Book of Common Prayer
Prayer of an Afflicted Man for Mercy on Himself and on Zion.
A Prayer of the afflicted when he is weak and [a]pours out his complaint before the Lord.
102 (A)Hear my prayer, Lord!
And let my cry for help (B)come to You.
2 (C)Do not hide Your face from me on the day of my distress;
(D)Incline Your ear to me;
On the day when I call (E)answer me quickly.
3 For my days (F)have ended in smoke,
And my (G)bones have been scorched like a hearth.
4 My heart (H)has been struck like [b]grass and has (I)withered,
Indeed, I (J)forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the [c]loudness of my groaning
My (K)bones [d]cling to my flesh.
6 I resemble a (L)pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl of the ruins.
7 I (M)lie awake,
I have become like a solitary bird on a housetop.
8 My enemies (N)have taunted me all day long;
Those who [e](O)deride me [f]have used my name as a (P)curse.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And (Q)mixed my drink with weeping
10 (R)Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have (S)lifted me up and thrown me away.
11 My days are like a [g](T)lengthened shadow,
And [h]I (U)wither away like [i]grass.
12 But You, Lord, [j](V)remain forever,
And Your [k](W)name remains to all generations.
13 You will (X)arise and have (Y)compassion on Zion;
For (Z)it is time to be gracious to her,
For the (AA)appointed time has come.
14 Surely Your servants [l]take pleasure in her stones,
And feel pity for her dust.
15 [m]So the [n](AB)nations will fear the name of the Lord,
And (AC)all the kings of the earth, Your glory.
16 For the Lord has (AD)built up Zion;
He has (AE)appeared in His glory.
17 He has (AF)turned His attention to the prayer of the [o]destitute
And has not despised their prayer.
18 [p]This will be (AG)written for the (AH)generation to come,
[q]That (AI)a people yet to be created [r]may praise [s]the Lord:
19 For He (AJ)looked down from His holy height;
(AK)From heaven the Lord looked [t]upon the earth,
20 To hear the (AL)groaning of the prisoner,
To (AM)set free [u]those who were doomed to death,
21 So that people may (AN)tell of the name of the Lord in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 When (AO)the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
23 He has broken my strength in the way;
He has (AP)shortened my days.
24 I say, “My God, (AQ)do not take me away in the middle of my days,
Your (AR)years are [v]throughout all generations.
25 In time of old You (AS)founded the earth,
And the (AT)heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 [w]Even they will (AU)perish, but You endure;
All of them will wear out like a garment;
Like clothing You will change them and they will pass away.
27 But You are [x](AV)the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.
28 The (AW)children of Your servants will continue,
And their [y](AX)descendants will be established before You.”
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
[a]Maskil of David, when he was [b]in the cave. A Prayer.
142 I (A)cry out with my voice to the Lord;
With my voice I (B)implore the Lord for compassion.
2 I (C)pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare my (D)trouble before Him.
3 When (E)my spirit felt weak within me,
You knew my path.
In the way where I walk
They have (F)hidden a trap for me.
4 Look to the right and see;
For there is (G)no one who regards me favorably;
[c]There is no (H)escape for me;
(I)No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, Lord;
I said, “You are (J)my refuge,
My (K)portion in the (L)land of the living.
6 (M)Give Your attention to my cry,
For I have been (N)brought very low;
Rescue me from my persecutors,
For they are too (O)strong for me.
7 (P)Bring my soul out of prison,
So that I may give thanks to Your name;
The righteous will surround me,
For You will (Q)look after me.”
Prayer for Help and Guidance.
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, Lord,
(R)Listen to my pleadings!
Answer me in Your (S)faithfulness, in Your (T)righteousness!
2 And (U)do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For (V)no person living is righteous in Your sight.
3 For the enemy has persecuted my soul;
He has crushed my life (W)to the ground;
He (X)has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have long been dead.
4 Therefore (Y)my spirit [d]feels weak within me;
My heart is [e](Z)appalled within me.
5 I (AA)remember the days of old;
I (AB)meditate on all Your accomplishments;
I (AC)reflect on the work of Your hands.
6 I (AD)spread out my hands to You;
My (AE)soul longs for You, like a weary land. Selah
7 (AF)Answer me quickly, Lord, my (AG)spirit fails;
(AH)Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will be the same as (AI)those who go down to the pit.
8 Let me hear Your (AJ)faithfulness (AK)in the morning,
For I trust (AL)in You;
Teach me the (AM)way in which I should walk;
For to You I (AN)lift up my soul.
9 (AO)Save me, Lord, from my enemies;
[f]I take refuge in You.
10 (AP)Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Let (AQ)Your good Spirit (AR)lead me on level [g]ground.
11 (AS)For the sake of Your name, Lord, (AT)revive me.
(AU)In Your righteousness bring my soul out of trouble.
12 And in Your faithfulness, [h](AV)destroy my enemies,
And (AW)eliminate all those who attack my soul,
For (AX)I am Your servant.
Jeremiah’s Complaint
7 Lord, You persuaded me and I let myself be persuaded;
You have (A)overcome me and prevailed.
I have become a (B)laughingstock all day long;
Everyone (C)mocks me.
8 For each time I speak, I cry aloud;
I (D)proclaim violence and destruction,
Because for me the (E)word of the Lord has [a]resulted
In taunting and derision all day long.
9 But if I say, “I will not (F)remember Him
Nor speak anymore in His name,”
Then in (G)my heart it becomes like a burning fire
Shut up in my bones;
And I am tired of holding it in,
And (H)I cannot endure it.
10 For (I)I have heard the whispering of many,
“(J)Terror on every side!
(K)Denounce him; let’s denounce him!”
[b]All my (L)trusted friends,
Watching for my fall, say:
“Perhaps he will be persuaded, so that we may (M)prevail against him
And take our revenge on him.”
11 But the (N)Lord is with me like a powerful champion;
Therefore my (O)persecutors will stumble and not prevail.
They will be put to great shame because they have [c]failed,
An (P)everlasting disgrace that will not be forgotten.
14 Therefore, my (A)beloved, flee from (B)idolatry. 15 I speak as to wise people; you then, judge what I say. 16 Is the (C)cup of blessing which we bless not a sharing in the blood of Christ? Is the (D)bread which we break not a sharing in the body of Christ? 17 Since there is one loaf, we (E)who are many are one body; for we all partake of the one loaf.
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way, shall be (A)guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a person must (B)examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For the one who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not properly recognize the [a]body. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number [b](C)are asleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are (D)disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with (E)the world.
The High Priestly Prayer
17 Jesus spoke these things; and (A)raising His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; (B)glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You, 2 just as (C)You gave Him authority over all [a]mankind, so that [b](D)to all whom You have given Him, (E)He may give eternal life. 3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, (F)the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom (G)You have sent. 4 (H)I glorified You on the earth [c](I)by accomplishing the work which You have given Me to do. 5 And now You, Father, (J)glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had (K)with You before the world existed.
6 “(L)I have revealed Your name to the men whom (M)You gave Me out of the world; they were (N)Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have (O)followed Your word. 7 Now they have come to know that everything which You have given Me is from You; 8 for (P)the words which You gave Me (Q)I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that (R)I came forth from You, and they believed that (S)You sent Me. 9 (T)I ask on their behalf; (U)I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on the behalf of those whom (V)You have given Me, because (W)they are Yours; 10 and (X)all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. 11 I am no longer going to be in the world; and yet (Y)they themselves are in the world, and (Z)I am coming to You. (AA)Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name (AB)which You have given Me, so that (AC)they may be one just as We are. 12 While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, (AD)which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and (AE)not one of them perished except (AF)the [d]son of destruction, so that the (AG)Scripture would be fulfilled.
The Disciples in the World
13 But now (AH)I am coming to You; and (AI)these things I speak in the world so that they may have My (AJ)joy made full in themselves. 14 I have given them Your word; and (AK)the world has hated them because (AL)they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from [e](AM)the evil one. 16 (AN)They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 (AO)Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. 18 Just as (AP)You sent Me into the world, (AQ)I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I (AR)sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be (AS)sanctified (AT)in truth.
20 “I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, 21 that they may all be one; (AU)just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, (AV)so that the world may [f]believe that (AW)You sent Me.
Disciples’ Future Glory
22 The (AX)glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; 23 (AY)I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected [g]in unity, so that the world may [h]know that (AZ)You sent Me, and You (BA)loved them, just as You loved Me. 24 Father, I desire that (BB)they also, whom You have given Me, (BC)be with Me where I am, so that they may see My (BD)glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before (BE)the foundation of the world.
25 “(BF)Righteous Father, [i]although (BG)the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that (BH)You sent Me; 26 and (BI)I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that (BJ)the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
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