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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 131-135

Psalm 131

A song of ascents. Of David.

My heart is not proud,(A) Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;(B)
I do not concern myself with great matters(C)
    or things too wonderful for me.(D)
But I have calmed and quieted myself,(E)
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content.(F)

Israel, put your hope(G) in the Lord
    both now and forevermore.(H)

Psalm 132(I)

A song of ascents.

Lord, remember David
    and all his self-denial.(J)

He swore an oath to the Lord,
    he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:(K)
“I will not enter my house(L)
    or go to my bed,
I will allow no sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
till I find a place(M) for the Lord,
    a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

We heard it in Ephrathah,(N)
    we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:[a](O)
“Let us go to his dwelling place,(P)
    let us worship at his footstool,(Q) saying,
‘Arise, Lord,(R) and come to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;(S)
    may your faithful people(T) sing for joy.’”

10 For the sake of your servant David,
    do not reject your anointed one.

11 The Lord swore an oath to David,(U)
    a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants(V)
    I will place on your throne.
12 If your sons keep my covenant(W)
    and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
    on your throne(X) for ever and ever.”

13 For the Lord has chosen Zion,(Y)
    he has desired it for his dwelling,(Z) saying,
14 “This is my resting place for ever and ever;(AA)
    here I will sit enthroned,(AB) for I have desired it.
15 I will bless her with abundant provisions;
    her poor I will satisfy with food.(AC)
16 I will clothe her priests(AD) with salvation,
    and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.(AE)

17 “Here I will make a horn[b] grow(AF) for David
    and set up a lamp(AG) for my anointed one.(AH)
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,(AI)
    but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”(AJ)

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

How good and pleasant it is
    when God’s people live together(AK) in unity!(AL)

It is like precious oil poured on the head,(AM)
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.
It is as if the dew(AN) of Hermon(AO)
    were falling on Mount Zion.(AP)
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,(AQ)
    even life forevermore.(AR)

Psalm 134

A song of ascents.

Praise the Lord, all you servants(AS) of the Lord
    who minister(AT) by night(AU) in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands(AV) in the sanctuary(AW)
    and praise the Lord.(AX)

May the Lord bless you from Zion,(AY)
    he who is the Maker of heaven(AZ) and earth.

Psalm 135(BA)

Praise the Lord.[c]

Praise the name of the Lord;
    praise him, you servants(BB) of the Lord,
you who minister in the house(BC) of the Lord,
    in the courts(BD) of the house of our God.

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;(BE)
    sing praise to his name,(BF) for that is pleasant.(BG)
For the Lord has chosen Jacob(BH) to be his own,
    Israel to be his treasured possession.(BI)

I know that the Lord is great,(BJ)
    that our Lord is greater than all gods.(BK)
The Lord does whatever pleases him,(BL)
    in the heavens and on the earth,(BM)
    in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
    he sends lightning with the rain(BN)
    and brings out the wind(BO) from his storehouses.(BP)

He struck down the firstborn(BQ) of Egypt,
    the firstborn of people and animals.
He sent his signs(BR) and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
    against Pharaoh and all his servants.(BS)
10 He struck down many(BT) nations
    and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon(BU) king of the Amorites,(BV)
    Og king of Bashan,(BW)
    and all the kings of Canaan(BX)
12 and he gave their land as an inheritance,(BY)
    an inheritance to his people Israel.

13 Your name, Lord, endures forever,(BZ)
    your renown,(CA) Lord, through all generations.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people(CB)
    and have compassion on his servants.(CC)

15 The idols of the nations(CD) are silver and gold,
    made by human hands.(CE)
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,(CF)
    eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears, but cannot hear,
    nor is there breath(CG) in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

19 All you Israelites, praise the Lord;(CH)
    house of Aaron, praise the Lord;
20 house of Levi, praise the Lord;
    you who fear him, praise the Lord.
21 Praise be to the Lord from Zion,(CI)
    to him who dwells in Jerusalem.(CJ)

Praise the Lord.

Proverbs 7

Warning Against the Adulterous Woman

My son,(A) keep my words
    and store up my commands within you.
Keep my commands and you will live;(B)
    guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
    write them on the tablet of your heart.(C)
Say to wisdom, “You are my sister,”
    and to insight, “You are my relative.”
They will keep you from the adulterous woman,
    from the wayward woman with her seductive words.(D)

At the window of my house
    I looked down through the lattice.
I saw among the simple,
    I noticed among the young men,
    a youth who had no sense.(E)
He was going down the street near her corner,
    walking along in the direction of her house
at twilight,(F) as the day was fading,
    as the dark of night set in.

10 Then out came a woman to meet him,
    dressed like a prostitute and with crafty intent.
11 (She is unruly(G) and defiant,
    her feet never stay at home;
12 now in the street, now in the squares,
    at every corner she lurks.)(H)
13 She took hold of him(I) and kissed him
    and with a brazen face she said:(J)

14 “Today I fulfilled my vows,
    and I have food from my fellowship offering(K) at home.
15 So I came out to meet you;
    I looked for you and have found you!
16 I have covered my bed
    with colored linens from Egypt.
17 I have perfumed my bed(L)
    with myrrh,(M) aloes and cinnamon.
18 Come, let’s drink deeply of love till morning;
    let’s enjoy ourselves with love!(N)
19 My husband is not at home;
    he has gone on a long journey.
20 He took his purse filled with money
    and will not be home till full moon.”

21 With persuasive words she led him astray;
    she seduced him with her smooth talk.(O)
22 All at once he followed her
    like an ox going to the slaughter,
like a deer[a] stepping into a noose[b](P)
23     till an arrow pierces(Q) his liver,
like a bird darting into a snare,
    little knowing it will cost him his life.(R)

24 Now then, my sons, listen(S) to me;
    pay attention to what I say.
25 Do not let your heart turn to her ways
    or stray into her paths.(T)
26 Many are the victims she has brought down;
    her slain are a mighty throng.
27 Her house is a highway to the grave,
    leading down to the chambers of death.(U)

1 John 5:13-21

Concluding Affirmations

13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God(A) so that you may know that you have eternal life.(B) 14 This is the confidence(C) we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.(D) 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know(E) that we have what we asked of him.(F)

16 If you see any brother or sister commit a sin that does not lead to death, you should pray and God will give them life.(G) I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death.(H) I am not saying that you should pray about that.(I) 17 All wrongdoing is sin,(J) and there is sin that does not lead to death.(K)

18 We know that anyone born of God(L) does not continue to sin; the One who was born of God keeps them safe, and the evil one(M) cannot harm them.(N) 19 We know that we are children of God,(O) and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.(P) 20 We know also that the Son of God has come(Q) and has given us understanding,(R) so that we may know him who is true.(S) And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.(T)

21 Dear children,(U) keep yourselves from idols.(V)

John 11:55-12:8

55 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,(A) many went up from the country to Jerusalem for their ceremonial cleansing(B) before the Passover. 56 They kept looking for Jesus,(C) and as they stood in the temple courts they asked one another, “What do you think? Isn’t he coming to the festival at all?” 57 But the chief priests and the Pharisees had given orders that anyone who found out where Jesus was should report it so that they might arrest him.

Jesus Anointed at Bethany(D)

12 Six days before the Passover,(E) Jesus came to Bethany,(F) where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served,(G) while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume;(H) she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair.(I) And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him,(J) objected, “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[b] He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag,(K) he used to help himself to what was put into it.

“Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.(L) You will always have the poor among you,[c](M) but you will not always have me.”

New International Version (NIV)

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