Book of Common Prayer
Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.
A Psalm of David.
26 [a](A)Vindicate me, Lord, for I have (B)walked in my integrity,
And I have (C)trusted in the Lord [b](D)without wavering.
2 (E)Examine me, Lord, and put me to the test;
(F)Refine my [c]mind and my heart.
3 For Your [d](G)goodness is before my eyes,
And I have (H)walked in Your truth.
4 I do not (I)sit with [e]deceitful people,
Nor will I go with [f](J)pretenders.
5 I (K)hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will (L)wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go around (M)Your altar, Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of (N)thanksgiving
And declare all Your [g]wonders.
8 Lord, I (O)love the dwelling of Your house,
And the place [h]where Your (P)glory remains.
9 (Q)Do not [i]take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with (R)men of bloodshed,
10 In whose hands is a (S)wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of (T)bribes.
11 But as for me, I will (U)walk in my integrity;
(V)Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 (W)My foot stands on (X)level ground;
In the (Y)congregations I will bless the Lord.
A Prayer for Help, and Praise for Its Answer.
A Psalm of David.
28 To You, Lord, I call;
My (A)rock, do not be deaf to me,
For if You (B)are silent to me,
I will become like those who (C)go down to the pit.
2 Hear the (D)sound of my pleadings when I cry to You for help,
When I (E)raise my hands (F)toward [a]Your holy (G)sanctuary.
3 (H)Do not drag me away with the wicked
And with those who practice injustice,
Who (I)speak peace with their neighbors,
While evil is in their hearts.
4 Give back to them (J)according to their work and according to the evil of their practices;
Give back to them according to the work of their hands;
Repay them what is due them.
5 Because they (K)do not regard the works of the Lord
Nor the deeds of His hands,
He will tear them down and not build them up.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
Because He (L)has heard the sound of my pleading.
7 The Lord is my (M)strength and my (N)shield;
My heart (O)trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore (P)my heart triumphs,
And with (Q)my song I shall thank Him.
8 The Lord is [b]their (R)strength,
And He is a refuge of (S)salvation to His anointed.
9 (T)Save Your people and bless (U)Your inheritance;
Be their (V)shepherd also, and (W)carry them forever.
Wickedness of Humanity and Goodness of God.
For the music director. A Psalm of David the servant of the Lord.
36 [a]Wrongdoing speaks to the ungodly within [b]his heart;
There is (A)no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For it (B)flatters him in his own eyes
Concerning the discovery of his wrongful deed and the hatred of it.
3 The (C)words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit;
He has (D)ceased to [c]be wise and to do good.
4 He (E)plans wickedness on his bed;
He sets himself on a (F)path that is not good;
He (G)does not reject evil.
5 Your (H)mercy, Lord, [d]extends to the heavens,
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
6 Your (I)righteousness is like the [e]mountains of God;
Your (J)judgments are like the great deep.
Lord, You [f](K)protect mankind and animals.
7 How (L)precious is Your mercy, God!
And the sons of mankind (M)take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
8 They (N)drink their fill of the [g]abundance of Your house;
And You allow them to drink from the (O)river of Your delights.
9 For the (P)fountain of life is with You;
In Your light we see light.
The Futility of Life.
For the music director, for [a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will (A)keep watch over my ways
So that I (B)do not sin with my tongue;
I will keep watch over (C)my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was (D)mute [b]and silent,
I [c]refused to say even something good,
And my pain was stirred up.
3 My (E)heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, let me know (F)my end,
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how (G)transient I am.
5 Behold, You have made (H)my days like [d]hand widths,
And my (I)lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Certainly all mankind standing is [e]a mere (J)breath. Selah
6 Certainly every person (K)walks around as [f]a fleeting shadow;
They certainly make an (L)uproar for nothing;
He (M)amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My (N)hope is in You.
8 (O)Save me from all my wrongdoings;
Do not make me an object of (P)reproach for the foolish.
9 I have become (Q)mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is (R)You who have done it.
10 (S)Remove Your plague from me;
Because of (T)the opposition of Your hand I am [g]perishing.
11 With (U)rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing;
You (V)consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Certainly (W)all mankind is mere breath! Selah
The Vision Fulfilled
28 “All of this (A)happened to Nebuchadnezzar the king. 29 (B)Twelve months later he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon. 30 The king began speaking and was saying, ‘Is this not Babylon the (C)great, which I myself have built as a royal [a]residence by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?’ 31 While the word was still in the king’s mouth, a voice [b]came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: [c]sovereignty has been removed from you, 32 and (D)you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the animals of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and (E)seven [d]periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the (F)Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’ 33 Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled; and he was (G)driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails like birds’ claws.
34 “But at the end of [e]that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my [f]reason returned to me, and I blessed the (H)Most High and praised and honored (I)Him who lives forever;
For His dominion is an (J)everlasting dominion,
And His kingdom endures from generation to generation.
35 (K)All the inhabitants of the earth are of no account,
But (L)He does according to His will among the army of heaven
And among the inhabitants of earth;
And (M)no one can [g]fend off His hand
Or say to Him, ‘(N)What have You done?’
36 At that time my [h](O)reason returned to me. And my majesty and (P)splendor were [i]restored to me for the honor of my kingdom, and my state counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my [j]sovereignty, and surpassing (Q)greatness was added to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt, and honor the King of (R)heaven, for (S)all His works are [k]true and His ways [l]just; and He is able to humble those who (T)walk in pride.”
God Is Love
7 (A)Beloved, let’s (B)love one another; for love is from God, and (C)everyone who loves has been (D)born of God and (E)knows God. 8 The one who does not love does not know God, because (F)God is love. 9 By this the love of God was revealed [a](G)in us, that (H)God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. 10 In this is love, (I)not that we loved God, but that (J)He loved us and sent His Son to be (K)the [b]propitiation for our sins. 11 (L)Beloved, if God so loved us, (M)we also ought to love one another. 12 (N)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His (O)love is perfected in us. 13 (P)By this we know that we remain in Him and He in us, because He has given to us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and (Q)testify that the Father has (R)sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.
15 (S)Whoever confesses that (T)Jesus is the Son of God, God (U)remains in him, and he in God. 16 (V)We have come to know and have believed the love which God has [c](W)for us. (X)God is love, and the one who (Y)remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him. 17 By this, (Z)love is perfected with us, so that we may have (AA)confidence in (AB)the day of judgment; because (AC)as He is, we also are in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but (AD)perfect love drives out fear, because fear [d]involves punishment, and the one who fears is not (AE)perfected in love. 19 (AF)We love, because He first loved us. 20 (AG)If someone says, “I love God,” and yet he (AH)hates his brother or sister, he is a (AI)liar; for (AJ)the one who does not love his brother and sister whom he has seen, (AK)cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21 And (AL)this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God (AM)must also love his brother and sister.
31 And (A)He came down to (B)Capernaum, a city of Galilee; and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; 32 and (C)they were amazed at His teaching, because (D)His [a]message was delivered with authority. 33 In the synagogue there was a man [b]possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, 34 “Leave us alone! [c](E)What business do You have with us, Jesus [d]of (F)Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—(G)the Holy One of God!” 35 But Jesus (H)rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, it came out of him without doing him any harm. 36 And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another, saying, “What is [e]this message? For (I)with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!” 37 And (J)the news about Him was spreading into every locality of the surrounding region.
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