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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.

Duration: 861 days

Psalm 93

Psalm 93^[a]

Glory of the Lord’s Kingdom

¹The Lord is King,^[b] adorned in splendor;
    the Lord has clothed and girded himself with strength.
^[c]He has made the world firm,
    never to be moved.
²Your throne has stood firm from the beginning;
    you have existed throughout eternity, O Lord.
³The waters^[d] have lifted up, O Lord;
    the waters have lifted up their voice;
    the waters have lifted up their roar.
⁴More powerful than the roar of mighty waters,
    more powerful than the crashing waves of the sea,
    mighty on high is the Lord.^[e]
⁵Your decrees^[f] are firmly established;
    holiness adorns your house,
    O Lord, throughout the ages.

Footnotes

Psalm 93:1 This is one of the nine psalms of the kingdom (Pss 47; 93–100), most of which feature the liturgical acclamation “The Lord is King,” in which is centered the whole faith of Israel. All these hymns exalt the kingdom of God that extends over the entire universe and dominates the course of time. God reveals his kingship when he brings forth the world; he does so even more when he chooses Israel. Nonetheless, creation and history are still only the beginning and promise; the kingdom of God will be manifested in all its glory at the end of time (see Rev 4:11; 11:15-17): a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem—such are the images that allow us to glimpse the joy of a new humanity gathered together in the glory of God (see Rev 21:1—22:5). The acclamation of the psalms of the kingdom already vibrates with this ineffable hope.
Psalm 93 exalts the Lord who reigns, robed in majesty. He affirms his greatness by the forces of creation that he rules, by the law—or “decrees”—that he gives to his people, and by the temple of Jerusalem that he consecrates to his mysterious presence. From his earthly experience, the believer acclaims the splendor of a kingdom that can have no end.
In all truth, we can regard this psalm as applicable to Christ’s kingship and sing: “Christ is King.” For he vanquishes in himself and in his followers all hostile powers (Satan, death, and sin), delivering believers from the reign of death and transferring them into his kingdom (see Eph 1:2). This is the extraordinary wonder that he continues across the centuries until the full deliverance of his Church and the definitive destruction of his enemies will occur (see Rev 20–22).
Psalm 93:1 The Lord is King: a liturgical acclamation that sums up the entire faith of Israel (see Pss 96:10; 97:1; 99:1; see also Zec 14:9).
Psalm 93:1 The Lord established his kingdom on earth when he created the world and everything in it (see Ps 24:1). Hence, the world will not be moved no matter what pressure is brought to bear on it by hostile forces (see Pss 10:6; 104:5), because the Lord has established his rule over it. Indeed, the Lord is eternal (see Ps 90:2), but his rule was established when his throne was set up at the beginning of history with the creation (“from the beginning”; see Isa 44:8; 45:21; 48:3-8).
Psalm 93:3 Waters: the waters of the primeval chaos that the Lord mastered through his creative word (see Pss 33:7; 104:7-9; Gen 1:6-10; Job 38:8-11; see also note on Ps 65:8). They can also stand for the enemies of God and his people (see Job 7:12; Isa 8:7; 17:12; Jer 46:8; Dan 7:2; Rev 17:15) as well as the ocean currents, whose powers were feared by the pagan nations as indicated in the mythical account of Baal’s victory over the sea god Yamm.
Psalm 93:4 The Lord is the Master of the thundering storms and surging waves by his simple word (see Christ’s calming of the storm by a single word in Mk 4:39).
Psalm 93:5 Decrees: these divine judgments constitute revelation in the wide sense insofar as they are the norm of human life (see Ps 119). As stable (see Ps 19:8) as the physical universe and as inviolable (see Ps 95:8-11) as the sanctuary of Jerusalem, this revelation will be the foundation of the Lord’s definitive kingdom, inaugurated from the creation and already effective in Israel (see Isa 51:9f, 13; 52:7). Holiness adorns your house . . . throughout the ages: the temple, home of the King of Israel, is consecrated forever (1 Ki 8:13; 9:3; Jud 9:1-8; Ezek 42:13f; Rev 21:27). Those who approach the most holy God (see Ps 99) are also consecrated (see Ex 19:6; Lev 10:3; 19:2).

Psalm 96

Psalm 96^[a]

God, Sovereign and Judge of the Universe

¹Sing to the Lord a new song;^[b]
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
²Sing to the Lord and bless his name;
    proclaim his salvation^[c] day after day.
³Declare his glory^[d] among the nations,
    his wondrous deeds to every people.
⁴For great is the Lord and worthy of all praise;
    he is more to be feared^[e] than all other gods.
⁵The gods of the nations are merely idols,
    but it was the Lord who made the heavens.^[f]
⁶Majesty and splendor surround him;
    power and beauty^[g] are in his sanctuary.
⁷Render to the Lord, you families of nations,
    render to the Lord glory and power.^[h]
⁸Render to the Lord the glory due to his name;
    bring an offering and enter his courts.^[i]
⁹Worship^[j] the Lord in the splendor of his holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth.
¹⁰Say among the nations, “The Lord is King.^[k]
    The world is firmly established, never to be moved.
    He will judge the peoples fairly.”
¹¹Let the heavens exult and the earth be glad;
    let the sea resound and all that fills it.
¹²Let the fields rejoice and all that is in them;
    let all the trees^[l] of the forest shout for joy
¹³before the Lord, for he is coming,
    coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice
    and the nations with equity.^[m]

Footnotes

Psalm 96:1 Partially cited in 1 Chr 16:23-33, this hymn is comprised of Old Testament reminiscences, especially from the Psalter and Isaiah (e.g., Ps 42:10; Isa 55:12). The peoples and nations of which it speaks were originally the neighbors who attempted to prevent Israel from becoming established in Canaan; later, they were all the peoples of the world who failed to recognize the one true God. Israel, which had been saved at the time of the Judges and brought back from an exile through which she had suffered a kind of annihilation, had experienced the Lord’s deliverance more than once. She could well bear witness before the whole world of the power and superiority of the one sole God: the Lord had created the world and had given his people new life.
All peoples are invited to acknowledge him as the sovereign Master; all are summoned to the liturgy, to adoration. Deep emotion will grip the entire universe when God comes as Judge; he who has brought into being an unshakable world will establish all human beings in justice and righteousness.
This song of universal joy is always new with the newness of God himself; the New Testament (see Acts 17:31; Rev 19:11) refers to verse 13 in announcing the final coming of Christ on the day of judgment, when he will make all things new. Thus, by means of it, Christians call upon the whole universe to praise God the Father as well as the risen Jesus, whom the Father has made “Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36), “leader and Savior” (Acts 5:31), and “ruler of the kings of the earth” (Rev 1:5).
According to the superscription in the Septuagint and Vulgate, this psalm was sung at the dedication of the post-Exilic temple. Its Messianic content made it suitable for that occasion.
Psalm 96:1 New song: see note on Ps 33:3. All the earth: see note on Ps 9:2; see also Pss 97:1; 100:1.
Psalm 96:2 Salvation: the psalmist does not specify the precise nature of the “salvation” he mentions (see note on Ps 67:3-4). Most likely, it included all God’s acts in redemptive history: creation and redemption (vv. 2, 11-12; see Ps 136:4-25). The People of God must assume the lead by praising the Lord (bless his name—see note on Ps 5:12) every day.
Psalm 96:3 Glory: see note on Ps 85:10. Wondrous deeds: see note on Ps 9:2.
Psalm 96:4 The Lord is great and worthy to receive praise and reverence (to be feared) because he alone is God and there is no other (see Ps 115).
Psalm 96:5 Made the heavens: since the Lord made the heavens, which were supposedly the home of the gods, it follows that he is far greater than all the gods; but he is also greater because they are nothing more than idols.
Psalm 96:6 The Lord is surrounded by personifications of divine attributes (majesty and splendor . . . power and beauty) that extol his universal kingship.
Psalm 96:7 The psalmist makes use of Ps 29:1f, eliminating any allusion to the theme of “heavenly beings” (i.e., “sons of God”) and accentuating the universalist tone (see Ps 47:10; Zec 14:17). All peoples are specifically summoned to pledge their obedience to the Lord.
Psalm 96:8 Courts: i.e., of the temple where the Lord dwells (see Ps 84:3, 11; 2 Ki 21:5; 23:11f). The psalmist may have been thinking of the outermost court of the temple, which was the court of the Gentiles.
Psalm 96:9 The psalmist calls for the people to worship the Lord, i.e., give him their reverence, submission, and awe because of the splendor of his holiness (see Pss 29:2; 99; 110:3; 1 Chr 16:29).
Psalm 96:10 The Lord is King: see note on Ps 93:1a-b. The Lord is not only the Creator of all (as well as the Redeemer of all) but also the Judge of all. Greek and Latin manuscripts have a Christian addition: “from the wood” [of the cross]—a splendid expression of the theology of the cross found in the Gospel of John.
Psalm 96:12 Heavens . . . sea . . . fields . . . trees: i.e., the whole world. By being what it is, God’s creation gives him glory. However, it will rejoice even more when the fullness of redemption is attained, which it is presently awaiting together with all humanity (see Rom 8:21f).
Psalm 96:13 The psalmist may have been thinking of the Lord’s coming as the one in which he led the exiles back to Jerusalem. But the Lord comes in many ways. In Christ, the Lord came to fulfill the words of this psalm, bringing all peoples back to God, and he will come again at the end of time to judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 17:31). His judgment is righteousness and truth.

Psalm 148

Psalm 148^[a]

Song of the Universe

¹^[b]Alleluia.

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    offer praise to him in the heights!
²Praise him, all his angels;
    offer praise to him, all his hosts!^[c]
³Praise him, sun and moon;
    offer praise to him, all you shining stars!
⁴Praise him, you highest heavens,^[d]
    and you waters above the heavens.
⁵Let them praise the name^[e] of the Lord,
    for it was at his command that they were created.
⁶He established them in place forever and ever;
    he issued a law that will never pass away.^[f]
⁷^[g]Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you sea monsters and ocean depths,
⁸fire and hail, snow and clouds,
    storm winds that carry out his word,^[h]
⁹all mountains and hills,
    all fruit trees and cedars,
¹⁰wild animals and all cattle,
    creeping creatures and flying birds,^[i]
¹¹kings of the earth and all nations,
    princes and all rulers on the earth,
¹²young men and women,
    the elderly, as well as children.^[j]
¹³^[k]Let them all praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his majesty is above the earth and the heavens.^[l]
¹⁴He has raised high a horn^[m] for his people,
    to the glory of all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Alleluia.

Footnotes

Psalm 148:1 The exiles have returned home, the temple has been rebuilt, and its precincts have been restored. God has reestablished the people he loves. What a testament to his glory (vv. 13-14). Joy invades all hearts and expands to worldwide dimensions. The whole universe and all earthly creatures are invited to praise the Lord, the Creator and Redeemer. This theme also permeates the next two psalms, forming the conclusion and the synthesis of the Psalter.
We can pray this psalm to exhort all creation, both animate and inanimate, to praise the Triune God not only as the Creator but also as the Savior and Sanctifier. For although all creation is presently subject to vanity, it hopes to be freed from corruption so as to enter into the freedom of God’s children, when God will transform the universe with a new heaven and a new earth (see Rom 8:19-22; Rev 21:1-5). May the angels and saints of heaven do likewise.
Psalm 148:1 The psalmist calls upon all creatures in the heavens to praise the Lord because of his creative and redeeming acts.
Psalm 148:2 See Ps 103:20f; Job 38:7.
Psalm 148:4 See Gen 1:6f; 1 Ki 8:27; 2 Cor 12:2; Eph 4:10. Highest heavens: literally, “the heavens of the heavens,” i.e., the space above the “expanse,” which separated the “waters above” from the “waters below” (see Ps 104:3, 13; Gen 1:6f).
Psalm 148:5 Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 148:6 See Jer 31:35f.
Psalm 148:7 The psalmist now calls upon all creatures on earth to praise the Lord: sea creatures, depths, the powers of nature, mountains and hills, fruit trees and the cedars, animals and birds, and finally all human beings, including the powerful as well as the young and old.
Psalm 148:8 Carry out his word: i.e., “do his bidding” (see Ps 147:15).
Psalm 148:10 See Gen 1:21, 24f; Isa 43:20.
Psalm 148:12 See Jer 31:13.
Psalm 148:13 The psalmist gives the reasons behind the praise: God is the exalted Ruler, who is not subject to the limitations of the earth or the heavens, and he has unique concern for his people, i.e., those devoted to him, his saints.
Psalm 148:13 See Pss 108:5; 113:2-4.
Psalm 148:14 Horn: i.e., the Lord’s anointed (see note on Ps 18:3; see also Ps 2:2); it may also refer to the strength and power of God’s people (see Ps 92:11; 1 Sam 2:1; Jer 48:25; Lam 2:17). Saints: see notes on Pss 4:3; 34:10.

Psalm 150

Psalm 150^[a]

Harmonious Praise of God

¹Alleluia.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in the firmament of his power.^[b]
²Praise him for his awesome acts,^[c]
    praise him for his immeasurable greatness.
³^[d]Praise him with the sound of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre.
⁴Praise him with tambourines and dancing,
    praise him with strings and flutes.
⁵Praise him with clanging cymbals,
    praise him with crashing cymbals.
⁶Let everything that breathes
    offer praise to the Lord.
Alleluia.^[e]

Footnotes

Psalm 150:1 In the same manner in which our “Glory be to the Father” concludes the recitation of our psalms, this doxological psalm concludes the Psalter on an urgent invitation to praise (see the conclusions to the first four Books: Pss 41:14; 72:18f; 89:53; 106:48). May every living creature praise the Lord everywhere, on the part of everyone, and by every means. The word “Alleluia” or “Hallelujah” (translated as “Praise [or bless] the Lord” or “Praise [or bless] him”) echoes thirteen times in this psalm. The Psalter could not end on a richer or more powerful note. Everything leads to the immensity of God’s glory (see Rev 15:3-4; 19:4-8). “Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To the One seated on the throne / and to the Lamb / be blessing and honor and glory and might / forever and ever!’. . . Amen!” (Rev 5:13f).
We should heed this recommendation and carry it out, for we Christians are more aware than the psalmist of the work of God and Christ in the world and in us. Christ is enthroned in the highest heavens, his own sanctuary, but he is present and active in the heart of every creature, giving to each existence, motion, and life, as the case may be. He is in the heart of the whole world, directing its march in the material, living, human, and spiritual spheres and realizing his greatest victory in the last—the construction of the Church, his Body, his spiritual Spouse.
Psalm 150:1 God is to be praised in his sanctuary on earth and his sanctuary in heaven (see Ps 8:3). The Church of the New Covenant has the mission to glorify God in the world, and her members must gather in the house of God in order to carry out this mission. Firmament of his power: this is also translated as “mighty heavens,” which ensures the well-being of those on earth.
Psalm 150:2 God is to be praised because of his creating and redeeming awesome acts (see Pss 106:2; 145:4, 12), which reveal his greatness (see Pss 145:3; 147:5; 1 Chr 29:11).
Psalm 150:3 God is to be praised with a full orchestra (with trumpet, harp, lyre, and tambourine) and with dance in a liturgy of praise that will reach as high as the heavens.
Psalm 150:6 God is to be praised by everyone and everything endowed with life by the Creator (see Pss 103:22; 148:7-12; Rev 5:13). By doing so, Christians will be following the “way” of the Lord, with which the Psalter began (see Ps 1:2), a way that leads to eternal life.

Isaiah 33:17-22

Peace and Prosperity in Zion

¹⁷Your eyes will behold the king in his splendor
    and gaze upon a land that stretches far and wide.
¹⁸Your mind will then meditate on the terror.
    “Where is the man who did the counting?
Where is the man who weighed the tribute?
    Where is the man who counted the towers?”
¹⁹No longer will you encounter the insolent people,
    those who employ an obscure speech
    that you cannot understand
and who stammer in a language
    that you are unable to comprehend.
²⁰Gaze upon Zion,
    the city of our sacred feasts.
Your eyes will behold Jerusalem as a quiet abode,
    as a tent that will not be moved,
whose stakes will never be pulled up
    and none of whose ropes will be broken.
²¹There we will behold the Lord in all his majesty,
    in a place of rivers and broad streams,
upon which no enemy galleys with oars can go
    or a majestic ship can sail.
²²For the Lord is our judge,
    the Lord is our lawgiver.
The Lord is our king;
    he is the one who will save us.

Revelation 22:6-11

Epilogue: My Return Is Near^[a]

Worship God Alone. The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true, for the Lord God who inspires the prophets has sent his angel to show his servants what soon must take place.

⁷“ ‘Behold, I am coming soon!’^[b] Blessed is the one who observes the words of prophecy contained in this book.”

⁸I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I knelt at the feet of the angel who had shown them to me to worship him. ⁹However, he said to me, “You must not do that. I am a fellow servant of you and of your brethren the prophets and of those who observe the words of this book. Worship God!”

¹⁰The Great Separation.^[c] Then he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of prophecy that are in this book, for the time is near. ¹¹Let the wicked persist in acting wickedly, and let the vile continue in their vileness, but let the righteous persevere in righteousness, and let the holy continue to be holy.”

Revelation 22:18-20

¹⁸I warn everyone who hears the words of prophecy in this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues written about in this book; ¹⁹if anyone takes away from the words in this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are written about in this book.

²⁰The one who gives this testimony says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!^[a]

Luke 1:57-66

⁵⁷The Birth of John. When the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, she bore a son. ⁵⁸Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they shared in her rejoicing.

⁵⁹On the eighth day, when they came to circumcise the child, they were going to name him Zechariah after his father. ⁶⁰However, his mother objected. “No,” she said. “He is to be called John.” ⁶¹They said to her, “There is no one in your family who has this name.” ⁶²They then made signs to his father to ask what name he wanted to be given to the child. ⁶³He asked for a writing tablet, and he wrote: “His name is John.” They were all filled with wonder.

⁶⁴Immediately, his mouth was opened and his tongue was freed, and he began to speak, giving praise to God. ⁶⁵All their neighbors were overcome with awe, and all these things were related throughout the entire hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶All who heard them were deeply impressed, and they wondered, “What then is this child going to be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 93[a]

Glory of the Lord’s Kingdom

Footnotes

Psalm 96[a]

God, Sovereign and Judge of the Universe

Footnotes

Psalm 148[a]

Song of the Universe

Footnotes

Psalm 150[a]

Harmonious Praise of God

Footnotes

Peace and Prosperity in Zion

Epilogue: My Return Is Near[a]

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 93^[a]

Psalm 96^[a]

Psalm 148^[a]

Psalm 150^[a]

Epilogue: My Return Is Near^[a]