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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 107:33-108:13

33 He turned rivers into a desert,(A)
    flowing springs(B) into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,(C)
    because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water(D)
    and the parched ground into flowing springs;(E)
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
    and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards(F)
    that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,(G)
    and he did not let their herds diminish.(H)

39 Then their numbers decreased,(I) and they were humbled(J)
    by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles(K)
    made them wander in a trackless waste.(L)
41 But he lifted the needy(M) out of their affliction
    and increased their families like flocks.(N)
42 The upright see and rejoice,(O)
    but all the wicked shut their mouths.(P)

43 Let the one who is wise(Q) heed these things
    and ponder the loving deeds(R) of the Lord.

Psalm 108[a](S)(T)

A song. A psalm of David.

My heart, O God, is steadfast;(U)
    I will sing(V) and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre!(W)
    I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love,(X) higher than the heavens;
    your faithfulness(Y) reaches to the skies.(Z)
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;(AA)
    let your glory be over all the earth.(AB)

Save us and help us with your right hand,(AC)
    that those you love may be delivered.
God has spoken(AD) from his sanctuary:(AE)
    “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(AF)
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(AG)
Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet,
    Judah(AH) is my scepter.
Moab(AI) is my washbasin,
    on Edom(AJ) I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia(AK) I shout in triumph.”

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
    and no longer go out with our armies?(AL)
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
    for human help is worthless.(AM)
13 With God we will gain the victory,
    and he will trample down(AN) our enemies.

Psalm 33

Psalm 33

Sing joyfully(A) to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting(B) for the upright(C) to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;(D)
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.(E)
Sing to him a new song;(F)
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.(G)

For the word of the Lord is right(H) and true;(I)
    he is faithful(J) in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;(K)
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.(L)

By the word(M) of the Lord the heavens were made,(N)
    their starry host(O) by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters(P) of the sea into jars[a];(Q)
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;(R)
    let all the people of the world(S) revere him.(T)
For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded,(U) and it stood firm.

10 The Lord foils(V) the plans(W) of the nations;(X)
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm(Y) forever,
    the purposes(Z) of his heart through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,(AA)
    the people he chose(AB) for his inheritance.(AC)
13 From heaven the Lord looks down(AD)
    and sees all mankind;(AE)
14 from his dwelling place(AF) he watches
    all who live on earth—
15 he who forms(AG) the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.(AH)

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;(AI)
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse(AJ) is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes(AK) of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,(AL)
19 to deliver them from death(AM)
    and keep them alive in famine.(AN)

20 We wait(AO) in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,(AP)
    for we trust in his holy name.(AQ)
22 May your unfailing love(AR) be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

Hosea 11:1-9

God’s Love for Israel

11 “When Israel was a child,(A) I loved(B) him,
    and out of Egypt I called my son.(C)
But the more they were called,
    the more they went away from me.[a](D)
They sacrificed to the Baals(E)
    and they burned incense to images.(F)
It was I who taught Ephraim to walk,
    taking them by the arms;(G)
but they did not realize
    it was I who healed(H) them.
I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with ties of love.(I)
To them I was like one who lifts
    a little child to the cheek,
    and I bent down to feed(J) them.(K)

“Will they not return to Egypt(L)
    and will not Assyria(M) rule over them
    because they refuse to repent?(N)
A sword(O) will flash in their cities;
    it will devour(P) their false prophets
    and put an end to their plans.
My people are determined to turn(Q) from me.(R)
    Even though they call me God Most High,
    I will by no means exalt them.

“How can I give you up,(S) Ephraim?(T)
    How can I hand you over, Israel?
How can I treat you like Admah?
    How can I make you like Zeboyim?(U)
My heart is changed within me;
    all my compassion(V) is aroused.(W)
I will not carry out my fierce anger,(X)
    nor will I devastate(Y) Ephraim again.
For I am God, and not a man(Z)
    the Holy One(AA) among you.
    I will not come against their cities.

Acts 22:17-29

17 “When I returned to Jerusalem(A) and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance(B) 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’

19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison(C) and beat(D) those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’(E)

21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ (F)

Paul the Roman Citizen

22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him!(G) He’s not fit to live!”(H)

23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks(I) and flinging dust into the air,(J) 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.(K) He directed(L) that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?”(M)

26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.”

27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?”

“Yes, I am,” he answered.

28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.”

“But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied.

29 Those who were about to interrogate him(N) withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen,(O) in chains.(P)

Luke 6:27-38

Love for Enemies(A)

27 “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,(B) 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.(C) 29 If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.(D) 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.(E)

32 “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you?(F) Even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you?(G) Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do good to them,(H) and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children(I) of the Most High,(J) because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful,(K) just as your Father(L) is merciful.

Judging Others(M)

37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged.(N) Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.(O) 38 Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.(P) For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”(Q)

New International Version (NIV)

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