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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 45

Psalm 45[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “Lilies.” Of the Sons of Korah. A maskil.[b] A wedding song.(A)

My heart is stirred by a noble theme
    as I recite my verses for the king;
    my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.

You are the most excellent of men
    and your lips have been anointed with grace,(B)
    since God has blessed you forever.(C)

Gird your sword(D) on your side, you mighty one;(E)
    clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.(F)
In your majesty ride forth victoriously(G)
    in the cause of truth, humility and justice;(H)
    let your right hand(I) achieve awesome deeds.(J)
Let your sharp arrows(K) pierce the hearts(L) of the king’s enemies;(M)
    let the nations fall beneath your feet.
Your throne, O God,[c] will last for ever and ever;(N)
    a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
You love righteousness(O) and hate wickedness;(P)
    therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions
    by anointing(Q) you with the oil of joy.(R)
All your robes are fragrant(S) with myrrh(T) and aloes(U) and cassia;(V)
    from palaces adorned with ivory(W)
    the music of the strings(X) makes you glad.
Daughters of kings(Y) are among your honored women;
    at your right hand(Z) is the royal bride(AA) in gold of Ophir.(AB)

10 Listen, daughter,(AC) and pay careful attention:(AD)
    Forget your people(AE) and your father’s house.
11 Let the king be enthralled by your beauty;(AF)
    honor(AG) him, for he is your lord.(AH)
12 The city of Tyre(AI) will come with a gift,[d](AJ)
    people of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious(AK) is the princess within her chamber;
    her gown is interwoven with gold.(AL)
14 In embroidered garments(AM) she is led to the king;(AN)
    her virgin companions(AO) follow her—
    those brought to be with her.
15 Led in with joy and gladness,(AP)
    they enter the palace of the king.

16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers;
    you will make them princes(AQ) throughout the land.

17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations;(AR)
    therefore the nations will praise you(AS) for ever and ever.(AT)

Psalm 47-48

Psalm 47[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

Clap your hands,(A) all you nations;
    shout to God with cries of joy.(B)

For the Lord Most High(C) is awesome,(D)
    the great King(E) over all the earth.
He subdued(F) nations under us,
    peoples under our feet.
He chose our inheritance(G) for us,
    the pride of Jacob,(H) whom he loved.[b]

God has ascended(I) amid shouts of joy,(J)
    the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.(K)
Sing praises(L) to God, sing praises;
    sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth;(M)
    sing to him a psalm(N) of praise.

God reigns(O) over the nations;
    God is seated on his holy throne.(P)
The nobles of the nations assemble
    as the people of the God of Abraham,
for the kings[c] of the earth belong to God;(Q)
    he is greatly exalted.(R)

Psalm 48[d]

A song. A psalm of the Sons of Korah.

Great is the Lord,(S) and most worthy of praise,(T)
    in the city of our God,(U) his holy mountain.(V)

Beautiful(W) in its loftiness,
    the joy of the whole earth,
like the heights of Zaphon[e](X) is Mount Zion,(Y)
    the city of the Great King.(Z)
God is in her citadels;(AA)
    he has shown himself to be her fortress.(AB)

When the kings joined forces,
    when they advanced together,(AC)
they saw her and were astounded;
    they fled in terror.(AD)
Trembling seized(AE) them there,
    pain like that of a woman in labor.(AF)
You destroyed them like ships of Tarshish(AG)
    shattered by an east wind.(AH)

As we have heard,
    so we have seen
in the city of the Lord Almighty,
    in the city of our God:
God makes her secure
    forever.[f](AI)

Within your temple, O God,
    we meditate(AJ) on your unfailing love.(AK)
10 Like your name,(AL) O God,
    your praise reaches to the ends of the earth;(AM)
    your right hand is filled with righteousness.
11 Mount Zion rejoices,
    the villages of Judah are glad
    because of your judgments.(AN)

12 Walk about Zion, go around her,
    count her towers,(AO)
13 consider well her ramparts,(AP)
    view her citadels,(AQ)
that you may tell of them
    to the next generation.(AR)

14 For this God is our God for ever and ever;
    he will be our guide(AS) even to the end.

Zechariah 2

A Man With a Measuring Line

[a]Then I looked up, and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand. I asked, “Where are you going?”

He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”(A)

While the angel who was speaking to me was leaving, another angel came to meet him and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls(B) because of the great number(C) of people and animals in it.(D) And I myself will be a wall(E) of fire(F) around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory(G) within.’(H)

“Come! Come! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the Lord, “for I have scattered(I) you to the four winds of heaven,”(J) declares the Lord.(K)

“Come, Zion! Escape,(L) you who live in Daughter Babylon!”(M) For this is what the Lord Almighty says: “After the Glorious One has sent me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye(N) I will surely raise my hand against them so that their slaves will plunder them.[b](O) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me.(P)

10 “Shout(Q) and be glad, Daughter Zion.(R) For I am coming,(S) and I will live among you,”(T) declares the Lord.(U) 11 “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people.(V) I will live among you and you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you.(W) 12 The Lord will inherit(X) Judah(Y) as his portion in the holy land and will again choose(Z) Jerusalem. 13 Be still(AA) before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.(AB)

Revelation 3:14-22

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea(A) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,(B) the ruler of God’s creation.(C) 15 I know your deeds,(D) that you are neither cold nor hot.(E) I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’(F) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.(G) 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,(H) so you can become rich; and white clothes(I) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;(J) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.(K) So be earnest and repent.(L) 20 Here I am! I stand at the door(M) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,(N) I will come in(O) and eat with that person, and they with me.

21 To the one who is victorious,(P) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,(Q) just as I was victorious(R) and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear(S) what the Spirit says to the churches.”

Matthew 24:32-44

32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it[a] is near, right at the door.(A) 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.(B) 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.(C)

The Day and Hour Unknown(D)(E)

36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son,[b] but only the Father.(F) 37 As it was in the days of Noah,(G) so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage,(H) up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.(I) 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left.(J) 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.(K)

42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.(L) 43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming,(M) he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 So you also must be ready,(N) because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

New International Version (NIV)

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