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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 119:97-120

מ Mem

97 Oh, how I love your law!(A)
    I meditate(B) on it all day long.
98 Your commands are always with me
    and make me wiser(C) than my enemies.
99 I have more insight than all my teachers,
    for I meditate on your statutes.(D)
100 I have more understanding than the elders,
    for I obey your precepts.(E)
101 I have kept my feet(F) from every evil path
    so that I might obey your word.(G)
102 I have not departed from your laws,(H)
    for you yourself have taught(I) me.
103 How sweet are your words to my taste,
    sweeter than honey(J) to my mouth!(K)
104 I gain understanding(L) from your precepts;
    therefore I hate every wrong path.(M)

נ Nun

105 Your word is a lamp(N) for my feet,
    a light(O) on my path.
106 I have taken an oath(P) and confirmed it,
    that I will follow your righteous laws.(Q)
107 I have suffered much;
    preserve my life,(R) Lord, according to your word.
108 Accept, Lord, the willing praise of my mouth,(S)
    and teach me your laws.(T)
109 Though I constantly take my life in my hands,(U)
    I will not forget(V) your law.
110 The wicked have set a snare(W) for me,
    but I have not strayed(X) from your precepts.
111 Your statutes are my heritage forever;
    they are the joy of my heart.(Y)
112 My heart is set(Z) on keeping your decrees
    to the very end.[a](AA)

ס Samekh

113 I hate double-minded people,(AB)
    but I love your law.(AC)
114 You are my refuge and my shield;(AD)
    I have put my hope(AE) in your word.
115 Away from me,(AF) you evildoers,
    that I may keep the commands of my God!
116 Sustain me,(AG) my God, according to your promise,(AH) and I will live;
    do not let my hopes be dashed.(AI)
117 Uphold me,(AJ) and I will be delivered;(AK)
    I will always have regard for your decrees.(AL)
118 You reject all who stray(AM) from your decrees,
    for their delusions come to nothing.
119 All the wicked of the earth you discard like dross;(AN)
    therefore I love your statutes.(AO)
120 My flesh trembles(AP) in fear of you;(AQ)
    I stand in awe(AR) of your laws.

Psalm 81-82

Psalm 81[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] Of Asaph.

Sing for joy to God our strength;
    shout aloud to the God of Jacob!(A)
Begin the music, strike the timbrel,(B)
    play the melodious harp(C) and lyre.(D)

Sound the ram’s horn(E) at the New Moon,(F)
    and when the moon is full, on the day of our festival;
this is a decree for Israel,
    an ordinance of the God of Jacob.(G)
When God went out against Egypt,(H)
    he established it as a statute for Joseph.

I heard an unknown voice say:(I)

“I removed the burden(J) from their shoulders;(K)
    their hands were set free from the basket.
In your distress you called(L) and I rescued you,
    I answered(M) you out of a thundercloud;
    I tested you at the waters of Meribah.[c](N)
Hear me, my people,(O) and I will warn you—
    if you would only listen to me, Israel!
You shall have no foreign god(P) among you;
    you shall not worship any god other than me.
10 I am the Lord your God,
    who brought you up out of Egypt.(Q)
Open(R) wide your mouth and I will fill(S) it.

11 “But my people would not listen to me;
    Israel would not submit to me.(T)
12 So I gave them over(U) to their stubborn hearts
    to follow their own devices.

13 “If my people would only listen to me,(V)
    if Israel would only follow my ways,
14 how quickly I would subdue(W) their enemies
    and turn my hand against(X) their foes!
15 Those who hate the Lord would cringe(Y) before him,
    and their punishment would last forever.
16 But you would be fed with the finest of wheat;(Z)
    with honey from the rock I would satisfy you.”

Psalm 82

A psalm of Asaph.

God presides in the great assembly;
    he renders judgment(AA) among the “gods”:(AB)

“How long will you[d] defend the unjust
    and show partiality(AC) to the wicked?[e](AD)
Defend the weak and the fatherless;(AE)
    uphold the cause of the poor(AF) and the oppressed.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
    deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

“The ‘gods’ know nothing, they understand nothing.(AG)
    They walk about in darkness;(AH)
    all the foundations(AI) of the earth are shaken.

“I said, ‘You are “gods”;(AJ)
    you are all sons of the Most High.’
But you will die(AK) like mere mortals;
    you will fall like every other ruler.”

Rise up,(AL) O God, judge(AM) the earth,
    for all the nations are your inheritance.(AN)

Genesis 45:16-28

16 When the news reached Pharaoh’s palace that Joseph’s brothers had come,(A) Pharaoh and all his officials(B) were pleased.(C) 17 Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Tell your brothers, ‘Do this: Load your animals(D) and return to the land of Canaan,(E) 18 and bring your father and your families back to me. I will give you the best of the land of Egypt(F) and you can enjoy the fat of the land.’(G)

19 “You are also directed to tell them, ‘Do this: Take some carts(H) from Egypt for your children and your wives, and get your father and come. 20 Never mind about your belongings,(I) because the best of all Egypt(J) will be yours.’”

21 So the sons of Israel did this. Joseph gave them carts,(K) as Pharaoh had commanded, and he also gave them provisions for their journey.(L) 22 To each of them he gave new clothing,(M) but to Benjamin he gave three hundred shekels[a] of silver and five sets of clothes.(N) 23 And this is what he sent to his father: ten donkeys(O) loaded with the best things(P) of Egypt, and ten female donkeys loaded with grain and bread and other provisions for his journey.(Q) 24 Then he sent his brothers away, and as they were leaving he said to them, “Don’t quarrel on the way!”(R)

25 So they went up out of Egypt(S) and came to their father Jacob in the land of Canaan.(T) 26 They told him, “Joseph is still alive! In fact, he is ruler of all Egypt.”(U) Jacob was stunned; he did not believe them.(V) 27 But when they told him everything Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the carts(W) Joseph had sent to carry him back, the spirit of their father Jacob revived. 28 And Israel said, “I’m convinced!(X) My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”(Y)

1 Corinthians 8

Concerning Food Sacrificed to Idols

Now about food sacrificed to idols:(A) We know that “We all possess knowledge.”(B) But knowledge puffs up while love builds up. Those who think they know something(C) do not yet know as they ought to know.(D) But whoever loves God is known by God.[a](E)

So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols:(F) We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world”(G) and that “There is no God but one.”(H) For even if there are so-called gods,(I) whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”), yet for us there is but one God,(J) the Father,(K) from whom all things came(L) and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord,(M) Jesus Christ, through whom all things came(N) and through whom we live.

But not everyone possesses this knowledge.(O) Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat sacrificial food they think of it as having been sacrificed to a god, and since their conscience is weak,(P) it is defiled. But food does not bring us near to God;(Q) we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do.

Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block(R) to the weak.(S) 10 For if someone with a weak conscience sees you, with all your knowledge, eating in an idol’s temple, won’t that person be emboldened to eat what is sacrificed to idols?(T) 11 So this weak brother or sister, for whom Christ died, is destroyed(U) by your knowledge. 12 When you sin against them(V) in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.(W) 13 Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother or sister to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause them to fall.(X)

Mark 6:13-29

13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil(A) and healed them.

John the Baptist Beheaded(B)(C)

14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,[a] “John the Baptist(D) has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”(E)

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,(F) like one of the prophets of long ago.”(G)

16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.(H) He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”(I) 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.(J) When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled[b]; yet he liked to listen to him.

21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet(K) for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.(L) 22 When the daughter of[c] Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”(M)

24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

New International Version (NIV)

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