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Old/New Testament

Each day includes a passage from both the Old Testament and New Testament.
Duration: 365 days
New International Version (NIV)
Version
Psalm 72-73

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

Endow the king with your justice,(A) O God,
    the royal son with your righteousness.
May he judge your people in righteousness,(B)
    your afflicted ones with justice.

May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
May he defend the afflicted(C) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;(D)
    may he crush the oppressor.(E)
May he endure[a](F) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.(G)
May he be like rain(H) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
In his days may the righteous flourish(I)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River[b](J) to the ends of the earth.(K)
May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
10 May the kings of Tarshish(L) and of distant shores(M)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba(N) and Seba
    present him gifts.(O)
11 May all kings bow down(P) to him
    and all nations serve(Q) him.

12 For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
13 He will take pity(R) on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.
14 He will rescue(S) them from oppression and violence,
    for precious(T) is their blood in his sight.

15 Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba(U) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.(V)
16 May grain(W) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops(X) flourish like Lebanon(Y)
    and thrive[c] like the grass of the field.(Z)
17 May his name endure forever;(AA)
    may it continue as long as the sun.(AB)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,[d]
    and they will call him blessed.(AC)

18 Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,(AD)
    who alone does marvelous deeds.(AE)
19 Praise be to his glorious name(AF) forever;
    may the whole earth be filled with his glory.(AG)
Amen and Amen.(AH)

20 This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.(AI)

BOOK III

Psalms 73–89

Psalm 73

A psalm of Asaph.

Surely God is good to Israel,
    to those who are pure in heart.(AJ)

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped;(AK)
    I had nearly lost my foothold.(AL)
For I envied(AM) the arrogant
    when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.(AN)

They have no struggles;
    their bodies are healthy and strong.[e]
They are free(AO) from common human burdens;
    they are not plagued by human ills.
Therefore pride(AP) is their necklace;(AQ)
    they clothe themselves with violence.(AR)
From their callous hearts(AS) comes iniquity[f];
    their evil imaginations have no limits.
They scoff, and speak with malice;(AT)
    with arrogance(AU) they threaten oppression.(AV)
Their mouths lay claim to heaven,
    and their tongues take possession of the earth.
10 Therefore their people turn to them
    and drink up waters in abundance.[g]
11 They say, “How would God know?
    Does the Most High know anything?”

12 This is what the wicked are like—
    always free of care,(AW) they go on amassing wealth.(AX)

13 Surely in vain(AY) I have kept my heart pure
    and have washed my hands in innocence.(AZ)
14 All day long I have been afflicted,(BA)
    and every morning brings new punishments.

15 If I had spoken out like that,
    I would have betrayed your children.
16 When I tried to understand(BB) all this,
    it troubled me deeply
17 till I entered the sanctuary(BC) of God;
    then I understood their final destiny.(BD)

18 Surely you place them on slippery ground;(BE)
    you cast them down to ruin.(BF)
19 How suddenly(BG) are they destroyed,
    completely swept away(BH) by terrors!
20 They are like a dream(BI) when one awakes;(BJ)
    when you arise, Lord,
    you will despise them as fantasies.(BK)

21 When my heart was grieved
    and my spirit embittered,
22 I was senseless(BL) and ignorant;
    I was a brute beast(BM) before you.

23 Yet I am always with you;
    you hold me by my right hand.(BN)
24 You guide(BO) me with your counsel,(BP)
    and afterward you will take me into glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?(BQ)
    And earth has nothing I desire besides you.(BR)
26 My flesh and my heart(BS) may fail,(BT)
    but God is the strength(BU) of my heart
    and my portion(BV) forever.

27 Those who are far from you will perish;(BW)
    you destroy all who are unfaithful(BX) to you.
28 But as for me, it is good to be near God.(BY)
    I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;(BZ)
    I will tell of all your deeds.(CA)

Romans 9:1-15

Paul’s Anguish Over Israel

I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying,(A) my conscience confirms(B) it through the Holy Spirit— I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself(C) were cursed(D) and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people,(E) those of my own race,(F) the people of Israel.(G) Theirs is the adoption to sonship;(H) theirs the divine glory,(I) the covenants,(J) the receiving of the law,(K) the temple worship(L) and the promises.(M) Theirs are the patriarchs,(N) and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah,(O) who is God over all,(P) forever praised![a](Q) Amen.

God’s Sovereign Choice

It is not as though God’s word(R) had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.(S) Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”[b](T) In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children,(U) but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.(V) For this was how the promise was stated: “At the appointed time I will return, and Sarah will have a son.”[c](W)

10 Not only that, but Rebekah’s children were conceived at the same time by our father Isaac.(X) 11 Yet, before the twins were born or had done anything good or bad(Y)—in order that God’s purpose(Z) in election might stand: 12 not by works but by him who calls—she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”[d](AA) 13 Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”[e](AB)

14 What then shall we say?(AC) Is God unjust? Not at all!(AD) 15 For he says to Moses,

“I will have mercy on whom I have mercy,
    and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.”[f](AE)

New International Version (NIV)

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