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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)
Version
Psalm 101

Psalm 101

Of David. A psalm.

I will sing of your love(A) and justice;
    to you, Lord, I will sing praise.
I will be careful to lead a blameless life(B)
    when will you come to me?

I will conduct the affairs(C) of my house
    with a blameless heart.
I will not look with approval
    on anything that is vile.(D)

I hate what faithless people do;(E)
    I will have no part in it.
The perverse of heart(F) shall be far from me;
    I will have nothing to do with what is evil.

Whoever slanders their neighbor(G) in secret,
    I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes(H) and a proud heart,
    I will not tolerate.

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
    that they may dwell with me;
the one whose walk is blameless(I)
    will minister to me.

No one who practices deceit
    will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
    will stand in my presence.

Every morning(J) I will put to silence
    all the wicked(K) in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer(L)
    from the city of the Lord.(M)

Psalm 109:1-30

Psalm 109

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

My God, whom I praise,(A)
    do not remain silent,(B)
for people who are wicked and deceitful(C)
    have opened their mouths against me;
    they have spoken against me with lying tongues.(D)
With words of hatred(E) they surround me;
    they attack me without cause.(F)
In return for my friendship they accuse me,
    but I am a man of prayer.(G)
They repay me evil for good,(H)
    and hatred for my friendship.

Appoint someone evil to oppose my enemy;
    let an accuser(I) stand at his right hand.
When he is tried, let him be found guilty,(J)
    and may his prayers condemn(K) him.
May his days be few;(L)
    may another take his place(M) of leadership.
May his children be fatherless
    and his wife a widow.(N)
10 May his children be wandering beggars;(O)
    may they be driven[a] from their ruined homes.
11 May a creditor(P) seize all he has;
    may strangers plunder(Q) the fruits of his labor.(R)
12 May no one extend kindness to him
    or take pity(S) on his fatherless children.
13 May his descendants be cut off,(T)
    their names blotted out(U) from the next generation.
14 May the iniquity of his fathers(V) be remembered before the Lord;
    may the sin of his mother never be blotted out.
15 May their sins always remain before(W) the Lord,
    that he may blot out their name(X) from the earth.

16 For he never thought of doing a kindness,
    but hounded to death the poor
    and the needy(Y) and the brokenhearted.(Z)
17 He loved to pronounce a curse—
    may it come back on him.(AA)
He found no pleasure in blessing—
    may it be far from him.
18 He wore cursing(AB) as his garment;
    it entered into his body like water,(AC)
    into his bones like oil.
19 May it be like a cloak wrapped(AD) about him,
    like a belt tied forever around him.
20 May this be the Lord’s payment(AE) to my accusers,
    to those who speak evil(AF) of me.

21 But you, Sovereign Lord,
    help me for your name’s sake;(AG)
    out of the goodness of your love,(AH) deliver me.(AI)
22 For I am poor and needy,
    and my heart is wounded within me.
23 I fade away like an evening shadow;(AJ)
    I am shaken off like a locust.
24 My knees give(AK) way from fasting;(AL)
    my body is thin and gaunt.(AM)
25 I am an object of scorn(AN) to my accusers;
    when they see me, they shake their heads.(AO)

26 Help me,(AP) Lord my God;
    save me according to your unfailing love.
27 Let them know(AQ) that it is your hand,
    that you, Lord, have done it.
28 While they curse,(AR) may you bless;
    may those who attack me be put to shame,
    but may your servant rejoice.(AS)
29 May my accusers be clothed with disgrace
    and wrapped in shame(AT) as in a cloak.

30 With my mouth I will greatly extol the Lord;
    in the great throng(AU) of worshipers I will praise him.

Psalm 119:121-144

ע Ayin

121 I have done what is righteous and just;(A)
    do not leave me to my oppressors.
122 Ensure your servant’s well-being;(B)
    do not let the arrogant oppress me.(C)
123 My eyes fail,(D) looking for your salvation,(E)
    looking for your righteous promise.(F)
124 Deal with your servant according to your love(G)
    and teach me your decrees.(H)
125 I am your servant;(I) give me discernment
    that I may understand your statutes.(J)
126 It is time for you to act, Lord;
    your law is being broken.(K)
127 Because I love your commands(L)
    more than gold,(M) more than pure gold,(N)
128 and because I consider all your precepts right,(O)
    I hate every wrong path.(P)

פ Pe

129 Your statutes are wonderful;(Q)
    therefore I obey them.(R)
130 The unfolding of your words gives light;(S)
    it gives understanding to the simple.(T)
131 I open my mouth and pant,(U)
    longing for your commands.(V)
132 Turn to me(W) and have mercy(X) on me,
    as you always do to those who love your name.(Y)
133 Direct my footsteps according to your word;(Z)
    let no sin rule(AA) over me.
134 Redeem me from human oppression,(AB)
    that I may obey your precepts.(AC)
135 Make your face shine(AD) on your servant
    and teach me your decrees.(AE)
136 Streams of tears(AF) flow from my eyes,
    for your law is not obeyed.(AG)

צ Tsadhe

137 You are righteous,(AH) Lord,
    and your laws are right.(AI)
138 The statutes you have laid down are righteous;(AJ)
    they are fully trustworthy.(AK)
139 My zeal wears me out,(AL)
    for my enemies ignore your words.
140 Your promises(AM) have been thoroughly tested,(AN)
    and your servant loves them.(AO)
141 Though I am lowly and despised,(AP)
    I do not forget your precepts.(AQ)
142 Your righteousness is everlasting
    and your law is true.(AR)
143 Trouble and distress have come upon me,
    but your commands give me delight.(AS)
144 Your statutes are always righteous;
    give me understanding(AT) that I may live.

Genesis 31:25-50

25 Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country of Gilead(A) when Laban overtook him, and Laban and his relatives camped there too. 26 Then Laban said to Jacob, “What have you done?(B) You’ve deceived me,(C) and you’ve carried off my daughters like captives in war.(D) 27 Why did you run off secretly and deceive me? Why didn’t you tell me,(E) so I could send you away with joy and singing to the music of timbrels(F) and harps?(G) 28 You didn’t even let me kiss my grandchildren and my daughters goodbye.(H) You have done a foolish thing. 29 I have the power to harm you;(I) but last night the God of your father(J) said to me, ‘Be careful not to say anything to Jacob, either good or bad.’(K) 30 Now you have gone off because you longed to return to your father’s household.(L) But why did you steal(M) my gods?(N)

31 Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid, because I thought you would take your daughters away from me by force.(O) 32 But if you find anyone who has your gods, that person shall not live.(P) In the presence of our relatives, see for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.(Q)

33 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent and into Leah’s tent(R) and into the tent of the two female servants,(S) but he found nothing.(T) After he came out of Leah’s tent, he entered Rachel’s tent. 34 Now Rachel had taken the household gods(U) and put them inside her camel’s saddle(V) and was sitting on them. Laban searched(W) through everything in the tent but found nothing.

35 Rachel said to her father, “Don’t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand up in your presence;(X) I’m having my period.(Y)” So he searched but could not find the household gods.(Z)

36 Jacob was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?” he asked Laban. “How have I wronged(AA) you that you hunt me down?(AB) 37 Now that you have searched through all my goods, what have you found that belongs to your household?(AC) Put it here in front of your relatives(AD) and mine, and let them judge between the two of us.(AE)

38 “I have been with you for twenty years now.(AF) Your sheep and goats have not miscarried,(AG) nor have I eaten rams from your flocks. 39 I did not bring you animals torn by wild beasts; I bore the loss myself. And you demanded payment from me for whatever was stolen(AH) by day or night.(AI) 40 This was my situation: The heat consumed me in the daytime and the cold at night, and sleep fled from my eyes.(AJ) 41 It was like this for the twenty years(AK) I was in your household. I worked for you fourteen years for your two daughters(AL) and six years for your flocks,(AM) and you changed my wages(AN) ten times.(AO) 42 If the God of my father,(AP) the God of Abraham(AQ) and the Fear of Isaac,(AR) had not been with me,(AS) you would surely have sent me away empty-handed. But God has seen my hardship and the toil of my hands,(AT) and last night he rebuked you.(AU)

43 Laban answered Jacob, “The women are my daughters, the children are my children, and the flocks are my flocks.(AV) All you see is mine. Yet what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about the children they have borne? 44 Come now, let’s make a covenant,(AW) you and I, and let it serve as a witness between us.”(AX)

45 So Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.(AY) 46 He said to his relatives, “Gather some stones.” So they took stones and piled them in a heap,(AZ) and they ate there by the heap. 47 Laban called it Jegar Sahadutha, and Jacob called it Galeed.[a](BA)

48 Laban said, “This heap(BB) is a witness between you and me today.”(BC) That is why it was called Galeed. 49 It was also called Mizpah,[b](BD) because he said, “May the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. 50 If you mistreat(BE) my daughters or if you take any wives besides my daughters, even though no one is with us, remember that God is a witness(BF) between you and me.”(BG)

1 John 2:12-17

Reasons for Writing

12 I am writing to you, dear children,(A)
    because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.(B)
13 I am writing to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.(C)
I am writing to you, young men,
    because you have overcome(D) the evil one.(E)

14 I write to you, dear children,(F)
    because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
    because you know him who is from the beginning.(G)
I write to you, young men,
    because you are strong,(H)
    and the word of God(I) lives in you,(J)
    and you have overcome the evil one.(K)

On Not Loving the World

15 Do not love the world or anything in the world.(L) If anyone loves the world, love for the Father[a] is not in them.(M) 16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh,(N) the lust of the eyes,(O) and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17 The world and its desires pass away,(P) but whoever does the will of God(Q) lives forever.

John 10:1-18

The Good Shepherd and His Sheep

10 “Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.(A) The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.(B) The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.(C) He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.(D) When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.(E) But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” Jesus used this figure of speech,(F) but the Pharisees did not understand what he was telling them.(G)

Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am(H) the gate(I) for the sheep. All who have come before me(J) are thieves and robbers,(K) but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life,(L) and have it to the full.(M)

11 “I am(N) the good shepherd.(O) The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.(P) 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away.(Q) Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

14 “I am the good shepherd;(R) I know my sheep(S) and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father(T)—and I lay down my life for the sheep.(U) 16 I have other sheep(V) that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock(W) and one shepherd.(X) 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life(Y)—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.(Z) I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”(AA)

New International Version (NIV)

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