Book of Common Prayer
Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
140 (A)Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from (B)violent men,
2 who plan evil things in their heart
and (C)stir up wars continually.
3 They make (D)their tongue sharp as (E)a serpent's,
and (F)under their lips is the (G)venom of asps. Selah
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from (H)violent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5 The arrogant have (I)hidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread (J)a net;[a]
beside the way they have set (K)snares for me. Selah
6 (L)I say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to (M)the voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7 O Lord, my Lord, (N)the strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 (O)Grant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their[b] evil plot, or (P)they will be exalted! Selah
You Are My Refuge
A Maskil[a] of David, when he was in (A)the cave. A Prayer.
142 With my voice I (B)cry out to the Lord;
with my voice I (C)plead for mercy to the Lord.
2 I (D)pour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit (E)faints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have (F)hidden a trap for me.
4 (G)Look to the (H)right and see:
(I)there is none who takes notice of me;
(J)no refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my (K)refuge,
my (L)portion in (M)the land of the living.”
6 (N)Attend to my cry,
for (O)I am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
(P)for they are too strong for me!
7 (Q)Bring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will (R)deal bountifully with me.
Give Ear to My Voice
A Psalm of David.
141 O Lord, I call upon you; (A)hasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2 Let (B)my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and (C)the lifting up of my hands as (D)the evening sacrifice!
3 (E)Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
(F)keep watch over the door of my lips!
4 (G)Do not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who (H)work iniquity,
and (I)let me not eat of their delicacies!
5 (J)Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet (K)my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6 When their judges are (L)thrown over the cliff,[a]
then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7 As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones (M)be scattered at the mouth of Sheol.[b]
My Soul Thirsts for You
A Psalm of David.
143 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
(A)give ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your (B)faithfulness answer me, in your (C)righteousness!
2 (D)Enter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous (E)before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
(F)he has crushed my life to the ground;
(G)he has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit (H)faints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 (I)I remember the days of old;
(J)I meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6 (K)I stretch out my hands to you;
(L)my soul thirsts for you like (M)a parched land. Selah
7 (N)Answer me quickly, O Lord!
(O)My spirit fails!
(P)Hide not your face from me,
(Q)lest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 (R)Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I (S)trust.
(T)Make me know the way I should go,
(U)for to you I lift up my soul.
14 They lift up their voices, they sing for joy;
over the majesty of the Lord they shout from the west.[a]
15 (A)Therefore in the east[b] give glory to the Lord;
in the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.
16 (B)From the ends of the earth we hear songs of praise,
of glory to (C)the Righteous One.
But I say, “I waste away,
I waste away. Woe is me!
For (D)the traitors have betrayed,
with betrayal the traitors have betrayed.”
17 (E)Terror and the pit and the snare[c]
are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth!
18 (F)He who flees at the sound of the terror
shall fall into the pit,
and he who climbs out of the pit
shall be caught in the snare.
For (G)the windows of heaven are opened,
and (H)the foundations of the earth tremble.
19 The earth is utterly broken,
the earth is split apart,
the earth is violently shaken.
20 The earth (I)staggers like a drunken man;
it sways like a hut;
(J)its transgression lies heavy upon it,
and it falls, and will not rise again.
21 On that day the Lord will punish
the host of heaven, in heaven,
and (K)the kings of the earth, on the earth.
22 (L)They will be gathered together
as prisoners in a pit;
they will be shut up in a prison,
and after many days (M)they will be punished.
23 (N)Then the moon will be confounded
and the sun ashamed,
for (O)the Lord of hosts reigns
on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem,
and his glory will be before his elders.
13 Now (A)who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 14 (B)But even if you should suffer for righteousness' sake, you will be blessed. (C)Have no fear of them, (D)nor be troubled, 15 but (E)in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, (F)always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and (G)respect, 16 (H)having a good conscience, so that, (I)when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For (J)it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God's will, than for doing evil.
18 For Christ also (K)suffered[a] (L)once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, (M)that he might bring us to God, being put to death (N)in the flesh but made alive (O)in the spirit, 19 in which[b] he went and (P)proclaimed[c] to the spirits in prison, 20 because[d] they formerly did not obey, (Q)when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, (R)while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, (S)eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, (T)now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but (U)as an appeal to God for a good conscience, (V)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and (W)is at the right hand of God, (X)with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Stewards of God's Grace
4 Since therefore (Y)Christ suffered in the flesh,[e] (Z)arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for (AA)whoever has suffered in the flesh (AB)has ceased from sin, 2 (AC)so as to live for (AD)the rest of the time in the flesh (AE)no longer for human passions but (AF)for the will of God. 3 For the time that is past (AG)suffices (AH)for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. 4 With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of (AI)debauchery, and (AJ)they malign you; 5 but they will give account to him who is ready (AK)to judge the living and the dead. 6 For this is why (AL)the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.
Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
17 (A)And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, (B)we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will (C)condemn him to death 19 and (D)deliver him over to the Gentiles (E)to be mocked and flogged and (F)crucified, and he will be raised on (G)the third day.”
A Mother's Request
20 (H)Then (I)the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and (J)kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine (K)are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, (L)in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, (M)“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able (N)to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, (O)“You will drink (P)my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, (Q)but it is for those for whom it has been (R)prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, (S)“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (T)lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 (U)It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[a] 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,[b] 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but (V)to serve, and (W)to give his life as a ransom for (X)many.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.