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 18

Psalm 18[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

I love you, Lord, my strength.(B)

The Lord is my rock,(C) my fortress(D) and my deliverer;(E)
    my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge,(F)
    my shield[b](G) and the horn[c] of my salvation,(H) my stronghold.

I called to the Lord, who is worthy of praise,(I)
    and I have been saved from my enemies.(J)
The cords of death(K) entangled me;
    the torrents(L) of destruction overwhelmed me.
The cords of the grave coiled around me;
    the snares of death(M) confronted me.

In my distress(N) I called to the Lord;(O)
    I cried to my God for help.
From his temple he heard my voice;(P)
    my cry came(Q) before him, into his ears.
The earth trembled(R) and quaked,(S)
    and the foundations of the mountains shook;(T)
    they trembled because he was angry.(U)
Smoke rose from his nostrils;(V)
    consuming fire(W) came from his mouth,
    burning coals(X) blazed out of it.
He parted the heavens and came down;(Y)
    dark clouds(Z) were under his feet.
10 He mounted the cherubim(AA) and flew;
    he soared(AB) on the wings of the wind.(AC)
11 He made darkness his covering,(AD) his canopy(AE) around him—
    the dark rain clouds of the sky.
12 Out of the brightness of his presence(AF) clouds advanced,
    with hailstones(AG) and bolts of lightning.(AH)
13 The Lord thundered(AI) from heaven;
    the voice of the Most High resounded.[d]
14 He shot his arrows(AJ) and scattered the enemy,
    with great bolts of lightning(AK) he routed them.(AL)
15 The valleys of the sea were exposed
    and the foundations(AM) of the earth laid bare
at your rebuke,(AN) Lord,
    at the blast of breath from your nostrils.(AO)

16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
    he drew me out of deep waters.(AP)
17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy,(AQ)
    from my foes, who were too strong for me.(AR)
18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster,(AS)
    but the Lord was my support.(AT)
19 He brought me out into a spacious place;(AU)
    he rescued me because he delighted in me.(AV)

20 The Lord has dealt with me according to my righteousness;(AW)
    according to the cleanness of my hands(AX) he has rewarded me.(AY)
21 For I have kept the ways of the Lord;(AZ)
    I am not guilty of turning(BA) from my God.
22 All his laws are before me;(BB)
    I have not turned away from his decrees.
23 I have been blameless(BC) before him
    and have kept myself from sin.
24 The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness,(BD)
    according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.

25 To the faithful(BE) you show yourself faithful,(BF)
    to the blameless you show yourself blameless,
26 to the pure(BG) you show yourself pure,
    but to the devious you show yourself shrewd.(BH)
27 You save the humble(BI)
    but bring low those whose eyes are haughty.(BJ)
28 You, Lord, keep my lamp(BK) burning;
    my God turns my darkness into light.(BL)
29 With your help(BM) I can advance against a troop[e];
    with my God I can scale a wall.

30 As for God, his way is perfect:(BN)
    The Lord’s word is flawless;(BO)
    he shields(BP) all who take refuge(BQ) in him.
31 For who is God besides the Lord?(BR)
    And who is the Rock(BS) except our God?
32 It is God who arms me with strength(BT)
    and keeps my way secure.(BU)
33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;(BV)
    he causes me to stand on the heights.(BW)
34 He trains my hands for battle;(BX)
    my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
35 You make your saving help my shield,
    and your right hand sustains(BY) me;
    your help has made me great.
36 You provide a broad path(BZ) for my feet,
    so that my ankles do not give way.(CA)

37 I pursued my enemies(CB) and overtook them;
    I did not turn back till they were destroyed.
38 I crushed them(CC) so that they could not rise;(CD)
    they fell beneath my feet.(CE)
39 You armed me with strength(CF) for battle;
    you humbled my adversaries(CG) before me.
40 You made my enemies turn their backs(CH) in flight,
    and I destroyed(CI) my foes.
41 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them(CJ)
    to the Lord, but he did not answer.(CK)
42 I beat them as fine as windblown dust;(CL)
    I trampled them[f] like mud in the streets.
43 You have delivered me from the attacks of the people;
    you have made me the head of nations.(CM)
People I did not know(CN) now serve me,
44     foreigners(CO) cower before me;
    as soon as they hear of me, they obey me.
45 They all lose heart;(CP)
    they come trembling(CQ) from their strongholds.(CR)

46 The Lord lives!(CS) Praise be to my Rock!(CT)
    Exalted be God(CU) my Savior!(CV)
47 He is the God who avenges(CW) me,
    who subdues nations(CX) under me,
48     who saves(CY) me from my enemies.(CZ)
You exalted me above my foes;
    from a violent man(DA) you rescued me.
49 Therefore I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;(DB)
    I will sing(DC) the praises of your name.(DD)

50 He gives his king great victories;
    he shows unfailing love to his anointed,(DE)
    to David(DF) and to his descendants forever.(DG)

Genesis 4:17-26

17 Cain made love to his wife,(A) and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was then building a city,(B) and he named it after his son(C) Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael, and Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

19 Lamech married(D) two women,(E) one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he was the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all who play stringed instruments(F) and pipes.(G) 22 Zillah also had a son, Tubal-Cain, who forged(H) all kinds of tools out of[a] bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain’s sister was Naamah.

23 Lamech said to his wives,

“Adah and Zillah, listen to me;
    wives of Lamech, hear my words.
I have killed(I) a man for wounding me,
    a young man for injuring me.
24 If Cain is avenged(J) seven times,(K)
    then Lamech seventy-seven times.(L)

25 Adam made love to his wife(M) again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth,[b](N) saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”(O) 26 Seth also had a son, and he named him Enosh.(P)

At that time people began to call on[c] the name of the Lord.(Q)

Hebrews 3:1-11

Jesus Greater Than Moses

Therefore, holy brothers and sisters,(A) who share in the heavenly calling,(B) fix your thoughts on Jesus, whom we acknowledge(C) as our apostle and high priest.(D) He was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses was faithful in all God’s house.(E) Jesus has been found worthy of greater honor than Moses,(F) just as the builder of a house has greater honor than the house itself. For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.(G) “Moses was faithful as a servant(H) in all God’s house,”[a](I) bearing witness to what would be spoken by God in the future. But Christ is faithful as the Son(J) over God’s house. And we are his house,(K) if indeed we hold firmly(L) to our confidence and the hope(M) in which we glory.

Warning Against Unbelief

So, as the Holy Spirit says:(N)

“Today, if you hear his voice,
    do not harden your hearts(O)
as you did in the rebellion,
    during the time of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors tested and tried me,
    though for forty years they saw what I did.(P)
10 That is why I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray,
    and they have not known my ways.’
11 So I declared on oath in my anger,(Q)
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’ (R)[b](S)

John 1:43-51

Jesus Calls Philip and Nathanael

43 The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip,(A) he said to him, “Follow me.”(B)

44 Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida.(C) 45 Philip found Nathanael(D) and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law,(E) and about whom the prophets also wrote(F)—Jesus of Nazareth,(G) the son of Joseph.”(H)

46 “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?”(I) Nathanael asked.

“Come and see,” said Philip.

47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite(J) in whom there is no deceit.”(K)

48 “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.

Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”

49 Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi,(L) you are the Son of God;(M) you are the king of Israel.”(N)

50 Jesus said, “You believe[a] because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,[b] you[c] will see ‘heaven open,(O) and the angels of God ascending and descending(P) on’[d] the Son of Man.”(Q)

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.