Book of Common Prayer
Give the King Your Justice
Of (A)Solomon.
72 Give the king your (B)justice, O God,
and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he (C)judge your people with righteousness,
and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear (D)prosperity for the people,
and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
give deliverance to the children of the needy,
and crush the oppressor!
5 May they fear you[a] while (E)the sun endures,
and as long as the moon, (F)throughout all generations!
6 May he be like (G)rain that falls on (H)the mown grass,
like (I)showers that water the earth!
7 In his days may (J)the righteous flourish,
and (K)peace abound, till the moon be no more!
8 May he have dominion from (L)sea to sea,
and from (M)the River[b] to the (N)ends of the earth!
9 May desert tribes (O)bow down before him,
and his enemies (P)lick the dust!
10 May the kings of (Q)Tarshish and of (R)the coastlands
render him (S)tribute;
may the kings of (T)Sheba and (U)Seba
bring gifts!
11 May all kings (V)fall down before him,
all nations serve him!
12 For he delivers (W)the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and (X)precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live;
may (Y)gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made (Z)for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people (AA)blossom in the cities
like the (AB)grass of the field!
17 (AC)May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
(AD)May people be blessed in him,
(AE)all nations call him blessed!
The Birth of Samuel
1 There was a certain man of (A)Ramathaim-zophim of (B)the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, (C)an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man used to go up (D)year by year from his city (E)to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts (F)at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, (G)he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.[a] 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? (H)Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of (I)the temple of the Lord. 10 She was (J)deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she (K)vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed (L)look on the affliction of your servant and (M)remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, (N)and no razor shall touch his head.”
12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but (O)I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as (P)a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, (Q)“Go in peace, and the God of Israel (R)grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, (S)“Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman (T)went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at (U)Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord (V)remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”[b]
Jesus Greater Than Moses
3 Therefore, holy brothers,[a] you who share in (A)a heavenly calling, consider Jesus, (B)the apostle and high priest of our confession, 2 who was faithful to him who appointed him, (C)just as Moses also was faithful in all God's[b] house. 3 For Jesus has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses—as much more glory as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself. 4 (For every house is built by someone, but (D)the builder of all things is God.) 5 (E)Now Moses was faithful in all God's house (F)as a servant, (G)to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, 6 but Christ is faithful over God's house as (H)a son. And (I)we are his house, if indeed we (J)hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope.[c]
Put Not Your Trust in Princes
146 (A)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2 I will praise the Lord (B)as long as I live;
(C)I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 (D)Put not your trust in princes,
(E)in a son of man, in whom there is (F)no salvation.
4 When (G)his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
5 (H)Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose (I)hope is in the Lord his God,
6 (J)who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
(K)who keeps faith forever;
7 (L)who executes justice for the oppressed,
(M)who gives food to the hungry.
(N)The Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 (O)the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
(P)The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
(Q)the Lord loves the righteous.
9 (R)The Lord watches over the sojourners;
(S)he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but (T)the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
He Heals the Brokenhearted
147 (W)Praise the Lord!
For (X)it is good to sing praises to our God;
for (Y)it is pleasant,[a] and (Z)a song of praise is fitting.
2 The Lord (AA)builds up Jerusalem;
he (AB)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals (AC)the brokenhearted
and (AD)binds up their wounds.
4 He (AE)determines the number of the stars;
he (AF)gives to all of them their names.
5 (AG)Great is our Lord, and (AH)abundant in power;
(AI)his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The Lord (AJ)lifts up the humble;[b]
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 (AK)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on (AL)the lyre!
8 He covers the heavens with clouds;
he prepares (AM)rain for the earth;
he makes (AN)grass grow on the hills.
9 He (AO)gives to the beasts their food,
and to (AP)the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in (AQ)the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord (AR)takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who (AS)hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens (AT)the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He (AU)makes peace in your borders;
he (AV)fills you with the (AW)finest of the wheat.
15 He (AX)sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives (AY)snow like wool;
he scatters (AZ)frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of (BA)ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his (BB)cold?
18 He (BC)sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his (BD)statutes and rules[c] to Israel.
20 He (BE)has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.[d]
(BF)Praise the Lord!
25 Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over (A)purification. 26 And they came to John and said to him, (B)“Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, (C)to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and (D)all are going to him.” 27 John answered, (E)“A person cannot receive even one thing (F)unless it is given him (G)from heaven. 28 You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, (H)‘I am not the Christ, but (I)I have been sent before him.’ 29 (J)The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. (K)The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, (L)rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. 30 (M)He must increase, but I must decrease.”[a]
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.