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 24

Psalm 24

The King of Glory

A Davidic psalm.

The earth and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants,
belong to the Lord;(A)
for He laid its foundation on the seas
and established it on the rivers.(B)

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in His holy place?(C)
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,(D)
who has not set his mind[a] on what is false,(E)
and who has not sworn deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord,(F)
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.(G)
Such is the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.[b](H)Selah

Lift up your heads, you gates!
Rise up, ancient doors!
Then the King of glory will come in.(I)
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.(J)
Lift up your heads, you gates!
Rise up, ancient doors!
Then the King of glory will come in.
10 Who is He, this King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of glory.(K)Selah

Psalm 29

Psalm 29

The Voice of the Lord

A Davidic psalm.

Ascribe to Yahweh, you heavenly beings,[a]
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due His name;
worship Yahweh
in the splendor of His holiness.[b](A)

The voice of the Lord is above the waters.
The God of glory thunders—
the Lord, above vast waters,(B)
the voice of the Lord in power,
the voice of the Lord in splendor.(C)
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord shatters the cedars of Lebanon.(D)
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,(E)
and Sirion,[c] like a young wild ox.(F)
The voice of the Lord flashes flames of fire.(G)
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.(H)
The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth[d](I)
and strips the woodlands bare.(J)

In His temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The Lord sat enthroned at the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned, King forever.(K)
11 The Lord gives His people strength;(L)
the Lord blesses His people with peace.(M)

Psalm 8

Psalm 8

God’s Glory, Man’s Dignity

For the choir director: on the Gittith.(A) A Davidic psalm.

Yahweh, our Lord,
how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!(B)

You have covered the heavens with Your majesty.[a](C)
Because of Your adversaries,
You have established a stronghold[b]
from the mouths of children and nursing infants(D)
to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I observe Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which You set in place,(E)
what is man that You remember him,
the son of man that You look after him?(F)
You made him little less than God[c][d]
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him lord over the works of Your hands;
You put everything under his feet:[e](G)
all the sheep and oxen,
as well as the animals in the wild,
the birds of the sky,
and the fish of the sea
that pass through the currents of the seas.(H)

Yahweh, our Lord,
how magnificent is Your name throughout the earth!

Psalm 84

Psalm 84

Longing for God’s House

For the choir director: on the Gittith.(A) A psalm of the sons of Korah.

How lovely is Your dwelling place,
Lord of Hosts.(B)
I long and yearn
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and flesh cry out for[a] the living God.(C)

Even a sparrow finds a home,
and a swallow, a nest for herself
where she places her young—
near Your altars, Lord of Hosts,
my King and my God.(D)
How happy are those who reside in Your house,
who praise You continually.(E)Selah

Happy are the people whose strength is in You,
whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.(F)
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,[b]
they make it a source of springwater;
even the autumn rain will cover it with blessings.[c](G)
They go from strength to strength;
each appears before God in Zion.(H)

Lord God of Hosts, hear my prayer;
listen, God of Jacob.(I)Selah
Consider our shield,[d] God;(J)
look on the face of Your anointed one.(K)

10 Better a day in Your courts
than a thousand anywhere else.
I would rather be at the door of the house of my God
than to live in the tents of wicked people.(L)
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield.(M)
The Lord gives grace and glory;
He does not withhold the good
from those who live with integrity.(N)
12 Happy is the person who trusts in You,
Lord of Hosts!(O)

2 Samuel 1:17-27

17 David sang the following lament(A) for Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he ordered that the Judahites be taught The Song of the Bow. It is written in the Book of Jashar:[a](B)

19 The splendor of Israel lies slain on your heights.
How the mighty have fallen!
20 Do not tell it in Gath,
don’t announce it in the marketplaces of Ashkelon,
or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,(C)
and the daughters of the uncircumcised will gloat.
21 Mountains of Gilboa,
let no dew or rain be on you,
or fields of offerings,[b]
for there the shield of the mighty was defiled(D)
the shield of Saul, no longer anointed with oil.(E)
22 Jonathan’s bow never retreated,
Saul’s sword never returned unstained,[c]
from the blood of the slain,
from the bodies of the mighty.
23 Saul and Jonathan,
loved and delightful,
they were not parted in life or in death.
They were swifter than eagles, stronger than lions.
24 Daughters of Israel, weep for Saul,
who clothed you in scarlet, with luxurious things,
who decked your garments with gold ornaments.(F)
25 How the mighty have fallen in the thick of battle!
Jonathan lies slain on your heights.
26 I grieve for you, Jonathan, my brother.
You were such a friend to me.
Your love for me was more wonderful
than the love of women.(G)
27 How the mighty have fallen
and the weapons of war have perished!

Romans 12:9-21

Christian Ethics

Love must be without hypocrisy.(A) Detest evil;(B) cling to what is good. 10 Show family affection to one another with brotherly love.(C) Outdo one another in showing honor.(D) 11 Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit;(E) serve the Lord.(F) 12 Rejoice in hope;(G) be patient in affliction;(H) be persistent in prayer.(I) 13 Share with the saints in their needs;(J) pursue hospitality.(K) 14 Bless those who persecute you;(L) bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice;(M) weep with those who weep. 16 Be in agreement with one another.(N) Do not be proud;(O) instead, associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own estimation.(P) 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil.(Q) Try to do what is honorable(R) in everyone’s eyes. 18 If possible, on your part, live at peace with everyone.(S) 19 Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for His[a] wrath. For it is written: Vengeance belongs to Me; I will repay,(T)[b] says the Lord. 20 But

If your enemy is hungry, feed him.(U)
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.(V)[c]

21 Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.

Matthew 25:31-46

The Sheep and the Goats

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels[a](A) with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.(B) 32 All the nations[b](C) will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.(D) 33 He will put the sheep on His right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom(E) prepared for you from the foundation of the world.(F)

35 For I was hungry
and you gave Me something to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me something to drink;
I was a stranger and you took Me in;
36 I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’(G)

37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39 When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You?’

40 “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’(H) 41 Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels!(I)

42 For I was hungry
and you gave Me nothing to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43 I was a stranger
and you didn’t take Me in;
I was naked
and you didn’t clothe Me,
sick and in prison
and you didn’t take care of Me.’

44 “Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You?’

45 “Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’(J)

46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”(K)