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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 37-39

Psalm 37[a]

Of David.

Do not fret because of those who are evil
    or be envious(A) of those who do wrong;(B)
for like the grass they will soon wither,(C)
    like green plants they will soon die away.(D)

Trust in the Lord and do good;
    dwell in the land(E) and enjoy safe pasture.(F)
Take delight(G) in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.(H)

Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him(I) and he will do this:
He will make your righteous reward(J) shine like the dawn,(K)
    your vindication like the noonday sun.

Be still(L) before the Lord
    and wait patiently(M) for him;
do not fret(N) when people succeed in their ways,(O)
    when they carry out their wicked schemes.(P)

Refrain from anger(Q) and turn from wrath;
    do not fret(R)—it leads only to evil.
For those who are evil will be destroyed,(S)
    but those who hope(T) in the Lord will inherit the land.(U)

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;(V)
    though you look for them, they will not be found.
11 But the meek will inherit the land(W)
    and enjoy peace and prosperity.(X)

12 The wicked plot(Y) against the righteous
    and gnash their teeth(Z) at them;
13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
    for he knows their day is coming.(AA)

14 The wicked draw the sword(AB)
    and bend the bow(AC)
to bring down the poor and needy,(AD)
    to slay those whose ways are upright.
15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,(AE)
    and their bows will be broken.(AF)

16 Better the little that the righteous have
    than the wealth(AG) of many wicked;
17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,(AH)
    but the Lord upholds(AI) the righteous.

18 The blameless spend their days under the Lord’s care,(AJ)
    and their inheritance will endure forever.(AK)
19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
    in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:(AL)
    Though the Lord’s enemies are like the flowers of the field,
    they will be consumed, they will go up in smoke.(AM)

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
    but the righteous give generously;(AN)
22 those the Lord blesses will inherit the land,
    but those he curses(AO) will be destroyed.(AP)

23 The Lord makes firm the steps(AQ)
    of the one who delights(AR) in him;
24 though he may stumble, he will not fall,(AS)
    for the Lord upholds(AT) him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
    yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken(AU)
    or their children begging(AV) bread.
26 They are always generous and lend freely;(AW)
    their children will be a blessing.[b](AX)

27 Turn from evil and do good;(AY)
    then you will dwell in the land forever.(AZ)
28 For the Lord loves the just
    and will not forsake his faithful ones.(BA)

Wrongdoers will be completely destroyed[c];
    the offspring of the wicked will perish.(BB)
29 The righteous will inherit the land(BC)
    and dwell in it forever.(BD)

30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,(BE)
    and their tongues speak what is just.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts;(BF)
    their feet do not slip.(BG)

32 The wicked lie in wait(BH) for the righteous,(BI)
    intent on putting them to death;
33 but the Lord will not leave them in the power of the wicked
    or let them be condemned(BJ) when brought to trial.(BK)

34 Hope in the Lord(BL)
    and keep his way.(BM)
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
    when the wicked are destroyed,(BN) you will see(BO) it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
    flourishing(BP) like a luxuriant native tree,
36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
    though I looked for him, he could not be found.(BQ)

37 Consider the blameless,(BR) observe the upright;(BS)
    a future awaits those who seek peace.[d](BT)
38 But all sinners(BU) will be destroyed;(BV)
    there will be no future[e] for the wicked.(BW)

39 The salvation(BX) of the righteous comes from the Lord;
    he is their stronghold in time of trouble.(BY)
40 The Lord helps(BZ) them and delivers(CA) them;
    he delivers them from the wicked and saves(CB) them,
    because they take refuge(CC) in him.

Psalm 38[f]

A psalm of David. A petition.

Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger
    or discipline me in your wrath.(CD)
Your arrows(CE) have pierced me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
Because of your wrath there is no health(CF) in my body;
    there is no soundness in my bones(CG) because of my sin.
My guilt has overwhelmed(CH) me
    like a burden too heavy to bear.(CI)

My wounds(CJ) fester and are loathsome(CK)
    because of my sinful folly.(CL)
I am bowed down(CM) and brought very low;
    all day long I go about mourning.(CN)
My back is filled with searing pain;(CO)
    there is no health(CP) in my body.
I am feeble and utterly crushed;(CQ)
    I groan(CR) in anguish of heart.(CS)

All my longings(CT) lie open before you, Lord;
    my sighing(CU) is not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds,(CV) my strength fails(CW) me;
    even the light has gone from my eyes.(CX)
11 My friends and companions avoid me because of my wounds;(CY)
    my neighbors stay far away.
12 Those who want to kill me set their traps,(CZ)
    those who would harm me talk of my ruin;(DA)
    all day long they scheme and lie.(DB)

13 I am like the deaf, who cannot hear,(DC)
    like the mute, who cannot speak;
14 I have become like one who does not hear,
    whose mouth can offer no reply.
15 Lord, I wait(DD) for you;
    you will answer,(DE) Lord my God.
16 For I said, “Do not let them gloat(DF)
    or exalt themselves over me when my feet slip.”(DG)

17 For I am about to fall,(DH)
    and my pain(DI) is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity;(DJ)
    I am troubled by my sin.
19 Many have become my enemies(DK) without cause[g];
    those who hate me(DL) without reason(DM) are numerous.
20 Those who repay my good with evil(DN)
    lodge accusations(DO) against me,
    though I seek only to do what is good.

21 Lord, do not forsake me;(DP)
    do not be far(DQ) from me, my God.
22 Come quickly(DR) to help me,(DS)
    my Lord and my Savior.(DT)

Psalm 39[h]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

I said, “I will watch my ways(DU)
    and keep my tongue from sin;(DV)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth(DW)
    while in the presence of the wicked.”
So I remained utterly silent,(DX)
    not even saying anything good.
But my anguish(DY) increased;
    my heart grew hot(DZ) within me.
While I meditated,(EA) the fire(EB) burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;(EC)
    let me know how fleeting(ED) my life is.(EE)
You have made my days(EF) a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,(EG)
    even those who seem secure.[i]

“Surely everyone goes around(EH) like a mere phantom;(EI)
    in vain they rush about,(EJ) heaping up wealth(EK)
    without knowing whose it will finally be.(EL)

“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.(EM)
Save me(EN) from all my transgressions;(EO)
    do not make me the scorn(EP) of fools.
I was silent;(EQ) I would not open my mouth,(ER)
    for you are the one who has done this.(ES)
10 Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow(ET) of your hand.(EU)
11 When you rebuke(EV) and discipline(EW) anyone for their sin,
    you consume(EX) their wealth like a moth(EY)
    surely everyone is but a breath.(EZ)

12 “Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;(FA)
    do not be deaf(FB) to my weeping.(FC)
I dwell with you as a foreigner,(FD)
    a stranger,(FE) as all my ancestors were.(FF)
13 Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”(FG)

Acts 26

26 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.”(A)

So Paul motioned with his hand(B) and began his defense: “King Agrippa, I consider myself fortunate to stand before you(C) today as I make my defense against all the accusations of the Jews,(D) and especially so because you are well acquainted with all the Jewish customs(E) and controversies.(F) Therefore, I beg you to listen to me patiently.

“The Jewish people all know the way I have lived ever since I was a child,(G) from the beginning of my life in my own country, and also in Jerusalem. They have known me for a long time(H) and can testify, if they are willing, that I conformed to the strictest sect(I) of our religion, living as a Pharisee.(J) And now it is because of my hope(K) in what God has promised our ancestors(L) that I am on trial today. This is the promise our twelve tribes(M) are hoping to see fulfilled as they earnestly serve God day and night.(N) King Agrippa, it is because of this hope that these Jews are accusing me.(O) Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?(P)

“I too was convinced(Q) that I ought to do all that was possible to oppose(R) the name of Jesus of Nazareth.(S) 10 And that is just what I did in Jerusalem. On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people(T) in prison,(U) and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them.(V) 11 Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished,(W) and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I even hunted them down in foreign cities.

12 “On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests. 13 About noon, King Agrippa, as I was on the road, I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my companions. 14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice(X) saying to me in Aramaic,[a](Y) ‘Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’

15 “Then I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord?’

‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,’ the Lord replied. 16 ‘Now get up and stand on your feet.(Z) I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen and will see of me.(AA) 17 I will rescue you(AB) from your own people and from the Gentiles.(AC) I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes(AD) and turn them from darkness to light,(AE) and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins(AF) and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’(AG)

19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient(AH) to the vision from heaven. 20 First to those in Damascus,(AI) then to those in Jerusalem(AJ) and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles,(AK) I preached that they should repent(AL) and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds.(AM) 21 That is why some Jews seized me(AN) in the temple courts and tried to kill me.(AO) 22 But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen(AP) 23 that the Messiah would suffer(AQ) and, as the first to rise from the dead,(AR) would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”(AS)

24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind,(AT) Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning(AU) is driving you insane.”

25 “I am not insane, most excellent(AV) Festus,” Paul replied. “What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26 The king is familiar with these things,(AW) and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.”

28 Then Agrippa said to Paul, “Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?”(AX)

29 Paul replied, “Short time or long—I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.”(AY)

30 The king rose, and with him the governor and Bernice(AZ) and those sitting with them. 31 After they left the room, they began saying to one another, “This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.”(BA)

32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been set free(BB) if he had not appealed to Caesar.”(BC)

New International Version (NIV)

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