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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 26

Psalm 26

Of David.

Vindicate me,(A) Lord,
    for I have led a blameless life;(B)
I have trusted(C) in the Lord
    and have not faltered.(D)
Test me,(E) Lord, and try me,
    examine my heart and my mind;(F)
for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love(G)
    and have lived(H) in reliance on your faithfulness.(I)

I do not sit(J) with the deceitful,
    nor do I associate with hypocrites.(K)
I abhor(L) the assembly of evildoers
    and refuse to sit with the wicked.
I wash my hands in innocence,(M)
    and go about your altar, Lord,
proclaiming aloud your praise(N)
    and telling of all your wonderful deeds.(O)

Lord, I love(P) the house where you live,
    the place where your glory dwells.(Q)
Do not take away my soul along with sinners,
    my life with those who are bloodthirsty,(R)
10 in whose hands are wicked schemes,(S)
    whose right hands are full of bribes.(T)
11 I lead a blameless life;
    deliver me(U) and be merciful to me.

12 My feet stand on level ground;(V)
    in the great congregation(W) I will praise the Lord.

Psalm 28

Psalm 28

Of David.

To you, Lord, I call;
    you are my Rock,
    do not turn a deaf ear(A) to me.
For if you remain silent,(B)
    I will be like those who go down to the pit.(C)
Hear my cry for mercy(D)
    as I call to you for help,
as I lift up my hands(E)
    toward your Most Holy Place.(F)

Do not drag me away with the wicked,
    with those who do evil,
who speak cordially with their neighbors
    but harbor malice in their hearts.(G)
Repay them for their deeds
    and for their evil work;
repay them for what their hands have done(H)
    and bring back on them what they deserve.(I)

Because they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord
    and what his hands have done,(J)
he will tear them down
    and never build them up again.

Praise be to the Lord,(K)
    for he has heard my cry for mercy.(L)
The Lord is my strength(M) and my shield;
    my heart trusts(N) in him, and he helps me.
My heart leaps for joy,(O)
    and with my song I praise him.(P)

The Lord is the strength(Q) of his people,
    a fortress of salvation(R) for his anointed one.(S)
Save your people(T) and bless your inheritance;(U)
    be their shepherd(V) and carry them(W) forever.

Psalm 36

Psalm 36[a]

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord.

I have a message from God in my heart
    concerning the sinfulness of the wicked:[b](A)
There is no fear(B) of God
    before their eyes.(C)

In their own eyes they flatter themselves
    too much to detect or hate their sin.(D)
The words of their mouths(E) are wicked and deceitful;(F)
    they fail to act wisely(G) or do good.(H)
Even on their beds they plot evil;(I)
    they commit themselves to a sinful course(J)
    and do not reject what is wrong.(K)

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens,
    your faithfulness(L) to the skies.(M)
Your righteousness(N) is like the highest mountains,(O)
    your justice like the great deep.(P)
    You, Lord, preserve both people and animals.(Q)
How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!(R)
    People take refuge in the shadow of your wings.(S)
They feast on the abundance of your house;(T)
    you give them drink from your river(U) of delights.(V)
For with you is the fountain of life;(W)
    in your light(X) we see light.

10 Continue your love(Y) to those who know you,(Z)
    your righteousness to the upright in heart.(AA)
11 May the foot of the proud not come against me,
    nor the hand of the wicked(AB) drive me away.
12 See how the evildoers lie fallen—
    thrown down, not able to rise!(AC)

Psalm 39

Psalm 39[a]

For the director of music. For Jeduthun. A psalm of David.

I said, “I will watch my ways(A)
    and keep my tongue from sin;(B)
I will put a muzzle on my mouth(C)
    while in the presence of the wicked.”
So I remained utterly silent,(D)
    not even saying anything good.
But my anguish(E) increased;
    my heart grew hot(F) within me.
While I meditated,(G) the fire(H) burned;
    then I spoke with my tongue:

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end
    and the number of my days;(I)
    let me know how fleeting(J) my life is.(K)
You have made my days(L) a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,(M)
    even those who seem secure.[b]

“Surely everyone goes around(N) like a mere phantom;(O)
    in vain they rush about,(P) heaping up wealth(Q)
    without knowing whose it will finally be.(R)

“But now, Lord, what do I look for?
    My hope is in you.(S)
Save me(T) from all my transgressions;(U)
    do not make me the scorn(V) of fools.
I was silent;(W) I would not open my mouth,(X)
    for you are the one who has done this.(Y)
10 Remove your scourge from me;
    I am overcome by the blow(Z) of your hand.(AA)
11 When you rebuke(AB) and discipline(AC) anyone for their sin,
    you consume(AD) their wealth like a moth(AE)
    surely everyone is but a breath.(AF)

12 “Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;(AG)
    do not be deaf(AH) to my weeping.(AI)
I dwell with you as a foreigner,(AJ)
    a stranger,(AK) as all my ancestors were.(AL)
13 Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again
    before I depart and am no more.”(AM)

Amos 7:10-17

Amos and Amaziah

10 Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel(A) sent a message to Jeroboam(B) king of Israel: “Amos is raising a conspiracy(C) against you in the very heart of Israel. The land cannot bear all his words.(D) 11 For this is what Amos is saying:

“‘Jeroboam will die by the sword,
    and Israel will surely go into exile,(E)
    away from their native land.’”(F)

12 Then Amaziah said to Amos, “Get out, you seer!(G) Go back to the land of Judah. Earn your bread there and do your prophesying there.(H) 13 Don’t prophesy anymore at Bethel,(I) because this is the king’s sanctuary and the temple(J) of the kingdom.(K)

14 Amos answered Amaziah, “I was neither a prophet(L) nor the son of a prophet, but I was a shepherd, and I also took care of sycamore-fig trees.(M) 15 But the Lord took me from tending the flock(N) and said to me, ‘Go,(O) prophesy(P) to my people Israel.’(Q) 16 Now then, hear(R) the word of the Lord. You say,

“‘Do not prophesy against(S) Israel,
    and stop preaching against the descendants of Isaac.’

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“‘Your wife will become a prostitute(T) in the city,
    and your sons and daughters will fall by the sword.
Your land will be measured and divided up,
    and you yourself will die in a pagan[a] country.
And Israel will surely go into exile,(U)
    away from their native land.(V)’”

Revelation 1:9-16

John’s Vision of Christ

I, John,(A) your brother and companion in the suffering(B) and kingdom(C) and patient endurance(D) that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God(E) and the testimony of Jesus.(F) 10 On the Lord’s Day(G) I was in the Spirit,(H) and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet,(I) 11 which said: “Write on a scroll what you see(J) and send it to the seven churches:(K) to Ephesus,(L) Smyrna,(M) Pergamum,(N) Thyatira,(O) Sardis,(P) Philadelphia(Q) and Laodicea.”(R)

12 I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands,(S) 13 and among the lampstands(T) was someone like a son of man,[a](U) dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet(V) and with a golden sash around his chest.(W) 14 The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.(X) 15 His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace,(Y) and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters.(Z) 16 In his right hand he held seven stars,(AA) and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword.(AB) His face was like the sun(AC) shining in all its brilliance.

Matthew 22:34-46

The Greatest Commandment(A)

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,(B) the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law,(C) tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a](D) 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b](E) 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”(F)

Whose Son Is the Messiah?(G)

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

“The son of David,”(H) they replied.

43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,

44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’[c](I)

45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.(J)

New International Version (NIV)

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