Previous Prev Day Next DayNext

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 119:145-176

ק Qoph

145 I call with all my heart;(A) answer me, Lord,
    and I will obey your decrees.(B)
146 I call out to you; save me(C)
    and I will keep your statutes.
147 I rise before dawn(D) and cry for help;
    I have put my hope in your word.
148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night,(E)
    that I may meditate on your promises.
149 Hear my voice(F) in accordance with your love;(G)
    preserve my life,(H) Lord, according to your laws.
150 Those who devise wicked schemes(I) are near,
    but they are far from your law.
151 Yet you are near,(J) Lord,
    and all your commands are true.(K)
152 Long ago I learned from your statutes(L)
    that you established them to last forever.(M)

ר Resh

153 Look on my suffering(N) and deliver me,(O)
    for I have not forgotten(P) your law.
154 Defend my cause(Q) and redeem me;(R)
    preserve my life(S) according to your promise.(T)
155 Salvation is far from the wicked,
    for they do not seek out(U) your decrees.
156 Your compassion, Lord, is great;(V)
    preserve my life(W) according to your laws.(X)
157 Many are the foes who persecute me,(Y)
    but I have not turned(Z) from your statutes.
158 I look on the faithless with loathing,(AA)
    for they do not obey your word.(AB)
159 See how I love your precepts;
    preserve my life,(AC) Lord, in accordance with your love.
160 All your words are true;
    all your righteous laws are eternal.(AD)

ש Sin and Shin

161 Rulers persecute me(AE) without cause,
    but my heart trembles(AF) at your word.
162 I rejoice(AG) in your promise
    like one who finds great spoil.(AH)
163 I hate and detest(AI) falsehood
    but I love your law.(AJ)
164 Seven times a day I praise you
    for your righteous laws.(AK)
165 Great peace(AL) have those who love your law,
    and nothing can make them stumble.(AM)
166 I wait for your salvation,(AN) Lord,
    and I follow your commands.
167 I obey your statutes,
    for I love them(AO) greatly.
168 I obey your precepts(AP) and your statutes,(AQ)
    for all my ways are known(AR) to you.

ת Taw

169 May my cry come(AS) before you, Lord;
    give me understanding(AT) according to your word.(AU)
170 May my supplication come(AV) before you;
    deliver me(AW) according to your promise.(AX)
171 May my lips overflow with praise,(AY)
    for you teach me(AZ) your decrees.
172 May my tongue sing(BA) of your word,
    for all your commands are righteous.(BB)
173 May your hand be ready to help(BC) me,
    for I have chosen(BD) your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation,(BE) Lord,
    and your law gives me delight.(BF)
175 Let me live(BG) that I may praise you,
    and may your laws sustain me.
176 I have strayed like a lost sheep.(BH)
    Seek your servant,
    for I have not forgotten(BI) your commands.

Psalm 128-130

Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,(A)
    who walk in obedience to him.(B)
You will eat the fruit of your labor;(C)
    blessings and prosperity(D) will be yours.
Your wife will be like a fruitful vine(E)
    within your house;
your children(F) will be like olive shoots(G)
    around your table.
Yes, this will be the blessing(H)
    for the man who fears the Lord.(I)

May the Lord bless you from Zion;(J)
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem(K)
    all the days of your life.
May you live to see your children’s children—(L)
    peace be on Israel.(M)

Psalm 129

A song of ascents.

“They have greatly oppressed(N) me from my youth,”(O)
    let Israel say;(P)
“they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,
    but they have not gained the victory(Q) over me.
Plowmen have plowed my back
    and made their furrows long.
But the Lord is righteous;(R)
    he has cut me free(S) from the cords of the wicked.”(T)

May all who hate Zion(U)
    be turned back in shame.(V)
May they be like grass on the roof,(W)
    which withers(X) before it can grow;
a reaper cannot fill his hands with it,(Y)
    nor one who gathers fill his arms.
May those who pass by not say to them,
    “The blessing of the Lord be on you;
    we bless you(Z) in the name of the Lord.”

Psalm 130

A song of ascents.

Out of the depths(AA) I cry to you,(AB) Lord;
    Lord, hear my voice.(AC)
Let your ears be attentive(AD)
    to my cry for mercy.(AE)

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?(AF)
But with you there is forgiveness,(AG)
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.(AH)

I wait for the Lord,(AI) my whole being waits,(AJ)
    and in his word(AK) I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen(AL) wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.(AM)

Israel, put your hope(AN) in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love(AO)
    and with him is full redemption.(AP)
He himself will redeem(AQ) Israel
    from all their sins.(AR)

2 Samuel 18:19-23

David Mourns

19 Now Ahimaaz(A) son of Zadok said, “Let me run and take the news to the king that the Lord has vindicated him by delivering him from the hand of his enemies.(B)

20 “You are not the one to take the news today,” Joab told him. “You may take the news another time, but you must not do so today, because the king’s son is dead.”

21 Then Joab said to a Cushite, “Go, tell the king what you have seen.” The Cushite bowed down before Joab and ran off.

22 Ahimaaz son of Zadok again said to Joab, “Come what may, please let me run behind the Cushite.”

But Joab replied, “My son, why do you want to go? You don’t have any news that will bring you a reward.”

23 He said, “Come what may, I want to run.”

So Joab said, “Run!” Then Ahimaaz ran by way of the plain[a] and outran the Cushite.

Acts 23:23-35

Paul Transferred to Caesarea

23 Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen[a] to go to Caesarea(A) at nine tonight.(B) 24 Provide horses for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”(C)

25 He wrote a letter as follows:

26 Claudius Lysias,

To His Excellency,(D) Governor Felix:

Greetings.(E)

27 This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him,(F) but I came with my troops and rescued him,(G) for I had learned that he is a Roman citizen.(H) 28 I wanted to know why they were accusing him, so I brought him to their Sanhedrin.(I) 29 I found that the accusation had to do with questions about their law,(J) but there was no charge against him(K) that deserved death or imprisonment. 30 When I was informed(L) of a plot(M) to be carried out against the man, I sent him to you at once. I also ordered his accusers(N) to present to you their case against him.

31 So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul with them during the night and brought him as far as Antipatris. 32 The next day they let the cavalry(O) go on with him, while they returned to the barracks.(P) 33 When the cavalry(Q) arrived in Caesarea,(R) they delivered the letter to the governor(S) and handed Paul over to him. 34 The governor read the letter and asked what province he was from. Learning that he was from Cilicia,(T) 35 he said, “I will hear your case when your accusers(U) get here.” Then he ordered that Paul be kept under guard(V) in Herod’s palace.

Mark 12:13-27

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar(A)

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians(B) to Jesus to catch him(C) in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”(D)

And they were amazed at him.

Marriage at the Resurrection(E)

18 Then the Sadducees,(F) who say there is no resurrection,(G) came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.(H) 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection[b] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures(I) or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.(J) 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[c]?(K) 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.