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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
The Voice (VOICE)
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Psalm 132

Psalm 132

A song for those journeying to worship.

Eternal One, don’t let the suffering of our father David be forgotten—
    for his sake, remember!
Remember the pledge he made, how he poured out his heart to the Eternal,
    the promise he made to the Mighty One of Jacob:
He said, “I will not go inside my house
    or lie down in my bed;
I will not even rest my eyes—
    I will not take comfort in sleep—
Until I find a dwelling place for You, the Eternal,
    a holy residence dedicated to the Mighty One of Jacob.”

We heard rumors of the holy ark in Ephrathah,[a]
    and later we found it in the field of Jaar.[b]

Let us journey to His dwelling place;
    let us worship at His footstool.

Eternal One, arise and go to Your new home—
    You and the ark of Your strength.
Let every priest join the march wearing righteousness,
    and let songs of joy erupt from the hearts and mouths of Your godly ones.
10 For the well-being of Your anointed servant,
    do not turn Your back on David.

11 The Eternal made His own promise, sworn in truth to David,
    an oath which He cannot, will not break:
“I will continue your dynasty, David;
    one of your descendants will sit on your throne.
12 If your children obey My covenant
    and follow the statutes which I shall teach them,
And if they remain faithful, their children will also
    sit upon your throne—forever.”

13 For the Eternal selected Zion;
    He desired it as His holy place of residence.
14 “This is My sanctuary, My resting place, forever and ever;
    I will remain here, for this is what I have desired.
15 I will bless Zion with an endless supply of all she needs;
    I will satisfy the bellies of her hungry with bread.
16 I will clothe her priests with salvation,
    and songs of joy will erupt from the hearts and mouths of her godly people.

17 “From there I will make the strength of David’s kingdom grow
    and prepare a lamp for My anointed one.
18 I will clothe his enemies with a garment of shame;
    but as for David’s son, his crown will shine brightly like the sun.”

Isaiah 11:1-10

11 But on this humbled ground, a tiny shoot, hopeful and promising,
    will sprout from Jesse’s stump;
A branch will emerge from his roots to bear fruit.
And on this child from David’s line, the Spirit of the Eternal One will alight and rest.
By the Spirit of wisdom and discernment
    He will shine like the dew.
By the Spirit of counsel and strength
    He will judge fairly and act courageously.
By the Spirit of knowledge and reverence of the Eternal One,
    He will take pleasure in honoring the Eternal.
He will determine fairness and equity;
    He will consider more than what meets the eye,
And weigh in more than what he’s told.

So that even those who can’t afford a good defense
    will nevertheless get a fair and equitable judgment.
With just a word, He will end wickedness and abolish oppression.
    With nothing more than the breath of His mouth, He will destroy evil.
He will clothe himself with righteousness and truth;
    the impulse to right wrongs will be in his blood.

With unwavering steps and integrity uncompromised, He will establish peace.

A day will come when the wolf will live peacefully beside the wobbly-kneed lamb,
    and the leopard will lie down with the young goat;
The calf and yearling, newborn and slow, will rest secure with the lion;
    and a little child will tend them all.
Bears will graze with the cows they used to attack;
    even their young will rest together,
    and the lion will eat hay, like gentle oxen.
8-9 Neither will a baby who plays next to a cobra’s hole
    nor a toddler who sticks his hand into a nest of vipers suffer harm.
All my holy mountain will be free of anything hurtful or destructive,
    for as the waters fill the sea,
The entire earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Eternal.

10 Then on that day, that root from Jesse’s line
    will stand as a signal for the peoples of the world
Who will come to Him seeking guidance and direction;
    and glory will be restored to the land where He resides.[a]

Hebrews 2:11-18

11 As I will show you, it’s important that the One who brings us to God and those who are brought to God become one, since we are all from one Father. This is why Jesus was not ashamed to call us His family, 12 saying, in the words of the psalmist,

I will speak Your Name to My brothers and sisters
    when I praise You in the midst of the community.[a]

13 And in the words of Isaiah,

I will wait for the Eternal One.[b]

And again,

Look, here I am with the children God has given Me.[c]

14 Since we, the children, are all creatures of flesh and blood, Jesus took on flesh and blood, so that by dying He could destroy the one who held power over death—the devil— 15 and destroy the fear of death that has always held people captive.

16 So notice—His concern here is not for the welfare of the heavenly messengers, but for the children of Abraham. 17 He had to become as human as His sisters and brothers so that when the time came, He could become a merciful and faithful high priest of God, called to reconcile a sinful people. 18 Since He has also been tested by suffering, He can help us when we are tested.

The Voice (VOICE)

The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.