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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 6

Psalm 6[a]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. According to sheminith.[b] A psalm of David.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger(A)
    or discipline me in your wrath.
Have mercy on me,(B) Lord, for I am faint;(C)
    heal me,(D) Lord, for my bones are in agony.(E)
My soul is in deep anguish.(F)
    How long,(G) Lord, how long?

Turn,(H) Lord, and deliver me;
    save me because of your unfailing love.(I)
Among the dead no one proclaims your name.
    Who praises you from the grave?(J)

I am worn out(K) from my groaning.(L)

All night long I flood my bed with weeping(M)
    and drench my couch with tears.(N)
My eyes grow weak(O) with sorrow;
    they fail because of all my foes.

Away from me,(P) all you who do evil,(Q)
    for the Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;(R)
    the Lord accepts my prayer.
10 All my enemies will be overwhelmed with shame and anguish;(S)
    they will turn back and suddenly be put to shame.(T)

Psalm 12

Psalm 12[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.[b] A psalm of David.

Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;(A)
    those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.
Everyone lies(B) to their neighbor;
    they flatter with their lips
    but harbor deception in their hearts.(C)

May the Lord silence all flattering lips(D)
    and every boastful tongue—(E)
those who say,
    “By our tongues we will prevail;(F)
    our own lips will defend us—who is lord over us?”

“Because the poor are plundered(G) and the needy groan,(H)
    I will now arise,(I)” says the Lord.
    “I will protect them(J) from those who malign them.”
And the words of the Lord are flawless,(K)
    like silver purified(L) in a crucible,(M)
    like gold[c] refined seven times.

You, Lord, will keep the needy safe(N)
    and will protect us forever from the wicked,(O)
who freely strut(P) about
    when what is vile is honored by the human race.

Psalm 94

Psalm 94

The Lord is a God who avenges.(A)
    O God who avenges, shine forth.(B)
Rise up,(C) Judge(D) of the earth;
    pay back(E) to the proud what they deserve.
How long, Lord, will the wicked,
    how long will the wicked be jubilant?(F)

They pour out arrogant(G) words;
    all the evildoers are full of boasting.(H)
They crush your people,(I) Lord;
    they oppress your inheritance.(J)
They slay the widow(K) and the foreigner;
    they murder the fatherless.(L)
They say, “The Lord does not see;(M)
    the God of Jacob(N) takes no notice.”

Take notice, you senseless ones(O) among the people;
    you fools, when will you become wise?
Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?(P)
10 Does he who disciplines(Q) nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches(R) mankind lack knowledge?
11 The Lord knows all human plans;(S)
    he knows that they are futile.(T)

12 Blessed is the one you discipline,(U) Lord,
    the one you teach(V) from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,(W)
    till a pit(X) is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;(Y)
    he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,(Z)
    and all the upright in heart(AA) will follow it.

16 Who will rise up(AB) for me against the wicked?
    Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?(AC)
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,(AD)
    I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.(AE)
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,(AF)
    your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety(AG) was great within me,
    your consolation(AH) brought me joy.

20 Can a corrupt throne(AI) be allied with you—
    a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?(AJ)
21 The wicked band together(AK) against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent(AL) to death.(AM)
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
    and my God the rock(AN) in whom I take refuge.(AO)
23 He will repay(AP) them for their sins
    and destroy(AQ) them for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will destroy them.

Lamentations 1:17-22

17 Zion stretches out her hands,(A)
    but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has decreed for Jacob
    that his neighbors become his foes;(B)
Jerusalem has become
    an unclean(C) thing(D) among them.

18 “The Lord is righteous,(E)
    yet I rebelled(F) against his command.
Listen, all you peoples;
    look on my suffering.(G)
My young men and young women
    have gone into exile.(H)

19 “I called to my allies(I)
    but they betrayed me.
My priests and my elders
    perished(J) in the city
while they searched for food
    to keep themselves alive.

20 “See, Lord, how distressed(K) I am!
    I am in torment(L) within,
and in my heart I am disturbed,(M)
    for I have been most rebellious.(N)
Outside, the sword bereaves;
    inside, there is only death.(O)

21 “People have heard my groaning,(P)
    but there is no one to comfort me.(Q)
All my enemies have heard of my distress;
    they rejoice(R) at what you have done.
May you bring the day(S) you have announced
    so they may become like me.

22 “Let all their wickedness come before you;
    deal with them
as you have dealt with me
    because of all my sins.(T)
My groans(U) are many
    and my heart is faint.”

2 Corinthians 1:8-22

We do not want you to be uninformed,(A) brothers and sisters,[a] about the troubles we experienced(B) in the province of Asia.(C) We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God,(D) who raises the dead.(E) 10 He has delivered us from such a deadly peril,(F) and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope(G) that he will continue to deliver us, 11 as you help us by your prayers.(H) Then many will give thanks(I) on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.

Paul’s Change of Plans

12 Now this is our boast: Our conscience(J) testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity[b](K) and godly sincerity.(L) We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom(M) but on God’s grace. 13 For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, 14 as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.(N)

15 Because I was confident of this, I wanted to visit you(O) first so that you might benefit twice.(P) 16 I wanted to visit you on my way(Q) to Macedonia(R) and to come back to you from Macedonia, and then to have you send me on my way(S) to Judea.(T) 17 Was I fickle when I intended to do this? Or do I make my plans in a worldly manner(U) so that in the same breath I say both “Yes, yes” and “No, no”?

18 But as surely as God is faithful,(V) our message to you is not “Yes” and “No.” 19 For the Son of God,(W) Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me and Silas[c](X) and Timothy(Y)—was not “Yes” and “No,” but in him it has always(Z) been “Yes.” 20 For no matter how many promises(AA) God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen”(AB) is spoken by us to the glory of God.(AC) 21 Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm(AD) in Christ. He anointed(AE) us, 22 set his seal(AF) of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.(AG)

Mark 11:27-33

The Authority of Jesus Questioned(A)

27 They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. 28 “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

29 Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. 30 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin? Tell me!”

31 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 32 But if we say, ‘Of human origin’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)(B)

33 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

New International Version (NIV)

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