Sweeter than honey to my mouth!
104 Through Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.
נ NUN
105 (I)Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
106 (J)I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much;
Revive me, O Lord, according to Your word.
108 Accept, I pray, (K)the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord,
And teach me Your judgments.
109 (L)My life is continually [e]in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.
110 (M)The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.
111 (N)Your testimonies I have taken as a [f]heritage forever,
For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, to the very end.
The Damascus Road: Saul Converted(A)
9 Then (B)Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked (C)letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
3 (D)As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. 4 Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, (E)why are you persecuting Me?”
5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?”
Then the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. [a]It is hard for you to kick against the goads.”
6 So he, trembling and astonished, said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?”
Then the Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 And (F)the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one. 8 Then Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.
Ananias Baptizes Saul
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus (G)named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, “Ananias.”
And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”
11 So the Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul (H)of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight.”
13 Then Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, (I)how much [b]harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all (J)who call on Your name.”
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for (K)he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before (L)Gentiles, (M)kings, and the (N)children[c] of Israel. 16 For (O)I will show him how many things he must suffer for My (P)name’s sake.”
17 (Q)And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and (R)laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord [d]Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and (S)be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. (T)Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
Saul Preaches Christ
20 Immediately he preached [e]the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.
21 Then all who heard were amazed, and said, (U)“Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?”
22 But Saul increased all the more in strength, (V)and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.