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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
World English Bible (WEB)
Version
Psalm 37

By David.

37 Don’t fret because of evildoers,
    neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
    and wither like the green herb.
Trust in Yahweh, and do good.
    Dwell in the land, and enjoy safe pasture.
Also delight yourself in Yahweh,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to Yahweh.
    Trust also in him, and he will do this:
he will make your righteousness shine out like light,
    and your justice as the noon day sun.
Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him.
    Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way,
    because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath.
    Don’t fret; it leads only to evildoing.
For evildoers shall be cut off,
    but those who wait for Yahweh shall inherit the land.
10 For yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more.
    Yes, though you look for his place, he isn’t there.
11 But the humble shall inherit the land,
    and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.
12 The wicked plots against the just,
    and gnashes at him with his teeth.
13 The Lord will laugh at him,
    for he sees that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent their bow,
    to cast down the poor and needy,
    to kill those who are upright on the path.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart.
    Their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous has,
    than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
    but Yahweh upholds the righteous.
18 Yahweh knows the days of the perfect.
    Their inheritance shall be forever.
19 They shall not be disappointed in the time of evil.
    In the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

20 But the wicked shall perish.
    The enemies of Yahweh shall be like the beauty of the fields.
    They will vanish—
    vanish like smoke.
21 The wicked borrow, and don’t pay back,
    but the righteous give generously.
22 For such as are blessed by him shall inherit the land.
    Those who are cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 A man’s steps are established by Yahweh.
    He delights in his way.
24 Though he stumble, he shall not fall,
    for Yahweh holds him up with his hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old,
    yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken,
    nor his children begging for bread.
26 All day long he deals graciously, and lends.
    His offspring is blessed.
27 Depart from evil, and do good.
    Live securely forever.
28 For Yahweh loves justice,
    and doesn’t forsake his saints.
    They are preserved forever,
    but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land,
    and live in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous talks of wisdom.
    His tongue speaks justice.
31 The law of his God is in his heart.
    None of his steps shall slide.
32 The wicked watch the righteous,
    and seek to kill him.
33 Yahweh will not leave him in his hand,
    nor condemn him when he is judged.
34 Wait for Yahweh, and keep his way,
    and he will exalt you to inherit the land.
    When the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.

35 I have seen the wicked in great power,
    spreading himself like a green tree in its native soil.
36 But he passed away, and behold, he was not.
    Yes, I sought him, but he could not be found.
37 Mark the perfect man, and see the upright,
    for there is a future for the man of peace.
38 As for transgressors, they shall be destroyed together.
    The future of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 But the salvation of the righteous is from Yahweh.
    He is their stronghold in the time of trouble.
40 Yahweh helps them and rescues them.
    He rescues them from the wicked and saves them,
    because they have taken refuge in him.

1 Kings 11:1-13

11 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites, of the nations concerning which Yahweh said to the children of Israel, “You shall not go among them, neither shall they come among you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.” Solomon joined to these in love. He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. His wives turned his heart away. When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father was. For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. Solomon did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, and didn’t go fully after Yahweh, as David his father did. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the mountain that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon. So he did for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. Yahweh was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned away from Yahweh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice, 10 and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he didn’t keep that which Yahweh commanded. 11 Therefore Yahweh said to Solomon, “Because this is done by you, and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you, and will give it to your servant. 12 Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days, for David your father’s sake; but I will tear it out of your son’s hand. 13 However, I will not tear away all the kingdom; but I will give one tribe to your son, for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.”

James 3:13-4:12

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his good conduct that his deeds are done in gentleness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, don’t boast and don’t lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, sensual, and demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition are, there is confusion and every evil deed. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Where do wars and fightings among you come from? Don’t they come from your pleasures that war in your members? You lust, and don’t have. You murder and covet, and can’t obtain. You fight and make war. You don’t have, because you don’t ask. You ask, and don’t receive, because you ask with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures. You adulterers and adulteresses, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”(A) Be subject therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament, mourn, and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he will exalt you.

11 Don’t speak against one another, brothers. He who speaks against a brother and judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 Only one is the lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge another?

Mark 15:12-21

12 Pilate again asked them, “What then should I do to him whom you call the King of the Jews?”

13 They cried out again, “Crucify him!”

14 Pilate said to them, “Why, what evil has he done?”

But they cried out exceedingly, “Crucify him!”

15 Pilate, wishing to please the multitude, released Barabbas to them, and handed over Jesus, when he had flogged him, to be crucified.

16 The soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they called together the whole cohort. 17 They clothed him with purple; and weaving a crown of thorns, they put it on him. 18 They began to salute him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 They struck his head with a reed and spat on him, and bowing their knees, did homage to him. 20 When they had mocked him, they took the purple cloak off him, and put his own garments on him. They led him out to crucify him.

21 They compelled one passing by, coming from the country, Simon of Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to go with them that he might bear his cross.

World English Bible (WEB)

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