Book of Common Prayer
The Privileges of Citizenship in Zion.
A Psalm of the sons of Korah. A Song.
87 His (A)foundation is in the holy mountains.
2 The Lord (B)loves the gates of Zion
More than all the other dwelling places of Jacob.
3 (C)Glorious things are spoken of you,
O (D)city of God. [a]Selah.
4 “I shall mention [b](E)Rahab and Babylon [c]among those who know Me;
Behold, Philistia and (F)Tyre with [d](G)Ethiopia:
‘This one was born there.’”
5 But of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in her”;
And the Most High Himself will (H)establish her.
6 The Lord will count when He (I)registers the peoples,
“This one was born there.” Selah.
7 Then those who (J)sing as well as those who [e](K)play the flutes shall say,
“All my (L)springs of joy are in you.”
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You (E)turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or as a (H)watch in the night.
5 You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass which [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)fades and (N)withers away.
7 For we have been (O)consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been [i]dismayed.
8 You have (P)placed our iniquities before You,
Our (Q)secret sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For (R)all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [j]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [k]life, [l]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (S)eighty years,
Yet their pride is but (T)labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we (U)fly away.
11 Who [m]understands the (V)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (W)fear [n]that is due You?
12 So (X)teach us to number our days,
That we may [o](Y)present to You a heart of wisdom.
13 Do (Z)return, O Lord; (AA)how long will it be?
And [p]be (AB)sorry for Your servants.
14 O (AC)satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may (AD)sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 (AE)Make us glad [q]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the (AF)years we have seen [r]evil.
16 Let Your (AG)work appear to Your servants
And Your (AH)majesty [s]to their children.
17 Let the (AI)favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [t](AJ)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [u]confirm the work of our hands.
Thanks for the Lord’s Goodness to Israel.
136 (A)Give thanks to the Lord, for (B)He is good,
For (C)His lovingkindness is everlasting.
2 Give thanks to the (D)God of gods,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
3 Give thanks to the (E)Lord of lords,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
4 To Him who (F)alone does great [a]wonders,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
5 To Him who (G)made the heavens [b](H)with skill,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
6 To Him who (I)spread out the earth above the waters,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
7 To Him who (J)made the great lights,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
8 The (K)sun to rule [c]by day,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
9 The (L)moon and stars to rule [d]by night,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
10 To Him who (M)smote [e]the Egyptians in their firstborn,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
11 And (N)brought Israel out from their midst,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
12 With a (O)strong hand and an (P)outstretched arm,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
13 To Him who (Q)divided the [f]Red Sea [g]asunder,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
14 And (R)made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
15 But (S)He [h]overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the [i]Red Sea,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
16 To Him who (T)led His people through the wilderness,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
17 To Him who (U)smote great kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
18 And (V)slew [j]mighty kings,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting:
19 (W)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
20 And (X)Og, king of Bashan,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
21 And (Y)gave their land as a heritage,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
22 Even a heritage to Israel His (Z)servant,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
23 Who (AA)remembered us in our low estate,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting,
24 And has (AB)rescued us from our adversaries,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting;
25 Who (AC)gives food to all flesh,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
26 Give thanks to the (AD)God of heaven,
For His lovingkindness is everlasting.
Philistines Take the Ark in Victory
4 Thus the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle and camped beside (A)Ebenezer while the Philistines camped in (B)Aphek. 2 The Philistines drew up in battle array to meet Israel. When the battle spread, Israel was [a]defeated before the Philistines who killed about four thousand men on the battlefield. 3 When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, “(C)Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? (D)Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the Lord, that [b]it may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies.” 4 So the people sent to Shiloh, and from there they carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts (E)who sits above the cherubim; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.
5 As the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, (F)all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded. 6 When the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, “What does the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews mean?” Then they understood that the ark of the Lord had come into the camp. 7 The Philistines were afraid, for they said, “God has come into the camp.” And they said, “(G)Woe to us! For nothing like this has happened before. 8 Woe to us! Who shall deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all kinds of plagues in the wilderness. 9 (H)Take courage and be men, O Philistines, or you will become slaves to the Hebrews, (I)as they have been slaves to you; therefore, be men and fight.”
10 So the Philistines fought and (J)Israel was [c]defeated, and (K)every man fled to his tent; and the slaughter was very great, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. 11 And the ark of God was taken; and (L)the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, died.
Sharing among Believers
32 And the [a]congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them [b]claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but (A)all things were common property to them. 33 And (B)with great power the apostles were giving (C)testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. 34 For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses (D)would sell them and bring the [c]proceeds of the sales 35 and (E)lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be (F)distributed to each as any had need.
36 Now Joseph, a Levite of (G)Cyprian birth, who was also called (H)Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of [d](I)Encouragement), 37 and who owned a tract of land, sold it and brought the money and (J)laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Fate of Ananias and Sapphira
5 But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property, 2 and (K)kept back some of the price for himself, with his wife’s [e]full knowledge, and bringing a portion of it, he (L)laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has (M)Satan filled your heart to lie (N)to the Holy Spirit and to (O)keep back some of the price of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not [f]under your control? Why is it that you have [g]conceived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to men but (P)to God.” 5 And as he heard these words, Ananias (Q)fell down and breathed his last; and (R)great fear came over all who heard of it. 6 The young men got up and (S)covered him up, and after carrying him out, they buried him.
7 Now there elapsed an interval of about three hours, and his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter responded to her, “Tell me whether you sold the land [h](T)for such and such a price?” And she said, “Yes, [i]that was the price.” 9 Then Peter said to her, “Why is it that you have agreed together to (U)put (V)the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out as well.” 10 And immediately she (W)fell at his feet and breathed her last, and the young men came in and found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And (X)great fear came over the whole church, and over all who heard of these things.
20 “But when you see Jerusalem (A)surrounded by armies, then [a]recognize that her desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of [b]the city must leave, and (B)those who are in the country must not enter [c]the city; 22 because these are (C)days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. 23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for (D)there will be great distress upon the [d]land and wrath to this people; 24 and they will fall by (E)the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and (F)Jerusalem will be (G)trampled under foot by the Gentiles until (H)the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Return of Christ
25 “There will be [e]signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 men fainting from fear and the expectation of the things which are coming upon the [f]world; for the powers of [g]the heavens will be shaken. 27 (I)Then they will see (J)the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 But when these things begin to take place, straighten up and lift up your heads, because (K)your redemption is drawing near.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.