Book of Common Prayer
Psalm 19[a]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 The heavens(A) declare(B) the glory of God;(C)
the skies(D) proclaim the work of his hands.(E)
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.(F)
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.(G)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent(H) for the sun.(I)
5 It is like a bridegroom(J) coming out of his chamber,(K)
like a champion(L) rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens(M)
and makes its circuit to the other;(N)
nothing is deprived of its warmth.
7 The law of the Lord(O) is perfect,(P)
refreshing the soul.(Q)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,(R)
making wise the simple.(S)
8 The precepts of the Lord are right,(T)
giving joy(U) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.(V)
9 The fear of the Lord(W) is pure,
enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
and all of them are righteous.(X)
10 They are more precious than gold,(Y)
than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,(Z)
than honey from the honeycomb.(AA)
11 By them your servant is warned;
in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
Forgive my hidden faults.(AB)
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;(AC)
may they not rule over me.(AD)
Then I will be blameless,(AE)
innocent of great transgression.
18 For this is what the Lord says—
he who created the heavens,
he is God;
he who fashioned and made the earth,(A)
he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,(B)
but formed it to be inhabited(C)—
he says:
“I am the Lord,
and there is no other.(D)
19 I have not spoken in secret,(E)
from somewhere in a land of darkness;(F)
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,(G)
‘Seek(H) me in vain.’
I, the Lord, speak the truth;
I declare what is right.(I)
20 “Gather together(J) and come;
assemble, you fugitives from the nations.
Ignorant(K) are those who carry(L) about idols of wood,
who pray to gods that cannot save.(M)
21 Declare what is to be, present it—
let them take counsel together.
Who foretold(N) this long ago,
who declared it from the distant past?(O)
Was it not I, the Lord?
And there is no God apart from me,(P)
a righteous God(Q) and a Savior;(R)
there is none but me.
22 “Turn(S) to me and be saved,(T)
all you ends of the earth;(U)
for I am God, and there is no other.(V)
23 By myself I have sworn,(W)
my mouth has uttered in all integrity(X)
a word that will not be revoked:(Y)
Before me every knee will bow;(Z)
by me every tongue will swear.(AA)
24 They will say of me, ‘In the Lord alone
are deliverance(AB) and strength.(AC)’”
All who have raged against him
will come to him and be put to shame.(AD)
25 But all the descendants(AE) of Israel
will find deliverance(AF) in the Lord
and will make their boast in him.(AG)
4 though I myself have reasons for such confidence.(A)
If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: 5 circumcised(B) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,(C) of the tribe of Benjamin,(D) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;(E) 6 as for zeal,(F) persecuting the church;(G) as for righteousness based on the law,(H) faultless.
7 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss(I) for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing(J) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ(K) 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,(L) but that which is through faith in[a] Christ—the righteousness(M) that comes from God on the basis of faith.(N) 10 I want to know(O) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,(P) becoming like him in his death,(Q) 11 and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection(R) from the dead.
ל Lamedh
89 Your word, Lord, is eternal;(A)
it stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness(B) continues through all generations;(C)
you established the earth, and it endures.(D)
91 Your laws endure(E) to this day,
for all things serve you.(F)
92 If your law had not been my delight,(G)
I would have perished in my affliction.(H)
93 I will never forget(I) your precepts,
for by them you have preserved my life.(J)
94 Save me,(K) for I am yours;
I have sought out your precepts.(L)
95 The wicked are waiting to destroy me,(M)
but I will ponder your statutes.(N)
96 To all perfection I see a limit,
but your commands are boundless.(O)
מ Mem
97 Oh, how I love your law!(P)
I meditate(Q) on it all day long.
98 Your commands are always with me
and make me wiser(R) than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.(S)
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.(T)
101 I have kept my feet(U) from every evil path
so that I might obey your word.(V)
102 I have not departed from your laws,(W)
for you yourself have taught(X) me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
sweeter than honey(Y) to my mouth!(Z)
104 I gain understanding(AA) from your precepts;
therefore I hate every wrong path.(AB)
נ Nun
105 Your word is a lamp(AC) for my feet,
a light(AD) on my path.
106 I have taken an oath(AE) and confirmed it,
that I will follow your righteous laws.(AF)
107 I have suffered much;
preserve my life,(AG) Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,(AH)
and teach me your laws.(AI)
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,(AJ)
I will not forget(AK) your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare(AL) for me,
but I have not strayed(AM) from your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;
they are the joy of my heart.(AN)
112 My heart is set(AO) on keeping your decrees
to the very end.[a](AP)
Saul’s Conversion(A)
9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.(B) He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus,(C) so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way,(D) whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.(E) 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice(F) say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.
“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”(G)
7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound(H) but did not see anyone.(I) 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing.(J) So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.
10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision,(K) “Ananias!”
“Yes, Lord,” he answered.
11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus(L) named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on(M) him to restore his sight.”
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people(N) in Jerusalem.(O) 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests(P) to arrest all who call on your name.”(Q)
15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument(R) to proclaim my name to the Gentiles(S) and their kings(T) and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”(U)
17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on(V) Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”(W) 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized,(X) 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.
Saul in Damascus and Jerusalem
Saul spent several days with the disciples(Y) in Damascus.(Z) 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues(AA) that Jesus is the Son of God.(AB) 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name?(AC) And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”(AD) 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.(AE)
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