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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 Reader's Version (NIRV)
Version
Psalm 8

For the director of music. According to gittith. A psalm of David.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in the whole earth!

You have set your glory
    in the heavens.
You have made sure that children
    and infants praise you.
Their praise is a wall
    that stops the talk of your enemies.

I think about the heavens.
    I think about what your fingers have created.
I think about the moon and stars
    that you have set in place.
What are human beings that you think about them?
    What is a son of man that you take care of him?
You have made them a little lower than the angels.
    You placed on them a crown of glory and honor.

You made human beings rule over everything your hands created.
    You put everything under their control.
They rule over all flocks and herds
    and over the wild animals.
They rule over the birds in the sky
    and over the fish in the ocean.
    They rule over everything that swims in the oceans.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in the whole earth!

Psalm 47

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

47 Clap your hands, all you nations.
    Shout to God with cries of joy.
Do this because the Lord Most High is wonderful.
    He is the great King over the whole earth.
He brought nations under our control.
    He made them fall under us.
He chose our land for us.
    The people of Jacob are proud of their land,
    and God loves them.

God went up to his throne while his people were shouting with joy.
    The Lord went up while trumpets were playing.
Sing praises to God. Sing praises.
    Sing praises to our King. Sing praises.

God is the King of the whole earth.
    Sing a psalm of praise to him.
God rules over the nations.
    He is seated on his holy throne.
The nobles of the nations come together.
    They are now part of the people of the God of Abraham.
The kings of the earth belong to God.
    He is greatly honored.

Psalm 24

A psalm of David.

24 The earth belongs to the Lord. And so does everything in it.
    The world belongs to him. And so do all those who live in it.
He set it firmly on the oceans.
    He made it secure on the waters.

Who can go up to the temple on the mountain of the Lord?
    Who can stand in his holy place?
Anyone who has clean hands and a pure heart.
    Anyone who does not trust in the statue of a god.
    Anyone who doesn’t use the name of that god when he makes a promise.
People like that will receive the Lord’s blessing.
    When God their Savior hands down his sentence, it will be in their favor.
The people who look to God are like that.
    God of Jacob, they look to you.

Open wide, you gates.
    Open up, you ancient doors.
    Then the King of glory will come in.
Who is the King of glory?
    The Lord, who is strong and mighty.
    The Lord, who is mighty in battle.
Open wide, you gates.
    Open wide, you ancient doors.
    Then the King of glory will come in.
10 Who is he, this King of glory?
    The Lord who rules over all.
    He is the King of glory.

Psalm 96

96 Sing a new song to the Lord.
    All you people of the earth, sing to the Lord.
Sing to the Lord. Praise him.
    Day after day tell about how he saves us.
Tell the nations about his glory.
    Tell all people about the wonderful things he has done.

The Lord is great. He is really worthy of praise.
    People should have respect for him as the greatest God of all.
All the gods of the nations are like their statues.
    They can’t do anything.
    But the Lord made the heavens.
Glory and majesty are all around him.
    Strength and glory can be seen in his temple.

Praise the Lord, all you nations.
    Praise the Lord for his glory and strength.
Praise the Lord for the glory that belongs to him.
    Bring an offering and come into the courtyards of his temple.
Worship the Lord because of his beauty and holiness.
    All you people of the earth, tremble when you are with him.

10 Say to the nations, “The Lord rules.”
    The world is firmly set in place. It can’t be moved.
    The Lord will judge the people of the world fairly.
11 Let the heavens be full of joy. Let the earth be glad.
    Let the ocean and everything in it roar.
12     Let the fields and everything in them be glad.
Let all the trees in the forest sing for joy.
13     Let all creation be full of joy in front of the Lord,
    because he is coming to judge the earth.
He will faithfully judge the people of the world
    in keeping with what is right.

Daniel 7:9-14

“As I watched,

“thrones were set in place.
    The Eternal God took his seat.
His clothes were as white as snow.
    The hair on his head was white like wool.
His throne was blazing with fire.
    And flames were all around its wheels.
10 A river of fire was flowing.
    It was coming out from in front of God.
Thousands and thousands of angels served him.
    Millions of them stood in front of him.
The court was seated.
    And the books were opened.

11 “Then I continued to watch because of the way the horn was bragging. I kept looking until the fourth animal was killed. I watched until its body was destroyed. It was thrown into the blazing fire. 12 The authority of the other animals had been stripped away from them. But they were allowed to live for a period of time.

13 “In my vision I saw one who looked like a son of man. He was coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Eternal God. He was led right up to him. 14 And he was given authority, glory and a kingdom. People of all nations, no matter what language they spoke, worshiped him. His authority will last forever. It will not pass away. His kingdom will never be destroyed.

Hebrews 2:5-18

Jesus Was Made Fully Human

God has not put angels in charge of the world that is going to come. We are talking about that world. There is a place where someone has spoken about this. He said,

“What are human beings that you think about them?
    What is a son of man that you take care of him?
You made them a little lower than the angels.
    You placed on them a crown of glory and honor.
    You have put everything under their control.” (Psalm 8:4–6)

So God has put everything under his Son. Everything is under his control. We do not now see everything under his control. But we do see Jesus already given a crown of glory and honor. He was made lower than the angels for a little while. He suffered death. By the grace of God, he tasted death for everyone. That is why he was given his crown.

10 God has made everything. He is now bringing his many sons and daughters to share in his glory. It is only right that Jesus is the one to lead them into their salvation. That’s because God made him perfect by his sufferings. 11 And Jesus, who makes people holy, and the people he makes holy belong to the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them his brothers and sisters. 12 He says,

“I will announce your name to my brothers and sisters.
    I will sing your praises among those who worship you.” (Psalm 22:22)

13 Again he says,

“I will put my trust in him.” (Isaiah 8:17)

And again he says,

“Here I am. Here are the children God has given me.” (Isaiah 8:18)

14 Those children have bodies made out of flesh and blood. So Jesus became human like them in order to die for them. By doing this, he could break the power of the devil. The devil is the one who rules over the kingdom of death. 15 Jesus could set people free who were afraid of death. All their lives they were held as slaves by that fear. 16 It is certainly Abraham’s children that he helps. He doesn’t help angels. 17 So he had to be made like people, fully human in every way. Then he could serve God as a kind and faithful high priest. And then he could pay for the sins of the people by dying for them. 18 He himself suffered when he was tempted. Now he is able to help others who are being tempted.

Matthew 28:16-20

Jesus’ Final Orders to His Disciples

16 Then the 11 disciples went to Galilee. They went to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him. But some still had their doubts. 18 Then Jesus came to them. He said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 So you must go and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And you can be sure that I am always with you, to the very end.”

New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

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