Previous Prev Day Next DayNext

Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
New International Version (NIV)
Version
Psalm 38

Psalm 38[a]

A psalm of David. A petition.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.(A)
Your arrows(B) have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
Because of your wrath there is no health(C) in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones(D) because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed(E) me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.(F)

My wounds(G) fester and are loathsome(H)
    because of my sinful folly.(I)
I am bowed down(J) and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.(K)
My back is filled with searing pain;(L)
    there is no health(M) in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;(N)
    I groan(O) in anguish of heart.(P)

All my longings(Q) lie open before you, Lord;
    my sighing(R) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,(S) my strength fails(T) me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.(U)
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;(V)
    my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,(W)
    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;(X)
    all day long they scheme and lie.(Y)

13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,(Z)
    like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
    whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait(AA) for you;
    you will answer,(AB) Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat(AC)
    or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”(AD)

17 For I am about to fall,(AE)
    and my pain(AF) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;(AG)
    I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies(AH) without cause[b];
    those who hate me(AI) without reason(AJ) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil(AK)
    lodge accusations(AL) against me,
    though I seek only to do what is good.

21 Lord, do not forsake me;(AM)
    do not be far(AN) from me, my God.
22 Come quickly(AO) to help me,(AP)
    my Lord and my Savior.(AQ)

Psalm 119:25-48

ד Daleth

25 I am laid low in the dust;(A)
    preserve my life(B) according to your word.(C)
26 I gave an account of my ways and you answered me;
    teach me your decrees.(D)
27 Cause me to understand the way of your precepts,
    that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.(E)
28 My soul is weary with sorrow;(F)
    strengthen me(G) according to your word.(H)
29 Keep me from deceitful ways;(I)
    be gracious to me(J) and teach me your law.
30 I have chosen(K) the way of faithfulness;(L)
    I have set my heart(M) on your laws.
31 I hold fast(N) to your statutes, Lord;
    do not let me be put to shame.
32 I run in the path of your commands,
    for you have broadened my understanding.

ה He

33 Teach me,(O) Lord, the way of your decrees,
    that I may follow it to the end.[a]
34 Give me understanding,(P) so that I may keep your law(Q)
    and obey it with all my heart.(R)
35 Direct me(S) in the path of your commands,(T)
    for there I find delight.(U)
36 Turn my heart(V) toward your statutes
    and not toward selfish gain.(W)
37 Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
    preserve my life(X) according to your word.[b](Y)
38 Fulfill your promise(Z) to your servant,
    so that you may be feared.
39 Take away the disgrace(AA) I dread,
    for your laws are good.
40 How I long(AB) for your precepts!
    In your righteousness preserve my life.(AC)

ו Waw

41 May your unfailing love(AD) come to me, Lord,
    your salvation, according to your promise;(AE)
42 then I can answer(AF) anyone who taunts me,(AG)
    for I trust in your word.
43 Never take your word of truth from my mouth,(AH)
    for I have put my hope(AI) in your laws.
44 I will always obey your law,(AJ)
    for ever and ever.
45 I will walk about in freedom,
    for I have sought out your precepts.(AK)
46 I will speak of your statutes before kings(AL)
    and will not be put to shame,(AM)
47 for I delight(AN) in your commands
    because I love them.(AO)
48 I reach out for your commands, which I love,
    that I may meditate(AP) on your decrees.

Amos 8

A Basket of Ripe Fruit

This is what the Sovereign Lord showed me:(A) a basket of ripe fruit. “What do you see,(B) Amos?(C)” he asked.

“A basket(D) of ripe fruit,” I answered.

Then the Lord said to me, “The time is ripe for my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.(E)

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord, “the songs in the temple will turn to wailing.[a](F) Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!(G)

Hear this, you who trample the needy
    and do away with the poor(H) of the land,(I)

saying,

“When will the New Moon(J) be over
    that we may sell grain,
and the Sabbath be ended
    that we may market(K) wheat?”(L)
skimping on the measure,
    boosting the price
    and cheating(M) with dishonest scales,(N)
buying the poor(O) with silver
    and the needy for a pair of sandals,
    selling even the sweepings with the wheat.(P)

The Lord has sworn by himself, the Pride of Jacob:(Q) “I will never forget(R) anything they have done.(S)

“Will not the land tremble(T) for this,
    and all who live in it mourn?
The whole land will rise like the Nile;
    it will be stirred up and then sink
    like the river of Egypt.(U)

“In that day,” declares the Sovereign Lord,

“I will make the sun go down at noon
    and darken the earth in broad daylight.(V)
10 I will turn your religious festivals(W) into mourning
    and all your singing into weeping.(X)
I will make all of you wear sackcloth(Y)
    and shave(Z) your heads.
I will make that time like mourning for an only son(AA)
    and the end of it like a bitter day.(AB)

11 “The days are coming,”(AC) declares the Sovereign Lord,
    “when I will send a famine through the land—
not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
    but a famine(AD) of hearing the words of the Lord.(AE)
12 People will stagger from sea to sea
    and wander from north to east,
searching for the word of the Lord,
    but they will not find it.(AF)

13 “In that day

“the lovely young women and strong young men(AG)
    will faint because of thirst.(AH)
14 Those who swear by the sin of Samaria(AI)
    who say, ‘As surely as your god lives, Dan,’(AJ)
    or, ‘As surely as the god[b] of Beersheba(AK) lives’—
    they will fall,(AL) never to rise again.(AM)

Revelation 1:17-2:7

17 When I saw him, I fell at his feet(A) as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me(B) and said: “Do not be afraid.(C) I am the First and the Last.(D) 18 I am the Living One; I was dead,(E) and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!(F) And I hold the keys of death and Hades.(G)

19 “Write, therefore, what you have seen,(H) what is now and what will take place later. 20 The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand(I) and of the seven golden lampstands(J) is this: The seven stars are the angels[a] of the seven churches,(K) and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.(L)

To the Church in Ephesus

“To the angel[b] of the church in Ephesus(M) write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand(N) and walks among the seven golden lampstands.(O) I know your deeds,(P) your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested(Q) those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.(R) You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name,(S) and have not grown weary.

Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first.(T) Consider how far you have fallen! Repent(U) and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand(V) from its place. But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans,(W) which I also hate.

Whoever has ears, let them hear(X) what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious,(Y) I will give the right to eat from the tree of life,(Z) which is in the paradise(AA) of God.

Matthew 23:1-12

A Warning Against Hypocrisy(A)(B)

23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: “The teachers of the law(C) and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.(D)

“Everything they do is done for people to see:(E) They make their phylacteries[a](F) wide and the tassels on their garments(G) long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues;(H) they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.(I)

“But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father,(J) and he is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant.(K) 12 For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.(L)

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.