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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 102

Psalm 102[a]

A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.

Hear my prayer,(A) Lord;
    let my cry for help(B) come to you.
Do not hide your face(C) from me
    when I am in distress.
Turn your ear(D) to me;
    when I call, answer me quickly.

For my days vanish like smoke;(E)
    my bones(F) burn like glowing embers.
My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(G)
    I forget to eat my food.(H)
In my distress I groan aloud(I)
    and am reduced to skin and bones.
I am like a desert owl,(J)
    like an owl among the ruins.
I lie awake;(K) I have become
    like a bird alone(L) on a roof.
All day long my enemies(M) taunt me;(N)
    those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(O)
For I eat ashes(P) as my food
    and mingle my drink with tears(Q)
10 because of your great wrath,(R)
    for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;(S)
    I wither(T) away like grass.

12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(U)
    your renown endures(V) through all generations.(W)
13 You will arise(X) and have compassion(Y) on Zion,
    for it is time(Z) to show favor(AA) to her;
    the appointed time(AB) has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
    her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear(AC) the name of the Lord,
    all the kings(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(AE)
    and appear in his glory.(AF)
17 He will respond to the prayer(AG) of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.

18 Let this be written(AH) for a future generation,
    that a people not yet created(AI) may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
    from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(AK)
    and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(AL) in Zion
    and his praise(AM) in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
    assemble to worship(AN) the Lord.

23 In the course of my life[b] he broke my strength;
    he cut short my days.(AO)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
    your years go on(AP) through all generations.
25 In the beginning(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens(AR) are the work of your hands.(AS)
26 They will perish,(AT) but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,(AU)
    and your years will never end.(AV)
28 The children of your servants(AW) will live in your presence;
    their descendants(AX) will be established before you.”

Psalm 142-143

Psalm 142[a]

A maskil[b] of David. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.

I cry aloud(B) to the Lord;
    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(C)
I pour out before him my complaint;(D)
    before him I tell my trouble.(E)

When my spirit grows faint(F) within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;(G)
    no one cares(H) for my life.

I cry to you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,(I)
    my portion(J) in the land of the living.”(K)

Listen to my cry,(L)
    for I am in desperate need;(M)
rescue me(N) from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong(O) for me.
Set me free from my prison,(P)
    that I may praise your name.(Q)
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.(R)

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Lord, hear my prayer,(S)
    listen to my cry for mercy;(T)
in your faithfulness(U) and righteousness(V)
    come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous(W) before you.
The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(X)
    like those long dead.(Y)
So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.(Z)
I remember(AA) the days of long ago;
    I meditate(AB) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands(AC) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.[c]

Answer me quickly,(AD) Lord;
    my spirit fails.(AE)
Do not hide your face(AF) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,(AG)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(AH) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.(AI)
Rescue me(AJ) from my enemies,(AK) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(AL) to do your will,
    for you are my God;(AM)
may your good Spirit
    lead(AN) me on level ground.(AO)

11 For your name’s sake,(AP) Lord, preserve my life;(AQ)
    in your righteousness,(AR) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(AS)
    destroy all my foes,(AT)
    for I am your servant.(AU)

Lamentations 2:10-18

10 The elders of Daughter Zion
    sit on the ground in silence;(A)
they have sprinkled dust(B) on their heads(C)
    and put on sackcloth.(D)
The young women of Jerusalem
    have bowed their heads to the ground.(E)

11 My eyes fail from weeping,(F)
    I am in torment within(G);
my heart(H) is poured out(I) on the ground
    because my people are destroyed,(J)
because children and infants faint(K)
    in the streets of the city.

12 They say to their mothers,
    “Where is bread and wine?”(L)
as they faint like the wounded
    in the streets of the city,
as their lives ebb away(M)
    in their mothers’ arms.(N)

13 What can I say for you?(O)
    With what can I compare you,
    Daughter(P) Jerusalem?
To what can I liken you,
    that I may comfort you,
    Virgin Daughter Zion?(Q)
Your wound is as deep as the sea.(R)
    Who can heal you?

14 The visions of your prophets
    were false(S) and worthless;
they did not expose your sin
    to ward off your captivity.(T)
The prophecies they gave you
    were false and misleading.(U)

15 All who pass your way
    clap their hands at you;(V)
they scoff(W) and shake their heads(X)
    at Daughter Jerusalem:(Y)
“Is this the city that was called
    the perfection of beauty,(Z)
    the joy of the whole earth?”(AA)

16 All your enemies open their mouths
    wide against you;(AB)
they scoff and gnash their teeth(AC)
    and say, “We have swallowed her up.(AD)
This is the day we have waited for;
    we have lived to see it.”(AE)

17 The Lord has done what he planned;
    he has fulfilled(AF) his word,
    which he decreed long ago.(AG)
He has overthrown you without pity,(AH)
    he has let the enemy gloat over you,(AI)
    he has exalted the horn[a] of your foes.(AJ)

18 The hearts of the people
    cry out to the Lord.(AK)
You walls of Daughter Zion,(AL)
    let your tears(AM) flow like a river
    day and night;(AN)
give yourself no relief,
    your eyes no rest.(AO)

1 Corinthians 10:14-17

Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

14 Therefore, my dear friends,(A) flee from idolatry.(B) 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break(C) a participation in the body of Christ?(D) 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,(E) for we all share the one loaf.

1 Corinthians 11:27-32

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.(A) 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves(B) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.(C) 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.(D) 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined(E) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.(F)

Mark 14:12-25

The Last Supper(A)(B)

12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb,(C) Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. 14 Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 He will show you a large room upstairs,(D) furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

16 The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

17 When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. 18 While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

19 They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely you don’t mean me?”

20 “It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me.(E) 21 The Son of Man(F) will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

22 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it(G) and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

23 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, and they all drank from it.(H)

24 “This is my blood of the[a] covenant,(I) which is poured out for many,” he said to them. 25 “Truly I tell you, I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”(J)

New International Version (NIV)

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