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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 119:49-72

ז Zayin

49 Remember your word(A) to your servant,
    for you have given me hope.(B)
50 My comfort in my suffering is this:
    Your promise preserves my life.(C)
51 The arrogant mock me(D) unmercifully,
    but I do not turn(E) from your law.
52 I remember,(F) Lord, your ancient laws,
    and I find comfort in them.
53 Indignation grips me(G) because of the wicked,
    who have forsaken your law.(H)
54 Your decrees are the theme of my song(I)
    wherever I lodge.
55 In the night, Lord, I remember(J) your name,
    that I may keep your law.(K)
56 This has been my practice:
    I obey your precepts.(L)

ח Heth

57 You are my portion,(M) Lord;
    I have promised to obey your words.(N)
58 I have sought(O) your face with all my heart;
    be gracious to me(P) according to your promise.(Q)
59 I have considered my ways(R)
    and have turned my steps to your statutes.
60 I will hasten and not delay
    to obey your commands.(S)
61 Though the wicked bind me with ropes,
    I will not forget(T) your law.
62 At midnight(U) I rise to give you thanks
    for your righteous laws.(V)
63 I am a friend to all who fear you,(W)
    to all who follow your precepts.(X)
64 The earth is filled with your love,(Y) Lord;
    teach me your decrees.(Z)

ט Teth

65 Do good(AA) to your servant
    according to your word,(AB) Lord.
66 Teach me knowledge(AC) and good judgment,
    for I trust your commands.
67 Before I was afflicted(AD) I went astray,(AE)
    but now I obey your word.(AF)
68 You are good,(AG) and what you do is good;
    teach me your decrees.(AH)
69 Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies,(AI)
    I keep your precepts with all my heart.
70 Their hearts are callous(AJ) and unfeeling,
    but I delight in your law.
71 It was good for me to be afflicted(AK)
    so that I might learn your decrees.
72 The law from your mouth is more precious to me
    than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.(AL)

Psalm 49

Psalm 49[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Hear(A) this, all you peoples;(B)
    listen, all who live in this world,(C)
both low and high,(D)
    rich and poor alike:
My mouth will speak words of wisdom;(E)
    the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.(F)
I will turn my ear to a proverb;(G)
    with the harp(H) I will expound my riddle:(I)

Why should I fear(J) when evil days come,
    when wicked deceivers surround me—
those who trust in their wealth(K)
    and boast(L) of their great riches?(M)
No one can redeem the life of another
    or give to God a ransom for them—
the ransom(N) for a life is costly,
    no payment is ever enough—(O)
so that they should live on(P) forever
    and not see decay.(Q)
10 For all can see that the wise die,(R)
    that the foolish and the senseless(S) also perish,
    leaving their wealth(T) to others.(U)
11 Their tombs(V) will remain their houses[b] forever,
    their dwellings for endless generations,(W)
    though they had[c] named(X) lands after themselves.

12 People, despite their wealth, do not endure;(Y)
    they are like the beasts that perish.(Z)

13 This is the fate of those who trust in themselves,(AA)
    and of their followers, who approve their sayings.[d]
14 They are like sheep and are destined(AB) to die;(AC)
    death will be their shepherd
    (but the upright will prevail(AD) over them in the morning).
Their forms will decay in the grave,
    far from their princely mansions.
15 But God will redeem me from the realm of the dead;(AE)
    he will surely take me to himself.(AF)
16 Do not be overawed when others grow rich,
    when the splendor of their houses increases;
17 for they will take nothing(AG) with them when they die,
    their splendor will not descend with them.(AH)
18 Though while they live they count themselves blessed—(AI)
    and people praise you when you prosper—
19 they will join those who have gone before them,(AJ)
    who will never again see the light(AK) of life.

20 People who have wealth but lack understanding(AL)
    are like the beasts that perish.(AM)

Psalm 53

Psalm 53[a](A)

For the director of music. According to mahalath.[b] A maskil[c] of David.

The fool(B) says in his heart,
    “There is no God.”(C)
They are corrupt, and their ways are vile;
    there is no one who does good.

God looks down from heaven(D)
    on all mankind
to see if there are any who understand,(E)
    any who seek God.(F)
Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt;
    there is no one who does good,
    not even one.(G)

Do all these evildoers know nothing?

They devour my people as though eating bread;
    they never call on God.
But there they are, overwhelmed with dread,
    where there was nothing to dread.(H)
God scattered the bones(I) of those who attacked you;(J)
    you put them to shame,(K) for God despised them.(L)

Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
    When God restores his people,
    let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

Genesis 37:25-36

25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites(A) coming from Gilead.(B) Their camels were loaded with spices, balm(C) and myrrh,(D) and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt.(E)

26 Judah(F) said to his brothers, “What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood?(G) 27 Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother,(H) our own flesh and blood.(I)” His brothers agreed.

28 So when the Midianite(J) merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern(K) and sold(L) him for twenty shekels[a] of silver(M) to the Ishmaelites,(N) who took him to Egypt.(O)

29 When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes.(P) 30 He went back to his brothers and said, “The boy isn’t there! Where can I turn now?”(Q)

31 Then they got Joseph’s robe,(R) slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood.(S) 32 They took the ornate robe(T) back to their father and said, “We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.”

33 He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal(U) has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.”(V)

34 Then Jacob tore his clothes,(W) put on sackcloth(X) and mourned for his son many days.(Y) 35 All his sons and daughters came to comfort him,(Z) but he refused to be comforted.(AA) “No,” he said, “I will continue to mourn until I join my son(AB) in the grave.(AC)” So his father wept for him.

36 Meanwhile, the Midianites[b](AD) sold Joseph(AE) in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard.(AF)

1 Corinthians 2:1-13

And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom(A) as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God.[a] For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.(B) I came to you(C) in weakness(D) with great fear and trembling.(E) My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words,(F) but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power,(G) so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.(H)

God’s Wisdom Revealed by the Spirit

We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature,(I) but not the wisdom of this age(J) or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.(K) No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery(L) that has been hidden(M) and that God destined for our glory before time began. None of the rulers of this age(N) understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.(O) However, as it is written:

“What no eye has seen,
    what no ear has heard,
and what no human mind has conceived”[b]
    the things God has prepared for those who love him—(P)

10 these are the things God has revealed(Q) to us by his Spirit.(R)

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts(S) except their own spirit(T) within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit(U) of the world,(V) but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13 This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom(W) but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.[c]

Mark 1:29-45

Jesus Heals Many(A)(B)

29 As soon as they left the synagogue,(C) they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up.(D) The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.(E) 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.(F) He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.(G)

Jesus Prays in a Solitary Place(H)

35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.(I) 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”(J) 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues(K) and driving out demons.(L)

Jesus Heals a Man With Leprosy(M)

40 A man with leprosy[a] came to him and begged him on his knees,(N) “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”

41 Jesus was indignant.[b] He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone.(O) But go, show yourself to the priest(P) and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing,(Q) as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places.(R) Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.(S)

New International Version (NIV)

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