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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 Catholic Bible (NCB)
Version
Psalm 146-147

The Concluding Hallel—Pss 146–150[a]

Psalm 146[b]

Trust in God, Creator and Redeemer

[c]Alleluia.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.[d]
    I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God throughout my life.[e]
Do not place your trust in princes,
    in mortal men who have no power to save.
When the spirit departs, they return to the earth;
    on that very day all their plans come to naught.[f]
[g]Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,[h]
    whose hope is in the Lord, his God,
the Maker of heaven and earth,[i]
    the sea, and everything in them—
    the one who keeps faith forever.
He grants justice to the oppressed[j]
    and gives bread to the hungry.
The Lord releases prisoners
    and opens the eyes of those who cannot see.[k]
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the stranger
    and sustains the fatherless and the widow,[l]
    but he blocks the way of the wicked.
10 The Lord will reign forever,[m]
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Alleluia.

Psalm 147[n]

Hymn to the City of God

[o]Alleluia.

How good it is to sing praises to our God;
    how pleasant it is to give him fitting praise.[p]
The Lord restores Jerusalem
    and gathers together the dispersed people of Israel.[q]
He heals the brokenhearted
    and bandages their wounds.[r]
He fixes the number of the stars
    and assigns a name to each.[s]
Great is our Lord and awesome in power;
    his wisdom is without limit.[t]
The Lord sustains the poor
    but humbles the wicked in the dust.[u]
[v]Offer songs of thanksgiving to the Lord;
    play the lyre in honor of our God.
He veils the heavens with clouds,
    supplies the earth with rain,
    and makes the hills sprout with grass.[w]
He provides food for the animals
    and for the young ravens when they call.[x]
10 [y]He takes no pleasure in the strength of the horse,
    or delight in the fleetness of a runner.
11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    those who place their hope in his kindness.
12 [z]Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Glorify your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates
    and blesses your children within you.[aa]
14 He brings peace to your borders
    and fills you with the finest of wheat.[ab]
15 He sends a command to the earth;
    his word runs with utmost speed.
16 He gives the snow like wool
    and scatters the frost like ashes.[ac]
17 He hurls down his hail like crumbs;
    who can withstand his cold?[ad]
18 He sends his word, and the ice melts;
    he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
19 [ae]He has revealed his word to Jacob,
    his decrees and his judgments to Israel.
20 He has not done this for the other nations;
    they are not aware of his judgments.
Alleluia.

Psalm 111-113

Psalm 111[a]

Praise of God for His Wondrous Works

Alleluia.

I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart[b]
    in the council of the upright and in the assembly.
Great are the works of the Lord;[c]
    they are pondered by all who delight in them.
His deeds[d] show forth majesty and splendor,
    and his righteousness endures forever.
He has won renown for his wonders;[e]
    gracious and compassionate is the Lord.
He provides food for those who fear him,[f]
    and is forever mindful of his covenant.
He has manifested the power of his works to his people
    by giving them the lands[g] of the nations.
The works of his hands[h] are faithful and right,
    and all his commandments are trustworthy.
They are established forever and ever
    to be observed in fidelity and truthfulness.
He has granted deliverance to his people
    and established his covenant forever;
    holy and awe-inspiring is his name.[i]
10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;[j]
    those who are guided by it will grow in understanding.
    His praise will last forever.

Psalm 112[k]

The Blessings of the Righteous

Alleluia.

Blessed[l] is the man who fears the Lord,
    who greatly delights in his precepts.
His descendants will be powerful upon the earth;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.[m]
His house will be filled with wealth and riches,[n]
    and his righteousness will endure forever.
He shines as a light for the upright in the darkness;
    kindness, mercy, and justice are his hallmarks.[o]
The future bodes well[p] for him
    who is generous in helping those in need
    and who conducts his affairs with justice.
[q]He will never be swayed;
    the righteous man will be remembered forever.
He has no fear of bad news,
    for his heart remains steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
Since his heart is tranquil, he will not be afraid,
    and he will witness the downfall of his enemies.
He bestows gifts lavishly on the poor;
    his righteousness will endure forever,
    and his horn[r] will be exalted in glory.
10 The wicked will be furious when he sees this,
    gnashing his teeth and pining away;
    the desires of the wicked will be fruitless.[s]

The Egyptian Hallel—Pss 113–118[t]

Psalm 113[u]

Praise of the Lord for His Care of the Lowly

Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the Lord,[v]
    praise the name of the Lord.
[w]Blessed be the name of the Lord
    now and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.
[x]High is the Lord over all the nations,
    and supreme over the heavens is his glory.
Who is like the Lord, our God,
    the one who is enthroned on high
and who stoops down to look
    on the heavens and the earth?
[y]He raises the poor from the dust
    and lifts the needy from the rubbish heap,
seating them with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
He settles the barren woman[z] in a home
    and makes her the joyful mother of children.
Alleluia.

Proverbs 9:1-12

Wisdom and Folly

Chapter 9

At God’s Banquet[a]

Wisdom has built her house;
    she has hewn her seven pillars.
She has slain her animals and mixed her wine,
    and she has spread her table.
She has sent forth her maidservants
    and proclaimed from the heights of the city,
“Let those who are simple[b] turn in here.”
    To the person without understanding she says,
“Come and partake of my food,
    and taste the wine that I have prepared!
Abandon foolishness so that you may live;
    walk in the way of understanding.

A Parenthesis about the Arrogant[c]

“If you correct an arrogant man, you invite insults;
    if you rebuke a wicked man, you incur abuse.
If you reprove an insolent man, he will hate you;
    if you reprove a wise man, he will love you.
Instruct a wise man, and he will become wiser still;
    teach a righteous man, and he will advance in learning.
10     [d]“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,[e]
    and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
11 For by me your days will be multiplied,
    and years will be added to your life.
12 If you are wise, it is to your advantage;
    if you are arrogant, you alone will bear the blame.”

2 Corinthians 9:6-15

God Loves a Cheerful Giver. Remember this: if you sow sparingly, you will reap sparingly, and if you sow generously, you will reap generously as well. Each person should give as much as he has decided in his heart, not with reluctance or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to enrich you with an abundance of every grace, so that, with all of your needs provided for, you may be able to produce a surplus of good works. As it is written,

“He scatters abroad his gifts to the poor;
    his righteousness lasts forever.”

10 Generosity Will Prompt Thanksgiving. The one who provides seed for sowing and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11 Enriched in every way, you will be able to practice all your acts of generosity, which, through our intervention, will result in thanksgiving to God.

12 The administering of this public service not only helps to satisfy the needs of the saints but also overflows in countless acts of thanksgiving to God. 13 Through the evidence of such service, you are giving glory to God for your obedient profession of the gospel of Christ and the generosity of your contribution to them and to all others as well. 14 At the same time, their hearts will go out to you in their prayers for you, because of the surpassing grace that God has bestowed upon you. 15 Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.[a]

Mark 10:46-52

46 Jesus Heals a Blind Man.[a] Then they came to Jericho. And as Jesus, his disciples, and a huge crowd were leaving Jericho, a blind man, Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus,[b] was sitting by the roadside asking for alms. 47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!” 48 Many rebuked him and told him to be silent, but he only shouted all the louder, “Son of David, have pity on me!”

49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart! Stand up! He is calling you!” 50 Casting aside his cloak, he jumped up and went to Jesus. 51 Then Jesus said to him, “What do you want me to do for you?” The blind man said to him, “Rabbi,[c] let me receive my sight.” 52 Jesus said to him, “Go on your way! Your faith has made you well.” Immediately, he received his sight and followed him along the road.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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