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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 16-17

Psalm 16

A miktam[a] of David.

Keep me safe,(A) my God,
    for in you I take refuge.(B)

I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;(C)
    apart from you I have no good thing.”(D)
I say of the holy people(E) who are in the land,(F)
    “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
Those who run after other gods(G) will suffer(H) more and more.
    I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
    or take up their names(I) on my lips.

Lord, you alone are my portion(J) and my cup;(K)
    you make my lot(L) secure.
The boundary lines(M) have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.(N)
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;(O)
    even at night(P) my heart instructs me.
I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand,(Q) I will not be shaken.(R)

Therefore my heart is glad(S) and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,(T)
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,(U)
    nor will you let your faithful[b] one(V) see decay.(W)
11 You make known to me the path of life;(X)
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,(Y)
    with eternal pleasures(Z) at your right hand.(AA)

Psalm 17

A prayer of David.

Hear me,(AB) Lord, my plea is just;
    listen to my cry.(AC)
Hear(AD) my prayer—
    it does not rise from deceitful lips.(AE)
Let my vindication(AF) come from you;
    may your eyes see what is right.(AG)

Though you probe my heart,(AH)
    though you examine me at night and test me,(AI)
you will find that I have planned no evil;(AJ)
    my mouth has not transgressed.(AK)
Though people tried to bribe me,
    I have kept myself from the ways of the violent
    through what your lips have commanded.
My steps have held to your paths;(AL)
    my feet have not stumbled.(AM)

I call on you, my God, for you will answer me;(AN)
    turn your ear to me(AO) and hear my prayer.(AP)
Show me the wonders of your great love,(AQ)
    you who save by your right hand(AR)
    those who take refuge(AS) in you from their foes.
Keep me(AT) as the apple of your eye;(AU)
    hide me(AV) in the shadow of your wings(AW)
from the wicked who are out to destroy me,
    from my mortal enemies who surround me.(AX)

10 They close up their callous hearts,(AY)
    and their mouths speak with arrogance.(AZ)
11 They have tracked me down, they now surround me,(BA)
    with eyes alert, to throw me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion(BB) hungry for prey,(BC)
    like a fierce lion crouching in cover.

13 Rise up,(BD) Lord, confront them, bring them down;(BE)
    with your sword rescue me from the wicked.
14 By your hand save me from such people, Lord,
    from those of this world(BF) whose reward is in this life.(BG)
May what you have stored up for the wicked fill their bellies;
    may their children gorge themselves on it,
    and may there be leftovers(BH) for their little ones.

15 As for me, I will be vindicated and will see your face;
    when I awake,(BI) I will be satisfied with seeing your likeness.(BJ)

Psalm 22

Psalm 22[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Doe of the Morning.” A psalm of David.

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?(A)
    Why are you so far(B) from saving me,
    so far from my cries of anguish?(C)
My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer,(D)
    by night,(E) but I find no rest.[b]

Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;(F)
    you are the one Israel praises.[c](G)
In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.(H)
To you they cried out(I) and were saved;
    in you they trusted(J) and were not put to shame.(K)

But I am a worm(L) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,(M) despised(N) by the people.
All who see me mock me;(O)
    they hurl insults,(P) shaking their heads.(Q)
“He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.(R)
Let him deliver him,(S)
    since he delights(T) in him.”

Yet you brought me out of the womb;(U)
    you made me trust(V) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
10 From birth(W) I was cast on you;
    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

11 Do not be far from me,(X)
    for trouble is near(Y)
    and there is no one to help.(Z)

12 Many bulls(AA) surround me;(AB)
    strong bulls of Bashan(AC) encircle me.
13 Roaring lions(AD) that tear their prey(AE)
    open their mouths wide(AF) against me.
14 I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.(AG)
My heart has turned to wax;(AH)
    it has melted(AI) within me.
15 My mouth[d] is dried up like a potsherd,(AJ)
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;(AK)
    you lay me in the dust(AL) of death.

16 Dogs(AM) surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce[e](AN) my hands and my feet.
17 All my bones are on display;
    people stare(AO) and gloat over me.(AP)
18 They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots(AQ) for my garment.(AR)

19 But you, Lord, do not be far from me.(AS)
    You are my strength;(AT) come quickly(AU) to help me.(AV)
20 Deliver me from the sword,(AW)
    my precious life(AX) from the power of the dogs.(AY)
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;(AZ)
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.(BA)

22 I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly(BB) I will praise you.(BC)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!(BD)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!(BE)
    Revere him,(BF) all you descendants of Israel!
24 For he has not despised(BG) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;(BH)
he has not hidden his face(BI) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.(BJ)

25 From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;(BK)
    before those who fear you[f] I will fulfill my vows.(BL)
26 The poor will eat(BM) and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—(BN)
    may your hearts live forever!

27 All the ends of the earth(BO)
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,(BP)
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord(BQ)
    and he rules over the nations.

29 All the rich(BR) of the earth will feast and worship;(BS)
    all who go down to the dust(BT) will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.(BU)
30 Posterity(BV) will serve him;
    future generations(BW) will be told about the Lord.
31 They will proclaim his righteousness,(BX)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:(BY)
    He has done it!(BZ)

Isaiah 3:8-15

Jerusalem staggers,
    Judah is falling;(A)
their words(B) and deeds(C) are against the Lord,
    defying(D) his glorious presence.
The look on their faces testifies(E) against them;
    they parade their sin like Sodom;(F)
    they do not hide it.
Woe to them!
    They have brought disaster(G) upon themselves.

10 Tell the righteous it will be well(H) with them,
    for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.(I)
11 Woe to the wicked!(J)
    Disaster(K) is upon them!
They will be paid back(L)
    for what their hands have done.(M)

12 Youths(N) oppress my people,
    women rule over them.
My people, your guides lead you astray;(O)
    they turn you from the path.

13 The Lord takes his place in court;(P)
    he rises to judge(Q) the people.
14 The Lord enters into judgment(R)
    against the elders and leaders of his people:
“It is you who have ruined my vineyard;
    the plunder(S) from the poor(T) is in your houses.
15 What do you mean by crushing my people(U)
    and grinding(V) the faces of the poor?”(W)
declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.(X)

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

Living to Please God

As for other matters, brothers and sisters,(A) we instructed you how to live(B) in order to please God,(C) as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

It is God’s will(D) that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;(E) that each of you should learn to control your own body[a](F) in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust(G) like the pagans,(H) who do not know God;(I) and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister.[b](J) The Lord will punish(K) all those who commit such sins,(L) as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.(M) Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.(N)

Now about your love for one another(O) we do not need to write to you,(P) for you yourselves have been taught by God(Q) to love each other.(R) 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia.(S) Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more,(T) 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands,(U) just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders(V) and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

Luke 20:41-21:4

Whose Son Is the Messiah?(A)

41 Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?(B) 42 David himself declares in the Book of Psalms:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
43 until I make your enemies
    a footstool for your feet.”’[a](C)

44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.(D) 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

The Widow’s Offering(E)

21 As Jesus looked up, he saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury.(F) He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. “Truly I tell you,” he said, “this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”(G)

New International Version (NIV)

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