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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 41

Psalm 41[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Blessed(A) are those who have regard for the weak;(B)
    the Lord delivers them in times of trouble.(C)
The Lord protects(D) and preserves them—(E)
    they are counted among the blessed in the land—(F)
    he does not give them over to the desire of their foes.(G)
The Lord sustains them on their sickbed(H)
    and restores them from their bed of illness.(I)

I said, “Have mercy(J) on me, Lord;
    heal(K) me, for I have sinned(L) against you.”
My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die and his name perish?(M)
When one of them comes to see me,
    he speaks falsely,(N) while his heart gathers slander;(O)
    then he goes out and spreads(P) it around.

All my enemies whisper together(Q) against me;
    they imagine the worst for me, saying,
“A vile disease has afflicted him;
    he will never get up(R) from the place where he lies.”
Even my close friend,(S)
    someone I trusted,
one who shared my bread,
    has turned[b] against me.(T)

10 But may you have mercy(U) on me, Lord;
    raise me up,(V) that I may repay(W) them.
11 I know that you are pleased with me,(X)
    for my enemy does not triumph over me.(Y)
12 Because of my integrity(Z) you uphold me(AA)
    and set me in your presence forever.(AB)

13 Praise(AC) be to the Lord, the God of Israel,(AD)
    from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.(AE)

Psalm 52

Psalm 52[a]

For the director of music. A maskil[b] of David. When Doeg the Edomite(A) had gone to Saul and told him: “David has gone to the house of Ahimelek.”

Why do you boast of evil, you mighty hero?
    Why do you boast(B) all day long,(C)
    you who are a disgrace in the eyes of God?
You who practice deceit,(D)
    your tongue plots destruction;(E)
    it is like a sharpened razor.(F)
You love evil(G) rather than good,
    falsehood(H) rather than speaking the truth.[c]
You love every harmful word,
    you deceitful tongue!(I)

Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin:
    He will snatch you up and pluck(J) you from your tent;
    he will uproot(K) you from the land of the living.(L)
The righteous will see and fear;
    they will laugh(M) at you, saying,
“Here now is the man
    who did not make God his stronghold(N)
but trusted in his great wealth(O)
    and grew strong by destroying others!”

But I am like an olive tree(P)
    flourishing in the house of God;
I trust(Q) in God’s unfailing love
    for ever and ever.
For what you have done I will always praise you(R)
    in the presence of your faithful people.(S)
And I will hope in your name,(T)
    for your name is good.(U)

Psalm 44

Psalm 44[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[b]

We have heard it with our ears,(A) O God;
    our ancestors have told us(B)
what you did in their days,
    in days long ago.(C)
With your hand you drove out(D) the nations
    and planted(E) our ancestors;
you crushed(F) the peoples
    and made our ancestors flourish.(G)
It was not by their sword(H) that they won the land,
    nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was your right hand,(I) your arm,(J)
    and the light(K) of your face, for you loved(L) them.

You are my King(M) and my God,(N)
    who decrees[c] victories(O) for Jacob.
Through you we push back(P) our enemies;
    through your name we trample(Q) our foes.
I put no trust in my bow,(R)
    my sword does not bring me victory;
but you give us victory(S) over our enemies,
    you put our adversaries to shame.(T)
In God we make our boast(U) all day long,(V)
    and we will praise your name forever.[d](W)

But now you have rejected(X) and humbled us;(Y)
    you no longer go out with our armies.(Z)
10 You made us retreat(AA) before the enemy,
    and our adversaries have plundered(AB) us.
11 You gave us up to be devoured like sheep(AC)
    and have scattered us among the nations.(AD)
12 You sold your people for a pittance,(AE)
    gaining nothing from their sale.

13 You have made us a reproach(AF) to our neighbors,(AG)
    the scorn(AH) and derision(AI) of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword(AJ) among the nations;
    the peoples shake their heads(AK) at us.
15 I live in disgrace(AL) all day long,
    and my face is covered with shame(AM)
16 at the taunts(AN) of those who reproach and revile(AO) me,
    because of the enemy, who is bent on revenge.(AP)

17 All this came upon us,
    though we had not forgotten(AQ) you;
    we had not been false to your covenant.
18 Our hearts had not turned(AR) back;
    our feet had not strayed from your path.
19 But you crushed(AS) us and made us a haunt for jackals;(AT)
    you covered us over with deep darkness.(AU)

20 If we had forgotten(AV) the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,(AW)
21 would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?(AX)
22 Yet for your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep(AY) to be slaughtered.(AZ)

23 Awake,(BA) Lord! Why do you sleep?(BB)
    Rouse yourself!(BC) Do not reject us forever.(BD)
24 Why do you hide your face(BE)
    and forget(BF) our misery and oppression?(BG)

25 We are brought down to the dust;(BH)
    our bodies cling to the ground.
26 Rise up(BI) and help us;
    rescue(BJ) us because of your unfailing love.(BK)

Genesis 14

Abram Rescues Lot

14 At the time when Amraphel was king of Shinar,[a](A) Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer(B) king of Elam(C) and Tidal king of Goyim, these kings went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboyim,(D) and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).(E) All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim(F) (that is, the Dead Sea Valley(G)). For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer,(H) but in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

In the fourteenth year, Kedorlaomer(I) and the kings allied with him went out and defeated the Rephaites(J) in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzites in Ham, the Emites(K) in Shaveh Kiriathaim and the Horites(L) in the hill country of Seir,(M) as far as El Paran(N) near the desert. Then they turned back and went to En Mishpat (that is, Kadesh),(O) and they conquered the whole territory of the Amalekites,(P) as well as the Amorites(Q) who were living in Hazezon Tamar.(R)

Then the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah,(S) the king of Admah, the king of Zeboyim(T) and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar)(U) marched out and drew up their battle lines in the Valley of Siddim(V) against Kedorlaomer(W) king of Elam,(X) Tidal king of Goyim, Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the Valley of Siddim(Y) was full of tar(Z) pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah(AA) fled, some of the men fell into them and the rest fled to the hills.(AB) 11 The four kings seized all the goods(AC) of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food; then they went away. 12 They also carried off Abram’s nephew Lot(AD) and his possessions, since he was living in Sodom.

13 A man who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew.(AE) Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre(AF) the Amorite, a brother[b] of Eshkol(AG) and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that his relative(AH) had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained(AI) men born in his household(AJ) and went in pursuit as far as Dan.(AK) 15 During the night Abram divided his men(AL) to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus.(AM) 16 He recovered(AN) all the goods(AO) and brought back his relative Lot and his possessions, together with the women and the other people.

17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer(AP) and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom(AQ) came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley).(AR)

18 Then Melchizedek(AS) king of Salem(AT) brought out bread(AU) and wine.(AV) He was priest of God Most High,(AW) 19 and he blessed Abram,(AX) saying,

“Blessed be Abram by God Most High,(AY)
    Creator of heaven and earth.(AZ)
20 And praise be to God Most High,(BA)
    who delivered your enemies into your hand.”

Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.(BB)

21 The king of Sodom(BC) said to Abram, “Give me the people and keep the goods(BD) for yourself.”

22 But Abram said to the king of Sodom,(BE) “With raised hand(BF) I have sworn an oath to the Lord, God Most High,(BG) Creator of heaven and earth,(BH) 23 that I will accept nothing belonging to you,(BI) not even a thread or the strap of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, ‘I made Abram rich.’ 24 I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshkol and Mamre.(BJ) Let them have their share.”

Hebrews 8

The High Priest of a New Covenant

Now the main point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest,(A) who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven,(B) and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle(C) set up by the Lord, not by a mere human being.

Every high priest(D) is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices,(E) and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer.(F) If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already priests who offer the gifts prescribed by the law.(G) They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy(H) and shadow(I) of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned(J) when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”[a](K) But in fact the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant(L) of which he is mediator(M) is superior to the old one, since the new covenant is established on better promises.

For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another.(N) But God found fault with the people and said[b]:

“The days are coming, declares the Lord,
    when I will make a new covenant(O)
with the people of Israel
    and with the people of Judah.
It will not be like the covenant
    I made with their ancestors(P)
when I took them by the hand
    to lead them out of Egypt,
because they did not remain faithful to my covenant,
    and I turned away from them,
declares the Lord.
10 This is the covenant(Q) I will establish with the people of Israel
    after that time, declares the Lord.
I will put my laws in their minds
    and write them on their hearts.(R)
I will be their God,
    and they will be my people.(S)
11 No longer will they teach their neighbor,
    or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’
because they will all know me,(T)
    from the least of them to the greatest.
12 For I will forgive their wickedness
    and will remember their sins no more.(U)[c](V)

13 By calling this covenant “new,”(W) he has made the first one obsolete;(X) and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.

John 4:43-54

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

43 After the two days(A) he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)(B) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,(C) for they also had been there.

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine.(D) And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea,(E) he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,”(F) Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household(G) believed.

54 This was the second sign(H) Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

New International Version (NIV)

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