Book of Common Prayer
The Lord’s Glory and Man’s Dignity.
For the choir director; on the Gittith. A Psalm of David.
8 O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth,
Who have [a](A)displayed Your splendor above the heavens!
2 (B)From the mouth of infants and nursing babes You have established [b](C)strength
Because of Your adversaries,
To make (D)the enemy and the revengeful cease.
3 When I [c](E)consider (F)Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The (G)moon and the stars, which You have [d]ordained;
4 (H)What is man that You [e]take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
5 Yet You have made him a (I)little lower than [f]God,
And (J)You crown him with (K)glory and majesty!
6 You make him to (L)rule over the works of Your hands;
You have (M)put all things under his feet,
7 All sheep and oxen,
And also the [g]beasts of the field,
8 The birds of the heavens and the fish of the sea,
Whatever passes through the paths of the seas.
9 (N)O Lord, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!
God the King of the Earth.
For the choir director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.
47 O (A)clap your hands, all peoples;
(B)Shout to God with the voice of [a]joy.
2 For the Lord Most High is to be (C)feared,
A (D)great King over all the earth.
3 He (E)subdues peoples under us
And nations under our feet.
4 He chooses our (F)inheritance for us,
The (G)glory of Jacob whom He loves. [b]Selah.
5 God has (H)ascended [c]with a shout,
The Lord, [d]with the (I)sound of a trumpet.
6 (J)Sing praises to God, sing praises;
Sing praises to (K)our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the (L)King of all the earth;
Sing praises (M)with a [e]skillful psalm.
8 God (N)reigns over the nations,
God [f]sits on (O)His holy throne.
9 The [g](P)princes of the people have assembled themselves as the (Q)people of the God of Abraham,
For the (R)shields of the earth belong to God;
He [h]is (S)highly exalted.
The King of Glory Entering Zion.
A Psalm of David.
24 The (A)earth is the Lord’s, and [a]all it contains,
The (B)world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has (C)founded it upon the seas
And established it upon the rivers.
3 Who may (D)ascend into the (E)hill of the Lord?
And who may stand in His holy (F)place?
4 He who has (G)clean hands and a (H)pure heart,
Who has not (I)lifted up his soul [b]to falsehood
And has not (J)sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a (K)blessing from the Lord
And [c](L)righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 [d]This is the generation of those who (M)seek Him,
Who seek Your face—even Jacob. [e]Selah.
7 (N)Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O [f]ancient doors,
That the King of (O)glory may come in!
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord (P)strong and mighty,
The Lord (Q)mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O [g]ancient doors,
That the King of (R)glory may come in!
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of (S)hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah.
A Call to Worship the Lord the Righteous Judge.
96 (A)Sing to the Lord a (B)new song;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
(C)Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.
3 Tell of (D)His glory among the nations,
His wonderful deeds among all the peoples.
4 For (E)great is the Lord and (F)greatly to be praised;
He is to be (G)feared (H)above all gods.
5 For (I)all the gods of the peoples are [a]idols,
But (J)the Lord made the heavens.
6 (K)Splendor and majesty are before Him,
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.
7 [b]Ascribe to the Lord, O (L)families of the peoples,
[c](M)Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 [d]Ascribe to the Lord the (N)glory of His name;
Bring an [e](O)offering and come into His courts.
9 (P)Worship the Lord in [f]holy attire;
(Q)Tremble before Him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “(R)The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the (S)world is firmly established, it will not be moved;
He will (T)judge the peoples with [g]equity.”
11 Let the (U)heavens be glad, and let the (V)earth rejoice;
Let (W)the sea [h]roar, and [i]all it contains;
12 Let the (X)field exult, and all that is in it.
Then all the (Y)trees of the forest will sing for joy
13 Before the Lord, (Z)for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
(AA)He will judge the world in righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.
The Vision of Four Figures
1 Now it came about in the thirtieth year, on the fifth day of the fourth month, while I was by the (A)river Chebar among the exiles, the (B)heavens were opened and I saw [a](C)visions of God. 2 (On the fifth of the month [b]in the (D)fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s exile, 3 the (E)word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the (F)land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there (G)the hand of the Lord came upon him.)
4 As I looked, behold, a (H)storm wind was coming from the north, a great cloud with fire flashing forth continually and a bright light around it, and in its midst something like (I)glowing metal in the midst of the fire. 5 Within it there were figures resembling (J)four living beings. And this was their appearance: they had human (K)form. 6 Each of them had (L)four faces and (M)four wings. 7 Their legs were straight and [c]their feet were like a calf’s hoof, and they gleamed like (N)burnished bronze. 8 Under their wings on their (O)four sides were human (P)hands. As for the faces and wings of the four of them, 9 their wings touched one another; their faces did (Q)not turn when they moved, each (R)went straight forward. 10 As for the (S)form of their faces, each had the (T)face of a man; [d]all four had the face of a lion on the right and the face of a bull on the left, and [e]all four had the face of an eagle. 11 Such were their faces. Their wings were spread out above; each had two touching another being, and (U)two covering their bodies. 12 And (V)each went straight forward; (W)wherever the spirit was about to go, they would go, without turning as they went. 13 [f]In the midst of the living beings there was something that looked like burning coals of (X)fire, [g]like torches darting back and forth among the living beings. The fire was bright, and lightning was [h]flashing from the fire. 14 And the living beings (Y)ran to and fro like bolts of (Z)lightning.
24 I also heard the sound of their wings like the (A)sound of abundant waters as they went, like the (B)voice of [a]the Almighty, a sound of tumult like the (C)sound of an army camp; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings. 25 And there came a voice from above the (D)expanse that was over their heads; whenever they stood still, they dropped their wings.
26 Now (E)above the expanse that was over their heads there was something (F)resembling a throne, like [b](G)lapis lazuli in appearance; and on that which resembled a throne, high up, was a figure with the appearance of a (H)man. 27 Then I [c]noticed from the appearance of His loins and upward something (I)like [d]glowing metal that looked like fire all around within it, and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw something like fire; and there was a radiance around Him. 28 As the appearance of the (J)rainbow [e]in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance. Such was the appearance of the likeness of the (K)glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I (L)fell on my face and heard a voice speaking.
Earth Subject to Man
5 For He did not subject to angels [a](A)the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. 6 But one has testified (B)somewhere, saying,
“(C)What is man, that You remember him?
Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?
7 “(D)You have made him [b]for a little while lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
[c]And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
8 (E)You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now (F)we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
Jesus Briefly Humbled
9 But we do see Him who was (G)made [d]for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, (H)because of the suffering of death (I)crowned with glory and honor, so that (J)by the grace of God He might (K)taste death (L)for everyone.
10 For (M)it was fitting for Him, (N)for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to (O)perfect the [e](P)author of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who (Q)sanctifies and those who (R)are [f]sanctified are all (S)from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them (T)brethren, 12 saying,
“(U)I will proclaim Your name to My brethren,
In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
13 And again,
“(V)I will put My trust in Him.”
And again,
“(W)Behold, I and the children whom God has given Me.”
14 Therefore, since the children share in [g](X)flesh and blood, (Y)He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that (Z)through death He might render powerless (AA)him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and might free those who through (AB)fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. 16 For assuredly He does not [h]give help to angels, but He gives help to the [i]descendant of Abraham. 17 Therefore, He [j]had (AC)to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might (AD)become a merciful and faithful (AE)high priest in (AF)things pertaining to God, to (AG)make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For since He Himself was (AH)tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted.
The Great Commission
16 But the eleven disciples proceeded (A)to Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had designated. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but (B)some were doubtful. 18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “(C)All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 [a](D)Go therefore and (E)make disciples of (F)all the nations, (G)baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, (H)I am with you [b]always, even to (I)the end of the age.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.