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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 56-58

Psalm 56[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” Of David. A miktam.[b] When the Philistines had seized him in Gath.

Be merciful to me,(A) my God,
    for my enemies are in hot pursuit;(B)
    all day long they press their attack.(C)
My adversaries pursue me all day long;(D)
    in their pride many are attacking me.(E)

When I am afraid,(F) I put my trust in you.(G)
    In God, whose word I praise—(H)
in God I trust and am not afraid.(I)
    What can mere mortals do to me?(J)

All day long they twist my words;(K)
    all their schemes are for my ruin.
They conspire,(L) they lurk,
    they watch my steps,(M)
    hoping to take my life.(N)
Because of their wickedness do not[c] let them escape;(O)
    in your anger, God, bring the nations down.(P)

Record my misery;
    list my tears on your scroll[d](Q)
    are they not in your record?(R)
Then my enemies will turn back(S)
    when I call for help.(T)
    By this I will know that God is for me.(U)

10 In God, whose word I praise,
    in the Lord, whose word I praise—
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
    What can man do to me?

12 I am under vows(V) to you, my God;
    I will present my thank offerings to you.
13 For you have delivered me from death(W)
    and my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before God
    in the light of life.(X)

Psalm 57[e](Y)

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[f] When he had fled from Saul into the cave.(Z)

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me,
    for in you I take refuge.(AA)
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings(AB)
    until the disaster has passed.(AC)

I cry out to God Most High,
    to God, who vindicates me.(AD)
He sends from heaven and saves me,(AE)
    rebuking those who hotly pursue me—[g](AF)
    God sends forth his love and his faithfulness.(AG)

I am in the midst of lions;(AH)
    I am forced to dwell among ravenous beasts—
men whose teeth are spears and arrows,
    whose tongues are sharp swords.(AI)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
    let your glory be over all the earth.(AJ)

They spread a net for my feet(AK)
    I was bowed down(AL) in distress.
They dug a pit(AM) in my path—
    but they have fallen into it themselves.(AN)

My heart, O God, is steadfast,
    my heart is steadfast;(AO)
    I will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
    Awake, harp and lyre!(AP)
    I will awaken the dawn.

I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
10 For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
    your faithfulness reaches to the skies.(AQ)

11 Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;(AR)
    let your glory be over all the earth.(AS)

Psalm 58[h]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” Of David. A miktam.[i]

Do you rulers indeed speak justly?(AT)
    Do you judge people with equity?
No, in your heart you devise injustice,(AU)
    and your hands mete out violence on the earth.(AV)

Even from birth the wicked go astray;
    from the womb they are wayward, spreading lies.
Their venom is like the venom of a snake,(AW)
    like that of a cobra that has stopped its ears,
that will not heed(AX) the tune of the charmer,(AY)
    however skillful the enchanter may be.

Break the teeth in their mouths, O God;(AZ)
    Lord, tear out the fangs of those lions!(BA)
Let them vanish like water that flows away;(BB)
    when they draw the bow, let their arrows fall short.(BC)
May they be like a slug that melts away as it moves along,(BD)
    like a stillborn child(BE) that never sees the sun.

Before your pots can feel the heat of the thorns(BF)
    whether they be green or dry—the wicked will be swept away.[j](BG)
10 The righteous will be glad(BH) when they are avenged,(BI)
    when they dip their feet in the blood of the wicked.(BJ)
11 Then people will say,
    “Surely the righteous still are rewarded;(BK)
    surely there is a God who judges the earth.”(BL)

Psalm 64-65

Psalm 64[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;(A)
    protect my life from the threat of the enemy.(B)

Hide me from the conspiracy(C) of the wicked,(D)
    from the plots of evildoers.
They sharpen their tongues like swords(E)
    and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.(F)
They shoot from ambush at the innocent;(G)
    they shoot suddenly, without fear.(H)

They encourage each other in evil plans,
    they talk about hiding their snares;(I)
    they say, “Who will see it[b]?”(J)
They plot injustice and say,
    “We have devised a perfect plan!”
    Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

But God will shoot them with his arrows;
    they will suddenly be struck down.
He will turn their own tongues against them(K)
    and bring them to ruin;
    all who see them will shake their heads(L) in scorn.(M)
All people will fear;(N)
    they will proclaim the works of God
    and ponder what he has done.(O)

10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord(P)
    and take refuge in him;(Q)
    all the upright in heart will glory in him!(R)

Psalm 65[c]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

Praise awaits[d] you, our God, in Zion;(S)
    to you our vows will be fulfilled.(T)
You who answer prayer,
    to you all people will come.(U)
When we were overwhelmed by sins,(V)
    you forgave[e] our transgressions.(W)
Blessed are those you choose(X)
    and bring near(Y) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(Z)
    of your holy temple.

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(AA)
    God our Savior,(AB)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(AC)
    and of the farthest seas,(AD)
who formed the mountains(AE) by your power,
    having armed yourself with strength,(AF)
who stilled the roaring of the seas,(AG)
    the roaring of their waves,
    and the turmoil of the nations.(AH)
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.(AI)

You care for the land and water it;(AJ)
    you enrich it abundantly.(AK)
The streams of God are filled with water
    to provide the people with grain,(AL)
    for so you have ordained it.[f]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
    you soften it with showers(AM) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(AN)
    and your carts overflow with abundance.(AO)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(AP)
    the hills are clothed with gladness.(AQ)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(AR)
    and the valleys are mantled with grain;(AS)
    they shout for joy and sing.(AT)

Genesis 41:46-57

46 Joseph was thirty years old(A) when he entered the service(B) of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh’s presence and traveled throughout Egypt. 47 During the seven years of abundance(C) the land produced plentifully. 48 Joseph collected all the food produced in those seven years of abundance in Egypt and stored it in the cities.(D) In each city he put the food grown in the fields surrounding it. 49 Joseph stored up huge quantities of grain, like the sand of the sea;(E) it was so much that he stopped keeping records because it was beyond measure.

50 Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On.(F) 51 Joseph named his firstborn(G) Manasseh[a](H) and said, “It is because God has made me forget all my trouble and all my father’s household.” 52 The second son he named Ephraim[b](I) and said, “It is because God has made me fruitful(J) in the land of my suffering.”

53 The seven years of abundance in Egypt came to an end, 54 and the seven years of famine(K) began,(L) just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but in the whole land of Egypt there was food. 55 When all Egypt began to feel the famine,(M) the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.”(N)

56 When the famine had spread over the whole country, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians,(O) for the famine(P) was severe throughout Egypt.(Q) 57 And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph,(R) because the famine was severe everywhere.(S)

1 Corinthians 4:8-21

Already you have all you want! Already you have become rich!(A) You have begun to reign—and that without us! How I wish that you really had begun to reign so that we also might reign with you! For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die(B) in the arena. We have been made a spectacle(C) to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ,(D) but you are so wise in Christ!(E) We are weak, but you are strong!(F) You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless.(G) 12 We work hard with our own hands.(H) When we are cursed, we bless;(I) when we are persecuted,(J) we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage(K) of the world—right up to this moment.

Paul’s Appeal and Warning

14 I am writing this not to shame you(L) but to warn you as my dear children.(M) 15 Even if you had ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father(N) through the gospel.(O) 16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.(P) 17 For this reason I have sent to you(Q) Timothy,(R) my son(S) whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.(T)

18 Some of you have become arrogant,(U) as if I were not coming to you.(V) 19 But I will come to you very soon,(W) if the Lord is willing,(X) and then I will find out not only how these arrogant people are talking, but what power they have. 20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of(Y) talk but of power.(Z) 21 What do you prefer? Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline,(AA) or shall I come in love and with a gentle spirit?

Mark 3:7-19

Crowds Follow Jesus(A)

Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lake, and a large crowd from Galilee followed.(B) When they heard about all he was doing, many people came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and the regions across the Jordan and around Tyre and Sidon.(C) Because of the crowd he told his disciples to have a small boat ready for him, to keep the people from crowding him. 10 For he had healed many,(D) so that those with diseases were pushing forward to touch him.(E) 11 Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.”(F) 12 But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.(G)

Jesus Appoints the Twelve(H)

13 Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him.(I) 14 He appointed twelve[a](J) that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons.(K) 16 These are the twelve he appointed: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter),(L) 17 James son of Zebedee and his brother John (to them he gave the name Boanerges, which means “sons of thunder”), 18 Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.

New International Version (NIV)

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