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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 120-127

Psalm 120

A song of ascents.

I call on the Lord(A) in my distress,(B)
    and he answers me.
Save me, Lord,
    from lying lips(C)
    and from deceitful tongues.(D)

What will he do to you,
    and what more besides,
    you deceitful tongue?
He will punish you with a warrior’s sharp arrows,(E)
    with burning coals of the broom bush.

Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
    that I live among the tents of Kedar!(F)
Too long have I lived
    among those who hate peace.
I am for peace;
    but when I speak, they are for war.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(G) and earth.(H)

He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches(I) over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord watches over(J) you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun(K) will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

The Lord will keep you from all harm(L)
    he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.(M)

Psalm 122

A song of ascents. Of David.

I rejoiced with those who said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”
Our feet are standing
    in your gates, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem is built like a city
    that is closely compacted together.
That is where the tribes go up—
    the tribes of the Lord
to praise the name of the Lord
    according to the statute given to Israel.
There stand the thrones for judgment,
    the thrones of the house of David.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
    “May those who love(N) you be secure.
May there be peace(O) within your walls
    and security within your citadels.(P)
For the sake of my family and friends,
    I will say, “Peace be within you.”
For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your prosperity.(Q)

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

I lift up my eyes to you,
    to you who sit enthroned(R) in heaven.
As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master,
    as the eyes of a female slave look to the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes look to the Lord(S) our God,
    till he shows us his mercy.

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us,
    for we have endured no end of contempt.
We have endured no end
    of ridicule from the arrogant,
    of contempt from the proud.

Psalm 124

A song of ascents. Of David.

If the Lord had not been on our side—
    let Israel say(T)
if the Lord had not been on our side
    when people attacked us,
they would have swallowed us alive
    when their anger flared against us;
the flood(U) would have engulfed us,
    the torrent(V) would have swept over us,
the raging waters
    would have swept us away.

Praise be to the Lord,
    who has not let us be torn by their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
    from the fowler’s snare;(W)
the snare has been broken,(X)
    and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name(Y) of the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(Z) and earth.

Psalm 125

A song of ascents.

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,(AA)
    which cannot be shaken(AB) but endures forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,(AC)
    so the Lord surrounds(AD) his people
    both now and forevermore.

The scepter(AE) of the wicked will not remain(AF)
    over the land allotted to the righteous,
for then the righteous might use
    their hands to do evil.(AG)

Lord, do good(AH) to those who are good,
    to those who are upright in heart.(AI)
But those who turn(AJ) to crooked ways(AK)
    the Lord will banish(AL) with the evildoers.

Peace be on Israel.(AM)

Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

When the Lord restored(AN) the fortunes of[a] Zion,
    we were like those who dreamed.[b]
Our mouths were filled with laughter,(AO)
    our tongues with songs of joy.(AP)
Then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things(AQ) for them.”
The Lord has done great things(AR) for us,
    and we are filled with joy.(AS)

Restore our fortunes,[c](AT) Lord,
    like streams in the Negev.(AU)
Those who sow with tears(AV)
    will reap(AW) with songs of joy.(AX)
Those who go out weeping,(AY)
    carrying seed to sow,
will return with songs of joy,
    carrying sheaves with them.

Psalm 127

A song of ascents. Of Solomon.

Unless the Lord builds(AZ) the house,
    the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches(BA) over the city,
    the guards stand watch in vain.
In vain you rise early
    and stay up late,
toiling for food(BB) to eat—
    for he grants sleep(BC) to[d] those he loves.(BD)

Children are a heritage from the Lord,
    offspring a reward(BE) from him.
Like arrows(BF) in the hands of a warrior
    are children born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
    whose quiver is full of them.(BG)
They will not be put to shame
    when they contend with their opponents(BH) in court.(BI)

Judges 18:1-15

The Danites Settle in Laish

18 In those days Israel had no king.(A)

And in those days the tribe of the Danites was seeking a place of their own where they might settle, because they had not yet come into an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.(B) So the Danites(C) sent five of their leading men(D) from Zorah and Eshtaol to spy out(E) the land and explore it. These men represented all the Danites. They told them, “Go, explore the land.”(F)

So they entered the hill country of Ephraim and came to the house of Micah,(G) where they spent the night. When they were near Micah’s house, they recognized the voice of the young Levite;(H) so they turned in there and asked him, “Who brought you here? What are you doing in this place? Why are you here?”

He told them what Micah had done for him, and said, “He has hired me and I am his priest.(I)

Then they said to him, “Please inquire of God(J) to learn whether our journey will be successful.”

The priest answered them, “Go in peace(K). Your journey has the Lord’s approval.”

So the five men(L) left and came to Laish,(M) where they saw that the people were living in safety, like the Sidonians, at peace and secure.(N) And since their land lacked nothing, they were prosperous.[a] Also, they lived a long way from the Sidonians(O) and had no relationship with anyone else.[b]

When they returned to Zorah and Eshtaol, their fellow Danites asked them, “How did you find things?”

They answered, “Come on, let’s attack them! We have seen the land, and it is very good. Aren’t you going to do something? Don’t hesitate to go there and take it over.(P) 10 When you get there, you will find an unsuspecting people and a spacious land that God has put into your hands, a land that lacks nothing(Q) whatever.(R)

11 Then six hundred men(S) of the Danites,(T) armed for battle, set out from Zorah and Eshtaol. 12 On their way they set up camp near Kiriath Jearim(U) in Judah. This is why the place west of Kiriath Jearim is called Mahaneh Dan[c](V) to this day. 13 From there they went on to the hill country of Ephraim and came to Micah’s house.(W)

14 Then the five men who had spied out the land of Laish(X) said to their fellow Danites, “Do you know that one of these houses has an ephod,(Y) some household gods and an image overlaid with silver?(Z) Now you know what to do.” 15 So they turned in there and went to the house of the young Levite at Micah’s place and greeted him.

Acts 8:1-13

And Saul(A) approved of their killing him.

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered(B) throughout Judea and Samaria.(C) Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul(D) began to destroy the church.(E) Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

Those who had been scattered(F) preached the word wherever they went.(G) Philip(H) went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many,(I) and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.(J) So there was great joy in that city.

Simon the Sorcerer

Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery(K) in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great,(L) 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.”(M) 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God(N) and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized,(O) both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles(P) he saw.

John 5:30-47

30 By myself I can do nothing;(A) I judge only as I hear, and my judgment is just,(B) for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me.(C)

Testimonies About Jesus

31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true.(D) 32 There is another who testifies in my favor,(E) and I know that his testimony about me is true.

33 “You have sent to John and he has testified(F) to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony;(G) but I mention it that you may be saved.(H) 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light,(I) and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John.(J) For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing(K)—testify that the Father has sent me.(L) 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me.(M) You have never heard his voice nor seen his form,(N) 38 nor does his word dwell in you,(O) for you do not believe(P) the one he sent.(Q) 39 You study[a] the Scriptures(R) diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life.(S) These are the very Scriptures that testify about me,(T) 40 yet you refuse to come to me(U) to have life.

41 “I do not accept glory from human beings,(V) 42 but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44 How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God[b]?(W)

45 “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses,(X) on whom your hopes are set.(Y) 46 If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.(Z) 47 But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”(AA)

New International Version (NIV)

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