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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
Version
Psalm 103

103 For David himself. Bless the Lord, O my soul: O Lord my God, thou art exceedingly great. Thou hast put on praise and beauty:

And art clothed with light as with a garment. Who stretchest out the heaven like a pavilion:

Who coverest the higher rooms thereof with water. Who makest the clouds thy chariot: who walkest upon the wings of the winds.

Who makest thy angels spirits: and thy ministers a burning fire.

Who hast founded the earth upon its own bases: it shall not be moved for ever and ever.

The deep like a garment is its clothing: above the mountains shall the waters stand.

At thy rebuke they shall flee: at the voice of thy thunder they shall fear.

The mountains ascend, and the plains descend into the place which thou hast founded for them.

Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass over; neither shall they return to cover the earth.

10 Thou sendest forth springs in the vales: between the midst of the hills the waters shall pass.

11 All the beasts of the field shall drink: the wild asses shall expect in their thirst.

12 Over them the birds of the air shall dwell: from the midst of the rocks they shall give forth their voices.

13 Thou waterest the hills from thy upper rooms: the earth shall be filled with the fruit of thy works:

14 Bringing forth grass for cattle, and herb for the service of men. That thou mayst bring bread out of the earth:

15 And that wine may cheer the heart of man. That he may make the face cheerful with oil: and that bread may strengthen man's heart.

16 The trees of the field shall be filled, and the cedars of Libanus which he hath planted:

17 There the sparrows shall make their nests. The highest of them is the house of the heron.

18 The high hills are a refuge for the harts, the rock for the irchins.

19 He hath made the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.

20 Thou hast appointed darkness, and it is night: in it shall all the beasts of the woods go about:

21 The young lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their meat from God.

22 The sun ariseth, and they are gathered together: and they shall lie down in their dens.

23 Man shall go forth to his work, and to his labour until the evening.

24 How great are thy works, O Lord? thou hast made all things in wisdom: the earth is filled with thy riches.

25 So is this great sea, which stretcheth wide its arms: there are creeping things without number: Creatures little and great.

26 There the ships shall go. This sea dragon which thou hast formed to play therein.

27 All expect of thee that thou give them food in season.

28 What thou givest to them they shall gather up: when thou openest thy hand, they shall all be filled with good.

29 But if thou turnest away thy face, they shall be troubled: thou shalt take away their breath, and they shall fail, and shall return to their dust.

30 Thou shalt send forth thy spirit, and they shall be created: and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the Lord endure for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works.

32 He looketh upon the earth, and maketh it tremble: he toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.

33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 Let my speech be acceptable to him: but I will take delight in the Lord.

35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth, and the unjust, so that they be no more: O my soul, bless thou the Lord.

Sirach 48:1-11

48 And Elias the prophet stood up, as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch.

He brought a famine upon them, and they that provoked him in their envy, were reduced to a small number, for they could not endure the commandments of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord he shut up the heaven, and he brought down fire from heaven thrice.

Thus was Elias magnified in his wondrous works. And who can glory like to thee?

Who raisedst up a dead man from below, from the lot of death, by the word of the Lord God.

Who broughtest down kings to destruction, and brokest easily their power in pieces, and the glorious from their bed.

Who heardest judgment in Sina, and in Horeb the judgments of vengeance.

Who anointedst kings to penance, and madest prophets successors after thee.

Who wast taken up in a whirlwind of fire, in a chariot of fiery horses.

10 Who art registered in the judgments of times to appease the wrath of the Lord, to reconcile the heart of the father to the son, and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

11 Blessed are they that saw thee, and were honoured with thy friendship.

Luke 1:5-23

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zachary, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name Elizabeth.

And they were both just before God, walking in all the commandments and justifications of the Lord without blame.

And they had no son, for that Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years.

And it came to pass, when he executed the priestly function in the order of his course before God,

According to the custom of the priestly office, it was his lot to offer incense, going into the temple of the Lord.

10 And all the multitude of the people was praying without, at the hour of incense.

11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the alter of incense.

12 And Zachary seeing him, was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

13 But the angel said to him: Fear not, Zachary, for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John:

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice in his nativity.

15 For he shall be great before the Lord; and shall drink no wine nor strong drink: and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

16 And he shall convert many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias; that he may turn the hearts of the fathers unto the children, and the incredulous to the wisdom of the just, to prepare unto the Lord a perfect people.

18 And Zachary said to the angel: Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.

19 And the angel answering, said to him: I am Gabriel, who stand before God: and am sent to speak to thee, and to bring thee these good tidings.

20 And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and shalt not be able to speak until the day wherein these things shall come to pass, because thou hast not believed my words, which shall be fulfilled in their time.

21 And the people were waiting for Zachary; and they wondered that he tarried so long in the temple.

22 And when he came out, he could not speak to them: and they understood that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he made signs to them, and remained dumb.

23 And it came to pass, after the days of his office were accomplished, he departed to his own house.