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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
American Standard Version (ASV)
Version
Psalm 1-4

Book I

The righteous and the wicked contrasted.

[a]Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the wicked,
Nor standeth in the way of sinners,
Nor sitteth in the seat of scoffers:
But his delight is in the law of Jehovah;
And on his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the streams of water,
That bringeth forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also doth not wither;
And [b]whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The wicked are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the wicked shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For Jehovah knoweth the way of the righteous;
But the way of the wicked shall perish.

The reign of Jehovah’s anointed.

Why do the nations [c]rage,
And the peoples meditate a vain thing?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against Jehovah, and against his anointed, saying,
Let us break their bonds asunder,
And cast away their cords from us.
He that sitteth in the heavens will laugh:
The Lord will have them in derision.
Then will he speak unto them in his wrath,
And [d]vex them in his sore displeasure:
Yet I have set my king
Upon my holy hill of Zion.
I will tell of the decree:
Jehovah said unto me, Thou art my son;
This day have I begotten thee.
Ask of me, and I will give thee the nations for thine inheritance,
And the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron;
Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

10 Now therefore be wise, O ye kings:
Be instructed, ye judges of the earth.
11 Serve Jehovah with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
12 Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way,
For his wrath [e]will soon be kindled.
[f]Blessed are all they that take refuge in him.

Morning prayer of trust in God.

A Psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom his son.

Jehovah, how are mine adversaries increased!
Many are they that rise up against me.
Many there are that say [g]of my soul,
There is no [h]help for him in God. Selah
But thou, O Jehovah, art a shield about me;
My glory, and the lifter up of my head.
I cry unto Jehovah with my voice,
And he answereth me out of his holy hill. Selah
I laid me down and slept;
I awaked; for Jehovah sustaineth me.
I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people
That have set themselves against me round about.
Arise, O Jehovah; save me, O my God:
For thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheek bone;
Thou hast broken the teeth of the wicked.
[i]Salvation belongeth unto Jehovah:
Thy blessing be upon thy people. Selah

Evening prayer of trust in God.

For the Chief Musician; on stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness;
Thou hast set me at large when I was in distress:
[j]Have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
O ye sons of men, how long shall my glory be turned into dishonor?
How long will ye love vanity, and seek after falsehood? Selah
But know that Jehovah hath set apart for himself [k]him that is godly:
Jehovah will hear when I call unto him.
[l]Stand in awe, and sin not:
Commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah
Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in Jehovah.
Many there are that say, Who will show us any good?
Jehovah, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.
Thou hast put gladness in my heart,
More than they have when their grain and their new wine are increased.
In peace will I both lay me down and sleep;
For thou, Jehovah, [m]alone makest me dwell in safety.

Psalm 7

Jehovah implored to defend the psalmist against the wicked.

Shiggaion of David, which he sang unto Jehovah, concerning the words of Cush a Benjamite.

O Jehovah my God, in thee do I take refuge:
Save me from all them that pursue me, and deliver me,
Lest they tear my soul like a lion,
Rending it in pieces, while there is none to deliver.
O Jehovah my God, if I have done this;
If there be iniquity in my hands;
If I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me
(Yea, I have delivered him that without cause was mine adversary;)
Let the enemy pursue my soul, and overtake it;
Yea, let him tread my life down to the earth,
And lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Arise, O Jehovah, in thine anger;
Lift up thyself against the rage of mine adversaries,
And awake for me; thou hast commanded judgment.
[a]And let the congregation of the peoples compass thee about;
And over them return thou on high.
Jehovah ministereth judgment to the peoples:
Judge me, O Jehovah, according to my righteousness, and to mine integrity [b]that is in me.
Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous:
For the righteous God trieth the minds and [c]hearts.
10 My shield is with God,
Who saveth the upright in heart.
11 God is a righteous judge,
Yea, a God that hath indignation every day.
12 [d]If a man turn not, he will whet his sword;
He hath bent his bow, and made it ready;
13 He hath also prepared for him the instruments of death;
He maketh his arrows fiery shafts.
14 Behold, he travaileth with iniquity;
Yea, he hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
15 He hath made a pit, and digged it,
And is fallen into the ditch which he made.
16 His mischief shall return upon his own head,
And his violence shall come down upon his own pate.
17 I will give thanks unto Jehovah according to his righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of Jehovah Most High.

Proverbs 10:1-12

10 The proverbs of Solomon.

A wise son maketh a glad father;
But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing;
But righteousness delivereth from death.
Jehovah will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish;
But he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked.
He becometh poor that worketh with a slack hand;
But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
He that gathereth in summer is [a]a wise son;
But he that sleepeth in harvest is a son [b]that causeth shame.
Blessings are upon the head of the righteous;
But [c]violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
The memory of the righteous is blessed;
But the name of the wicked shall rot.
The wise in heart will receive commandments;
But [d]a prating fool [e]shall fall.
He that walketh uprightly walketh surely;
But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.
10 He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow;
But [f]a prating fool [g]shall fall.
11 The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life;
But [h]violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
12 Hatred stirreth up strifes;
But love covereth all transgressions.

2 Timothy 1:15-2:13

15 This thou knowest, that all that are in Asia turned away from me; of whom are Phygelus and Hermogenes. 16 The Lord grant mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus: for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain; 17 but, when he was in Rome, he sought me diligently, and found me 18 (the Lord grant unto him to find mercy of the Lord in that day); and in how many things he ministered at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

Thou therefore, my child, be strengthened in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which thou hast heard from me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. [a]Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier on service entangleth himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who enrolled him as a soldier. And if also a man contend in the games, he is not crowned, except he have contended lawfully. The husbandman that laboreth must be the first to partake of the fruits. Consider what I say; for the Lord shall give thee understanding in all things. Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my [b]gospel: wherein I suffer hardship unto bonds, as a malefactor; but the word of God is not bound. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect’s sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. 11 Faithful is the [c]saying: For if we died with him, we shall also live with him: 12 if we endure, we shall also reign with him: if we shall deny him, he also will deny us: 13 if we are faithless, he abideth faithful; for he cannot deny himself.

John 12:27-36

27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this [a]hour. But for this cause came I unto this hour. 28 Father, glorify thy name. There came therefore a voice out of heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. 29 The multitude therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it had thundered: others said, An angel hath spoken to him. 30 Jesus answered and said, This voice hath not come for my sake, but for your sakes. 31 Now is [b]the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up [c]from the earth, will draw all men unto myself. 33 But this he said, signifying by what manner of death he should die. 34 The multitude therefore answered him, We have heard out of the law that the Christ abideth for ever: and how sayest thou, The Son of man must be lifted up? who is this Son of man? 35 Jesus therefore said unto them, Yet a little while is the light [d]among you. Walk while ye have the light, that darkness overtake you not: and he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. 36 While ye have the light, believe on the light, that ye may become sons of light.

These things spake Jesus, and he departed and [e]hid himself from them.