Previous Prev Day Next DayNext

Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
Version
Psalm 63

Psalm 63

Praise God Who Satisfies

A Davidic psalm. When he was in the Wilderness of Judah.(A)

God, You are my God; I eagerly seek You.
I thirst for You;
my body faints for You
in a land that is dry, desolate, and without water.(B)
So I gaze on You in the sanctuary
to see Your strength and Your glory.(C)

My lips will glorify You
because Your faithful love is better than life.(D)
So I will praise You as long as I live;
at Your name, I will lift up my hands.(E)
You satisfy me as with rich food;[a](F)
my mouth will praise You with joyful lips.(G)

When I think of You as I lie on my bed,
I meditate on You during the night watches(H)
because You are my helper;(I)
I will rejoice in the shadow of Your wings.(J)
I follow close to You;
Your right hand holds on to me.(K)

But those who seek to destroy my life
will go into the depths of the earth.(L)
10 They will be given over to the power of the sword;(M)
they will become the jackals’ prey.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;(N)
all who swear by Him[b] will boast,
for the mouths of liars will be shut.(O)

Psalm 98

Psalm 98

Praise the King

A psalm.

Sing a new song to the Lord,(A)
for He has performed wonders;
His right hand and holy arm
have won Him victory.(B)
The Lord has made His victory known;
He has revealed His righteousness
in the sight of the nations.(C)
He has remembered His love
and faithfulness to the house of Israel;
all the ends of the earth
have seen our God’s victory.(D)

Shout to the Lord, all the earth;
be jubilant, shout for joy, and sing.(E)
Sing to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious song.(F)
With trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn
shout triumphantly
in the presence of the Lord, our King.(G)

Let the sea and all that fills it,
the world and those who live in it, resound.(H)
Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the mountains shout together for joy(I)
before the Lord,
for He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world righteously
and the peoples fairly.(J)

Psalm 103

Psalm 103

The Forgiving God

Davidic.

My soul, praise Yahweh,
and all that is within me, praise His holy name.(A)
My soul, praise the Lord,
and do not forget all His benefits.(B)

He forgives all your sin;(C)
He heals all your diseases.(D)
He redeems your life from the Pit;(E)
He crowns you with faithful love and compassion.(F)
He satisfies you[a] with goodness;(G)
your youth is renewed like the eagle.(H)

The Lord executes acts of righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.(I)
He revealed His ways to Moses,(J)
His deeds to the people of Israel.(K)
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love.(L)
He will not always accuse us
or be angry forever.(M)
10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our offenses.(N)

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His faithful love
toward those who fear Him.(O)
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed
our transgressions from us.(P)
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.(Q)
14 For He knows what we are made of,
remembering that we are dust.(R)

15 As for man, his days are like grass—
he blooms like a flower of the field;(S)
16 when the wind passes over it, it vanishes,
and its place is no longer known.[b](T)
17 But from eternity to eternity
the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear Him,
and His righteousness toward the grandchildren(U)
18 of those who keep His covenant,
who remember to observe His precepts.(V)
19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
and His kingdom rules over all.(W)

20 Praise the Lord,
all His angels of great strength,
who do His word,
obedient to His command.(X)
21 Praise the Lord, all His armies,
His servants who do His will.(Y)
22 Praise the Lord, all His works
in all the places where He rules.(Z)
My soul, praise Yahweh!

1 Samuel 23:7-18

When it was reported to Saul that David had gone to Keilah, he said, “God has handed him over to me, for he has trapped himself by entering a town with barred gates.” Then Saul summoned all the troops to go to war at Keilah and besiege David and his men.

When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest,(A) “Bring the ephod.”(B)

10 Then David said, “Lord God of Israel, Your servant has heard that Saul intends to come to Keilah and destroy the town because of me. 11 Will the citizens of Keilah hand me over to him? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? Lord God of Israel, please tell Your servant.”

The Lord answered, “He will come down.”

12 Then David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah hand me and my men over to Saul?”

“They will,”(C) the Lord responded.

13 So David and his men, numbering about 600,(D) left Keilah at once and moved from place to place.(E) When it was reported to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah, he called off the expedition. 14 David then stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hill country of the Wilderness of Ziph.(F) Saul searched for him every day, but God did not hand David over to him.(G)

A Renewed Covenant

15 David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in Horesh when he saw that Saul had come out to take his life. 16 Then Saul’s son Jonathan came to David in Horesh and encouraged him in his faith in God,(H) 17 saying, “Don’t be afraid, for my father Saul will never lay a hand on you. You yourself will be king over Israel,(I) and I’ll be your second-in-command. Even my father Saul knows it is true.”(J) 18 Then the two of them made a covenant in the Lord’s presence.(K) Afterward, David remained in Horesh, while Jonathan went home.

Romans 11:33-12:2

A Hymn of Praise

33 Oh, the depth of the riches(A)
both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God!(B)
How unsearchable His judgments(C)
and untraceable His ways!
34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?(D)
Or who has been His counselor?
35 Or who has ever first given to Him,
and has to be repaid?(E)[a]
36 For from Him and through Him
and to Him are all things.(F)
To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you(G) to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,(H) holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.[b] Do not be conformed(I) to this age,(J) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,(K) so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will(L) of God.

Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Talents

14 “For it is just like a man going on a journey.(A) He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five talents;[a] to another, two; and to another, one—to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey.(B) Immediately 16 the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17 In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18 But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’

21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’(C)

22 “Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’

23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’

24 “Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed.(D) 25 So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’

26 “But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy slave!(E) If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27 then[b] you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money[c] back with interest.

28 “‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.(F) 30 And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness.(G) In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’