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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
Expanded Bible (EXB)
Version
Psalm 105

God’s Love for Israel

105 Give thanks to the Lord and ·pray to him [L call on his name].
    ·Tell [L Make known among] the nations what he has done.
Sing to him; ·sing praises [make a psalm] to him.
    Tell about all his ·miracles [wonderful acts].
·Be glad that you are his [L Exult/Glory in his holy name];
    let ·those [L the heart of those] who seek the Lord ·be happy [rejoice].
·Depend on [Seek] the Lord and his strength;
    always ·go to him for help [L seek his face].
Remember the ·miracles [wonderful acts] he has done;
    remember his ·wonders [signs] and ·his decisions [L the judgments of his mouth].
You are ·descendants [L seed] of his servant Abraham [Gen. 12:1–3],
    the children of Jacob, his chosen people.
He is the Lord our God.
    His ·laws [justice; judgments] are for all the world.

He will ·keep [L remember] his ·agreement [covenant; treaty] forever;
    ·he will keep his promises always [L the word which he commanded, for a thousand generations].
He will keep the ·agreement [covenant; treaty] he ·made [L cut] with Abraham [Gen. 12:1–3; 17:23]
    and the ·promise [oath] he made to Isaac [Gen. 26:3–5].
10 He made it a ·law [statute; ordinance; requirement] for the people of Jacob;
    he made it an ·agreement [covenant; agreement] with Israel to last forever.
11 The Lord said, “I will give you the land of Canaan [Gen. 15:18],
    ·and it will belong to you [L as a portion of your inheritance].”

12 Then ·God’s people [L they] were few in number.
    They were ·strangers [sojourners; wanderers; resident aliens] in the land.
13 They went from one nation to another,
    from one kingdom to another.
14 But the Lord did not let anyone ·hurt [exploit; oppress] them;
    he warned kings ·not to harm them [L concerning them].
15 He said, “Don’t touch my ·chosen [anointed] people,
    and don’t harm my prophets.”

16 ·God [He] ·ordered [proclaimed] a ·time of hunger [famine] in the land,
    and he ·destroyed all the food [L broke every staff of bread; Gen. 41:54].
17 Then he sent a man ahead of them—
    Joseph, who was sold as a slave [Gen. 37; 45:5; 50:20].
18 They ·put chains around his feet [L afflicted his feet with chain]
    and an iron ·ring [collar] around his neck.
19 ·Then the time he had spoken of came,
    and the Lord’s words proved that Joseph was right [or Until the time he had spoken of came, the words of the Lord kept testing him].
20 The king [C of Egypt] sent for Joseph and ·freed [released] him;
    the ruler of the people set him free [Gen. 41:14, 40].
21 He made him the ·master [lord] of his house;
    Joseph was in charge of his riches [Acts 7:10].
22 He could ·order [bind] the princes as he wished.
    He taught the older men to be wise.
23 Then Israel [C another name for Jacob, Joseph’s father] came to Egypt;
    Jacob lived in the land of Ham [C Egypt; Gen. 46:1–7].
24 The Lord made his people ·grow in number [fruitful; Ex. 1:7],
    and he ·made them stronger than [strengthened them against] their ·enemies [foes].
25 He ·caused the Egyptians [L turned their hearts] to hate his people
    and to ·make plans [L act deceptively] against his servants [Ex. 1:8].
26 Then he sent his servant Moses,
    and Aaron, whom he had chosen [Ex. 3:1—4:17].
27 They did many signs among the Egyptians
    and worked ·wonders [miracles; C the plagues; Ex. 7–12] in the land of Ham [C Egypt; Gen. 46:1–7].
28 The Lord sent darkness and made the land dark,
    but the Egyptians ·turned against what he said [rebelled against his word; Ex. 10:21–29].
29 He changed their water into blood
    and made their fish die [Ex. 7:14–25].
30 Then their country ·was filled [swarmed] with frogs,
    even in the bedrooms of their ·rulers [L kings; Ex. 8:1–17].
31 The Lord spoke and flies came [Ex. 8:20–32],
    and gnats were everywhere in the country [Ex. 8:16–19].
32 He made hail fall like rain
    and sent lightning through their land.
33 He struck down their grapevines and fig trees,
    and he ·destroyed [shattered] every tree in the country [Ex. 9:13–35].
34 He spoke and ·grasshoppers [locusts] came;
    the ·locusts [young locusts] ·were too many to count [L without number].
35 They ate all the ·plants [vegetation] in the land
    and ·everything the earth produced [L the fruit of the ground; Ex. 10:1–20].
36 ·The Lord [L He] also ·killed [L struck] all the firstborn sons in the land,
    the oldest son of each family [L the first of their virility; Ex. 11:1—12:30].

37 Then he brought them out with silver and gold [Ex. 12:35–36].
    ·Not one of his people stumbled [L There was no stumbling among the tribe].
38 The Egyptians ·were glad [rejoiced] when they left,
    because ·the Egyptians were afraid of them [L dread of them fell on them; C because of the plagues].
39 ·The Lord covered them with a cloud [L He spread out a cloud as a covering]
    and ·lit up the night with fire [L a fire to illuminate the night; Ex. 13:21–22].
40 When they asked, he brought them quail
    and filled them with bread from heaven [Ex. 16].
41 God ·split [L opened] the rock, and water flowed out;
    it ran like a river through the ·desert [wasteland; Ex. 17:1–7].
42 He remembered his holy ·promise [word]
    to his servant Abraham [Gen. 12:1–3].

43 So God brought his people out with joy,
    his chosen ones with singing.
44 He gave them lands of other nations,
    so they received ·what others had worked for [L the labors of peoples].
45 This was so they would ·keep [observe; guard] his ·orders [statutes; ordinances; requirements]
    and ·obey [protect] his ·teachings [instructions; laws].

Praise the Lord!

Hosea 5:8-6:6

“Blow the ·horn [trumpet; ram’s horn] in Gibeah
    and the trumpet in Ramah [C used to sound a warning or call to battle].
·Give the warning [Sound the alarm; Raise the battle cry] at Beth Aven [4:15],
    ·and be first into battle [or lead on; or we are with you], ·people of Benjamin [L Benjamin].
·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17] will be ·ruined [laid waste; desolate]
    on the day of ·punishment [rebuke; reckoning].
To the tribes of Israel
    I ·tell the truth [L make known what is certain].
10 The ·leaders [princes] of Judah are like those
    who ·steal other people’s land [L move boundary markers; C a serious crime in the ancient world; Deut. 19:14; 27:17; Prov. 15:25].
I will pour my ·punishment over [wrath on] them
    like ·a flood of water [L water].
11 ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17] is ·beaten down [oppressed] and crushed by the ·punishment [judgment],
    because it ·decided [was determined] to follow ·idols [or worthless things; or human precepts].
12 I am like a moth to ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17],
    like ·a rot [wood rot; decay] to the ·people [L house] of Judah.

13 “When ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17] saw its illness
    and Judah saw its ·wounds [or sores],
·Israel [L Ephraim] went to Assyria for help
    and sent to the great ·king of Assyria [L king].
But he cannot heal you
    or cure your wounds.
14 I will be like a lion to ·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17],
    like a young lion to ·Judah [L the house of Judah].
·I will attack them
    and tear them to pieces [L I, even I, will tear them and go away].
I will drag them off,
    and no one will be able to ·save [rescue] them.
15 Then I will go back to my ·place [lair; dwelling place]
    until they ·suffer for [or admit] their guilt and ·turn back to me [L seek my face].
In their ·trouble [distress; affliction] they will look for me.”

The People Are Not Faithful

“Come, let’s ·go back [return] to the Lord.
He has ·hurt us [torn us to pieces], but he will heal us.
    He has wounded us, but he will ·bandage [bind up] our wounds.
·In [After] two days he will ·put new life in [revive; restore] us;
    on the third day he will raise us up [C in a short time]
so that we may live in his presence     and know him.
Let’s ·try [press on] to ·learn about [know] the Lord;
    he will come to us as surely as the dawn comes.
He will come to us ·like rain [or as sure as the winter rains come],
    like the ·spring [latter] rain that waters the ·ground [earth].”

The Lord says, “·Israel [L Ephraim; 4:17], what should I do with you?
    Judah, what should I do with you?
Your faithfulness is like a morning mist,
    like the dew that goes away early in the day.
I have ·warned you [L cut you into pieces; hewn you] by my prophets
    that I will kill you with ·my words [L the words of my mouth].
    My ·justice [judgment] comes out like ·bright light [or the morning dawn].
I ·want [desire; delight in] ·faithful love [mercy; lovingkindness]
    ·more than I want animal sacrifices [L and not sacrifice].
I want ·people to know me [the knowledge of God]
    more than I want burnt offerings [Lev. 1:1–17].

Acts 21:27-36

27 When the seven days were almost over [C the period of time for purification; Num. 19:12], some of ·his people [L the Jews] from [C the province of] Asia saw Paul at the Temple. They ·caused all the people to be upset [stirred up/incited the whole crowd] and grabbed Paul. 28 They shouted, “·People of Israel [L Men, Israelites], help us! This is the man who goes everywhere teaching against our people [C Israel], against ·the law of Moses [L the Law], and against this ·Temple [L place]. Now he has brought some Greeks into the Temple and has ·made this holy place unclean [defiled this holy place]!” 29 (They said this because they had seen Trophimus [20:4; 2 Tim. 4:20], ·a man from Ephesus [L the Ephesian], with Paul in ·Jerusalem [L the city]. They ·thought [supposed; assumed] that Paul had brought him into the Temple [C God-fearing Gentiles were only allowed in the outer courtyard, known as the “court of the Gentiles”].)

30 ·All the people in Jerusalem [L The whole city] became ·upset [aroused]. Together they ·ran [or rushed together; came running], took Paul, and dragged him out of the Temple. The Temple doors were closed immediately. 31 While they were trying to kill ·Paul [L him], the ·commander of the Roman army in Jerusalem [L tribune/commander of the regiment; C a tribune (Greek: chiliarch) oversaw about a thousand soldiers] ·learned [received the report] that ·there was trouble in the whole city [L all Jerusalem was in confusion/an uproar]. 32 Immediately he took some ·officers and soldiers [L soldiers and centurions; C centurions oversaw about a hundred soldiers] and ran to the place where the crowd was gathered. When the people saw ·them [L the tribune and the soldiers], they stopped beating Paul. 33 The ·commander [tribune] went to Paul and arrested him. He told his soldiers to ·bind [shackle] Paul with two chains. Then he ·asked [inquired about] who he was and what he had done wrong. 34 Some in the crowd were yelling one thing, and some were yelling another. Because of all this ·confusion and shouting [uproar; noise; tumult], the commander could not learn ·what had happened [the truth/facts]. So he ordered the soldiers to take Paul to the ·army building [barracks; C probably the Roman garrison known as the Antonia fortress, overlooking the temple from the north]. 35 When ·Paul [L he] came to the steps [C leading up to the Antonia fortress], the soldiers had to carry him because ·the people were ready to hurt him [L of the violence of the mob/crowd]. 36 [L For] The whole mob was following them, shouting, “·Kill [or Away with] him!”

Luke 6:1-11

Jesus Is Lord over the Sabbath(A)

One Sabbath day Jesus was walking through some fields of grain. His ·followers [disciples] picked the heads of grain, rubbed them in their hands, and ate them [Deut. 23:25]. Some Pharisees said, “Why do you do what is ·not lawful [forbidden] on the Sabbath day?” [C Gleaning was viewed as work, and therefore forbidden on the Sabbath; Ex. 34:21.]

Jesus answered, “Have you not read what David did when he and ·those with him [his companions] were hungry [1 Sam. 21:1–6]? He went into God’s house and took and ate the ·holy bread [consecrated bread; L bread of presentation], which is ·lawful [allowed] only for priests to eat [Ex. 25:30; Lev. 24:5–9]. And he gave some to ·the people who were with him [his companions].” Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, “The Son of Man [C a title for the Messiah; Dan. 7:13–14] is ·Lord [Master] of the Sabbath day.”

Jesus Heals a Man’s Hand(B)

On another Sabbath day Jesus went into the synagogue and was teaching, and a man with a ·crippled [paralyzed; shriveled; T withered] right hand was there. The ·teachers of the law [scribes] and the Pharisees were watching closely to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath day so they could ·accuse [make a charge against] him. But he knew what they were thinking, and he said to the man with the ·crippled [paralyzed; shriveled; T withered] hand, “Stand up here in ·the middle [front] of everyone.” The man got up and stood there. Then Jesus said to them, “I ask you, which is lawful on the Sabbath day: to do good or to do ·evil [harm], to save a life or to destroy it?” 10 Jesus looked around at all of them and said to the man, “·Hold [Stretch] out your hand.” The man ·held [stretched] out his hand, and it was ·healed [restored].

11 But the Pharisees and the ·teachers of the law [scribes] were very angry and discussed with each other what they could do to Jesus.

Expanded Bible (EXB)

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