◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 140 142; Ps. 141 143:1–11 (12); Ezek. 39:21–29; 1 John 3:1–10; Matt. 10:24–33 (New International Version)
Print Page Options Listen to Ps. 140, 142; Ps. 141, 143:1–11 (12); Ezek. 39:21–29; 1 John 3:1–10; Matt. 10:24–33
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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)
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Psalm 140

Psalm 140[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

1 Rescue me,(A) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,(B)
2 who devise evil plans(C) in their hearts
    and stir up war(D) every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as(E) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers(F) is on their lips.[b]

4 Keep me safe,(G) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(H)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a snare(I) for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net(J)
    and have set traps(K) for me along my path.

6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(L)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(M)
7 Sovereign Lord,(N) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked(O) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

9 Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.(P)
10 May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,(Q)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.(R)

12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor(S)
    and upholds the cause(T) of the needy.(U)
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,(V)
    and the upright will live(W) in your presence.(X)

Psalm 142

Psalm 142[a]

A maskil[b] of David. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.

1 I cry aloud(B) to the Lord;
    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(C)
2 I pour out before him my complaint;(D)
    before him I tell my trouble.(E)

3 When my spirit grows faint(F) within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
4 Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;(G)
    no one cares(H) for my life.

5 I cry to you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,(I)
    my portion(J) in the land of the living.”(K)

6 Listen to my cry,(L)
    for I am in desperate need;(M)
rescue me(N) from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong(O) for me.
7 Set me free from my prison,(P)
    that I may praise your name.(Q)
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.(R)

Psalm 141

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly(A) to me;
    hear me(B) when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;(C)
    may the lifting up of my hands(D) be like the evening sacrifice.(E)

3 Set a guard over my mouth,(F) Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.(G)
4 Do not let my heart(H) be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds(I)
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.(J)

5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me(K)—that is oil on my head.(L)
My head will not refuse it,
    for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,(M)
    and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, “As one plows(N) and breaks up the earth,(O)
    so our bones have been scattered at the mouth(P) of the grave.”

8 But my eyes are fixed(Q) on you, Sovereign Lord;
    in you I take refuge(R)—do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe(S) from the traps set by evildoers,(T)
    from the snares(U) they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall(V) into their own nets,
    while I pass by in safety.(W)

Psalm 143

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

1 Lord, hear my prayer,(A)
    listen to my cry for mercy;(B)
in your faithfulness(C) and righteousness(D)
    come to my relief.
2 Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous(E) before you.
3 The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(F)
    like those long dead.(G)
4 So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.(H)
5 I remember(I) the days of long ago;
    I meditate(J) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
6 I spread out my hands(K) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.[a]

7 Answer me quickly,(L) Lord;
    my spirit fails.(M)
Do not hide your face(N) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
8 Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,(O)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(P) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.(Q)
9 Rescue me(R) from my enemies,(S) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(T) to do your will,
    for you are my God;(U)
may your good Spirit
    lead(V) me on level ground.(W)

11 For your name’s sake,(X) Lord, preserve my life;(Y)
    in your righteousness,(Z) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(AA)
    destroy all my foes,(AB)
    for I am your servant.(AC)

Ezekiel 39:21-29

21 “I will display my glory among the nations, and all the nations will see the punishment I inflict and the hand I lay on them.(A) 22 From that day forward the people of Israel will know that I am the Lord their God. 23 And the nations will know that the people of Israel went into exile for their sin, because they were unfaithful to me. So I hid my face from them and handed them over to their enemies, and they all fell by the sword.(B) 24 I dealt with them according to their uncleanness and their offenses, and I hid my face from them.(C)

25 “Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will now restore the fortunes of Jacob[a](D) and will have compassion(E) on all the people of Israel, and I will be zealous for my holy name.(F) 26 They will forget their shame and all the unfaithfulness they showed toward me when they lived in safety(G) in their land with no one to make them afraid.(H) 27 When I have brought them back from the nations and have gathered them from the countries of their enemies, I will be proved holy through them in the sight of many nations.(I) 28 Then they will know that I am the Lord their God, for though I sent them into exile among the nations, I will gather them(J) to their own land, not leaving any behind.(K) 29 I will no longer hide my face(L) from them, for I will pour out my Spirit(M) on the people of Israel, declares the Sovereign Lord.(N)”

1 John 3:1-10

3 See what great love(A) the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!(B) And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.(C) 2 Dear friends,(D) now we are children of God,(E) and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears,[a](F) we shall be like him,(G) for we shall see him as he is.(H) 3 All who have this hope in him purify themselves,(I) just as he is pure.(J)

4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.(K) 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins.(L) And in him is no sin.(M) 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning.(N) No one who continues to sin has either seen him(O) or known him.(P)

7 Dear children,(Q) do not let anyone lead you astray.(R) The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous.(S) 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil,(T) because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God(U) appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.(V) 9 No one who is born of God(W) will continue to sin,(X) because God’s seed(Y) remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God(Z) are and who the children of the devil(AA) are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love(AB) their brother and sister.(AC)

Matthew 10:24-33

24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.(A) 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,(B) how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.(C) 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One(D) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[a] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.(E) 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.(F)

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others,(G) I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. 33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.(H)

New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

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