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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 116

Thanksgiving for Escaping Death

116 I love the Lord,
    because he ·listens to my prayers for help [L hears/or heard my voice, my prayer of supplication].
He ·paid attention [L extends his ear] to me,
    so I will ·call to him for help [call; pray] ·as long as I live [L in my days].
The ·ropes [cords] of death ·bound [encompass] me,
    and the ·fear [hardship; distress] of ·the grave [L Sheol; C the grave or the underworld] ·took hold of [reached; found] me.
    I ·was troubled and sad [L found distress and sadness].
Then I ·called out [prayed in] the name of the Lord.
    I said, “Please, Lord, ·save [rescue] me!”

The Lord is ·kind [gracious] and ·does what is right [righteous];
    our God is ·merciful [compassionate; Ex. 34:6–7].
The Lord ·watches over [keeps; guards] the ·foolish [immature; simpleminded];
    when I was ·helpless [brought low], he ·saved me [gave me victory].
I said to myself, “·Relax [L Return, my soul/life to your rest],
    because the Lord ·takes care of you [treats you well].”
Lord, you ·saved [rescued] me from death.
    ·You stopped my eyes from crying [L …and my eyes from tears];
    ·you kept me from being defeated [L …my feet from stumbling].
So I will walk ·with [before; in the presence of] the Lord
    in the land of the living [C as opposed to the grave].
10 I ·believed [trusted], so I said,
    “I am ·completely ruined [afflicted greatly; 2 Cor. 4:13].”
11 In my ·distress [worry] I said,
    “All people are liars [Rom. 3:4].”

12 What can I ·give [L return to] the Lord
    for all the ·good things [benefits] he has given to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation,
    and I will pray ·to [L in the name of] the Lord.
14 I will ·give the Lord what I promised [pay my vow to the Lord]
    in front of all his people.

15 The death of ·one that belongs to the Lord [his loyal ones/saints]
    is precious in his ·sight [L eyes].
16 Lord, I am your servant;
    I am your servant and the son of your female servant.
    You have ·freed me from [loosened] my chains.
17 I will give you ·an offering to show thanks to you [a thanksgiving offering],
    and I will pray ·to [L in the name of] the Lord.
18 I will ·give the Lord what I promised [pay my vow to the Lord]
    in front of all his people,
19 in the ·Temple courtyards [L courtyards of the house of the Lord]
    in your midst, Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

Zephaniah 3:14-20

A Happy Song

14 ·Sing [or Shout joyfully], Jerusalem.
    Israel, shout ·for joy [out]!
·Jerusalem [L Daughter Jerusalem], be happy
    and rejoice with all your heart.
15 The Lord has ·stopped punishing you [taken away your judgments];
    he has ·sent [swept; cleared; turned] your enemies away.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is with you;
    you will never again be afraid of ·being harmed [disaster; evil].
16 On that day Jerusalem will be told,
    “Don’t be afraid, ·city of Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple].
    Don’t ·give up [L let your hands grow weak/hang limp].
17 The Lord your God is ·with you [in your midst];
    the mighty One will save you.
He will ·rejoice over you [take delight in you].
    ·You will rest [or He will quiet you; or He won’t rebuke you] in his love;
    he will sing and be joyful about you.”

18 “I will take away the sadness ·planned for you [or over the loss of your appointed festivals],
    which would have made you very ashamed.
19 At that time I will ·punish [L deal with]
    all those who ·harmed [oppressed] you.
I will ·save my people who cannot walk [rescue the lame]
    and gather ·my people who have been thrown out [the scattered; C perhaps shepherd imagery].
I will give them praise and ·honor [fame; renown]
    in every place where they were shamed.
20 At that time I will gather you;
    at that time I will ·bring you back home [gather you].
I will give you ·honor [fame; renown] and praise
    ·from people everywhere [L among all the peoples/nations of the earth]
when I ·make things go well again for you [restore your fortunes; or return your exiles],
    ·as you will see with your own [L before your] eyes,” says the Lord.

Mark 15:47-16:7

47 And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph ·saw [took note of] the place where Jesus was laid.

Jesus Rises from the Dead(A)

16 The day after the Sabbath day, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought some sweet-smelling spices to ·put on [anoint] Jesus’ body. Very early on that day, the first day of the week, soon after sunrise, the women were on their way to the tomb. They said to each other, “Who will roll away for us the stone that covers the entrance of the tomb?”

Then the women looked and saw that the stone had already been rolled away, even though it was very large. The women entered the tomb and saw a young man wearing a white robe and sitting on the right side, and they were ·afraid [alarmed; amazed].

But the man said, “Don’t be ·afraid [alarmed; amazed]. You are looking for Jesus from Nazareth, who has been crucified. He has risen from the dead; he is not here. Look, here is the place they laid him. Now go and tell his ·followers [disciples] and Peter, ‘Jesus is going into Galilee ahead of you, and you will see him there as he told you before.’”

Psalm 30

Thanksgiving for Escaping Death

A psalm of David. A song for ·giving the Temple to the Lord [L the dedication of the Temple; C perhaps written by David in anticipation of the dedication of the Temple under Solomon; the connection with healing is uncertain].

30 I will ·praise [L exalt] you, Lord,
    because you ·rescued me [L brought me up].
    You did not let my enemies ·laugh at [rejoice over] me.
Lord, my God, I ·prayed to you [cried to you for help],
    and you healed me.
You lifted me out of ·the grave [or the underworld; L Sheol];
    you spared me from going down to the ·place of the dead [L Pit; 16:10].

Sing praises to the Lord, you ·who belong to him [loyal ones; saints];
    ·praise [give thanks to] his holy name.
His anger lasts only a moment,
    but his ·kindness [favor] lasts for a lifetime.
Crying may last for a night,
    but joy comes in the morning.

When I ·felt safe [or was prosperous], I said,
    “I will never ·fear [L be moved].”
Lord, in your ·kindness [favor] you made my mountain ·safe [L stand; C God made him prosperous and safe].
    But when you ·turned away [L hid your face; C because he became self-reliant, v. 6], I was ·frightened [terrified; or discouraged].

I ·called [prayed] to you, Lord,
    and ·asked you to have mercy on me [made supplication].
I said, “What ·good will it do if I die [profit is there for you in my blood]
    or if I go down to ·the grave [corruption; destruction]?
·Dust cannot [L Will the dust…?; Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7] ·praise [thank] you;
    ·it cannot [L will it…?] speak about your ·truth [faithfulness].
10 Lord, hear me and have mercy on me.
    Lord, help me.”

11 You changed my ·sorrow [mourning] into dancing.
    You took away my ·clothes of sadness [sackcloth],
    and clothed me in ·happiness [joy].
12 I will sing to you and not be silent.
    Lord, my God, I will ·praise you [give you thanks] forever.

Psalm 149

Praise the God of Israel

149 Praise the Lord!

Sing a new song [C celebrating victory; 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3] to the Lord;
sing his praise in the ·meeting [assembly; congregation] of his ·people [saints; loyal ones].

Let the Israelites ·be happy [rejoice] because of God, [L in] their Maker.
    Let the ·people of Jerusalem [L sons of Zion; C location of the Temple] rejoice ·because [L in] of their King.
They should praise him with dancing.
    They should ·sing praises [make a psalm] to him with tambourines and harps.
The Lord is pleased with his people;
    he ·saves [L endows with salvation/victory] the ·humble [needy].
Let ·those who worship him [the saints/loyal ones] rejoice in his glory [C God’s manifest presence].
    Let them sing for joy even in bed!

Let them ·shout his praise [L exalt God with their throats]
    with their two-edged swords in their hands.
They will ·punish [execute vengeance against] the nations
    and ·defeat [punish] the people.
They will put those kings in chains
    and ·those important men [honored men] in iron bands.
They will ·punish them as God has written [L accomplish a written judgment].
    God is honored by ·all who worship him [his saints/loyal ones].

Praise the Lord!

2 Corinthians 1:3-7

Paul Gives Thanks to God

·Praise be to [Blessed is/be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father who is full of ·mercy [compassion] and all ·comfort [encouragement]. He ·comforts [encourages] us ·every time we have [L in all our] ·troubles [trials; tribulation], so when others have ·trouble [any trials/tribulation], we can ·comfort [encourage] them with the same ·comfort [encouragement] God gives us. [L For just as] ·We share in the many sufferings of Christ [L Christ’s sufferings abound in us]. In the same way, ·much comfort comes to us [L our comfort abounds] through Christ. If we have ·troubles [trials; tribulation], it is for your ·comfort [encouragement] and salvation, and if we ·have comfort [are encouraged], ·you also have comfort [or it is for your comfort/encouragement]. This helps you to accept patiently the same sufferings we have. Our hope for you is ·strong [unshaken; firm], knowing that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in the ·comfort [encouragement] we receive.

Expanded Bible (EXB)

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