Book of Common Prayer
How Awesome Are Your Deeds
To the choirmaster. A Song. A Psalm.
66 (A)Shout for joy to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name;
(B)give to him glorious praise!
3 Say to God, (C)“How awesome are your deeds!
So great is your power that your enemies (D)come cringing to you.
4 (E)All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you;
they sing praises to your name.” Selah
5 (F)Come and see what God has done:
(G)he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man.
6 He (H)turned the sea into dry land;
they (I)passed through the river on foot.
There did we rejoice in him,
7 who rules by his might forever,
whose (J)eyes keep watch on the nations—
let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept our soul among the living
and (K)has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have (L)tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into (M)the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
12 you let men (N)ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through (O)water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will (P)perform my vows to you,
14 that which my lips uttered
and my mouth promised (Q)when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 (R)Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for my soul.
17 I cried to him with my mouth,
and high praise was on[a] my tongue.[b]
18 If I had (S)cherished iniquity in my heart,
(T)the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly (U)God has listened;
he has attended to the voice of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God,
because he has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me!
Make Your Face Shine upon Us
To the choirmaster: with (V)stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
67 May God (W)be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to (X)shine upon us, Selah
2 that (Y)your way may be known on earth,
your (Z)saving power among all nations.
3 (AA)Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you!
The Law of the Lord Is Perfect
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
19 (A)The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above[a] proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours out speech,
and night to night reveals knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words,
whose voice is not heard.
4 (B)Their (C)voice[b] goes out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.
In them he has set a tent for (D)the sun,
5 (E)which comes out like (F)a bridegroom leaving his chamber,
and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
and its circuit to the end of them,
and there is nothing hidden from its heat.
7 (G)The law of the Lord is perfect,[c]
(H)reviving the soul;
(I)the testimony of the Lord is (J)sure,
(K)making wise (L)the simple;
8 (M)the precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is (N)pure,
(O)enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules[d] of the Lord are (P)true,
and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than (Q)gold,
even much (R)fine gold;
(S)sweeter also than honey
and drippings of (T)the honeycomb.
11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;
(U)in keeping them there is great reward.
God Is Our Fortress
To the choirmaster. Of (A)the Sons of Korah. According to (B)Alamoth.[a] A Song.
46 God is our (C)refuge and strength,
a very (D)present[b] help in (E)trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear (F)though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into (G)the heart of the sea,
3 though (H)its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is (I)a river whose streams make glad (J)the city of God,
the holy (K)habitation of the Most High.
5 (L)God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 (M)The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he (N)utters his voice, the earth (O)melts.
7 (P)The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 (Q)Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 (R)He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he (S)breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
(T)he burns the chariots with fire.
10 (U)“Be still, and know that I am God.
(V)I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 (W)The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
20 So Jacob (A)served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her.
21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife that I may go in to her, for my time is completed.” 22 So Laban gathered together all the people of the place and (B)made a feast. 23 But in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to Jacob, and he went in to her. 24 (Laban gave[a] (C)his female servant Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be her servant.) 25 And in the morning, behold, it was Leah! And Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me? Did I not serve with you for Rachel? Why then have you deceived me?” 26 Laban said, “It is not so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn. 27 (D)Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also in return for serving me another seven years.” 28 Jacob did so, and completed her week. Then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife. 29 (Laban gave (E)his female servant Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be her servant.) 30 So Jacob went in to Rachel also, and he loved Rachel more than Leah, and served Laban (F)for another seven years.
Jacob's Children
31 When the Lord saw that Leah was (G)hated, (H)he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren. 32 And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben,[b] for she said, “Because the Lord (I)has looked upon my affliction; for now my husband will love me.” 33 She conceived again and bore a son, and said, “Because the Lord has heard that I am hated, he has given me this son also.” And she called his name Simeon.[c] 34 Again she conceived and bore a son, and said, “Now this time my husband will be (J)attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” Therefore his name was called Levi.[d] 35 And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name (K)Judah.[e] Then she ceased bearing.
The Mystery of Godliness
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, 15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
(A)He[a] was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated[b] by the Spirit,[c]
(B)seen by angels,
(C)proclaimed among the nations,
(D)believed on in the world,
(E)taken up in glory.
Some Will Depart from the Faith
4 Now (F)the Spirit expressly says that (G)in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to (H)deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, 2 through the insincerity of (I)liars whose consciences are seared, 3 (J)who forbid marriage and (K)require abstinence from foods (L)that God created (M)to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For (N)everything created by God is good, and (O)nothing is to be rejected if it is (P)received with thanksgiving, 5 for it is made holy (Q)by the word of God and prayer.
A Good Servant of Christ Jesus
6 (R)If you put these things before the brothers,[d] you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have (S)followed. 7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, (T)silly myths. Rather (U)train yourself for godliness; 8 for while (V)bodily training is of some value, godliness (W)is of value in every way, as (X)it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 The saying is (Y)trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. 10 For to this end we toil and strive,[e] because we have our hope set on the living God, (Z)who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.
23 And Jesus (A)looked around and said to his disciples, (B)“How difficult it will be for those who have wealth to enter (C)the kingdom of God!” 24 And the disciples (D)were amazed at his words. But Jesus said to them again, (E)“Children, (F)how difficult it is[a] to enter (G)the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter (H)the kingdom of God.” 26 And they were exceedingly astonished, and said to him,[b] “Then who can be saved?” 27 Jesus (I)looked at them and said, (J)“With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.” 28 Peter began to say to him, “See, (K)we have left everything and followed you.” 29 Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, (L)there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and (M)for the gospel, 30 who will not receive a hundredfold (N)now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, (O)with persecutions, and in (P)the age to come eternal life. 31 But (Q)many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.