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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
American Standard Version (ASV)
Version
Psalm 131-133

Childlike trust in Jehovah.

A Song of Ascents; of David.

131 Jehovah, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty;
Neither do I [a]exercise myself in great matters,
Or in things too wonderful for me.
Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul;
Like a weaned child with his mother,
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
O Israel, hope in Jehovah
From this time forth and for evermore.

Prayer for Jehovah’s blessing upon the sanctuary.

A Song of Ascents.

132 Jehovah, remember for David
All his affliction;
How he sware unto Jehovah,
And vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob:
Surely I will not come into the [b]tabernacle of my house,
Nor go up into [c]my bed;
I will not give sleep to mine eyes,
Or slumber to mine eyelids;
Until I find out a place for Jehovah,
[d]A tabernacle for the Mighty One of Jacob.
Lo, we heard of it in [e]Ephrathah:
We found it in the field of [f]the wood.
We will go into his tabernacles;
We will worship at his footstool.
Arise, O Jehovah, into thy resting-place;
Thou, and the ark of thy strength.
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness;
And let thy saints shout for joy.
10 For thy servant David’s sake
Turn not away the face of thine anointed.
11 Jehovah hath sworn unto David in truth;
He will not turn from it:
Of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne.
12 If thy children will keep my covenant
And my testimony that I shall teach them,
Their children also shall sit upon thy throne for evermore.
13 For Jehovah hath chosen Zion;
He hath desired it for his habitation.
14 This is my resting-place for ever:
Here will I dwell; for I have desired it.
15 I will [g]abundantly bless her provision:
I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 Her priests also will I clothe with salvation;
And her saints shall shout aloud for joy.
17 There will I make [h]the horn of David to bud:
I have [i]ordained a lamp for mine anointed.
18 His enemies will I clothe with shame;
But upon himself shall his crown flourish.

The excellency of brotherly unity.

A Song of Ascents; of David.

133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head,
That ran down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard;
That came down upon the [j]skirt of his garments;
Like the dew of Hermon,
That cometh down upon the mountains of Zion:
For there Jehovah commanded the blessing,
Even life for evermore.

Psalm 140

Prayer for protection against persecutors.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

140 Deliver me, O Jehovah, from the evil man;
Preserve me from the violent man:
Who devise mischiefs in their heart;
Continually do they [a]gather themselves together for war.
They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent;
Adders’ poison is under their lips. Selah
Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from the violent man:
Who have purposed to thrust aside my steps.
The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set gins for me. Selah
I said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God:
Give ear unto the voice of my supplications, O Jehovah.
O Jehovah the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
Grant not, O Jehovah, the desires of the wicked;
Further not his evil device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah
As for the head of those that compass me about,
Let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
10 Let burning coals fall upon them:
Let them be cast into the fire,
Into [b]deep pits, whence they shall not rise.
11 [c]An evil speaker shall not be established in the earth:
Evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him.
12 I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted,
And justice for the needy.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name:
The upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Psalm 142

Prayer for help in trouble.

Maschil of David, when he was in the cave; a Prayer.

142 I cry with my voice unto Jehovah;
With my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication.
I pour out my complaint before him;
I show before him my trouble.
When my spirit [a]was overwhelmed within me,
Thou knewest my path.
In the way wherein I walk
Have they hidden a snare for me.
Look on my right hand, and see;
For there is no man that knoweth me:
Refuge hath failed me;
No man careth for my soul.
I cried unto thee, O Jehovah;
I said, Thou art my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
Attend unto my cry;
For I am brought very low:
Deliver me from my persecutors;
For they are stronger than I.
Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may give thanks unto thy name:
The righteous shall [b]compass me about;
For thou wilt deal bountifully with me.

Exodus 7:25-8:19

25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that Jehovah had smitten the river.

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah, Let my people go, that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into thy house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading-troughs: and the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the [a]streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did in like manner with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat Jehovah, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice unto Jehovah. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Have thou this glory over me: against what time shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, that the frogs be destroyed from thee and thy houses, and remain in the river only? 10 And he said, Against to-morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word; that thou mayest know that there is none like unto Jehovah our God. 11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only. 12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto Jehovah concerning the frogs [b]which he had brought upon Pharaoh. 13 And Jehovah did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. 14 And they gathered them together in heaps; and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he [c]hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.

16 And Jehovah said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth, that it may become [d]lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 17 And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon man, and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: and there were lice upon man, and upon beast. 19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart [e]was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.

2 Corinthians 3:7-18

But if the ministration of death, [a]written, and engraven on stones, came [b]with glory, so that the children of Israel could not look stedfastly upon the face of Moses for the glory of his face; which glory [c]was passing away: how shall not rather the ministration of the spirit be with glory? [d]For if the ministration of condemnation hath glory, much rather doth the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. 10 For verily that which hath been made glorious hath not been made glorious in this respect, by reason of the glory that surpasseth. 11 For if that which [e]passeth away was [f]with glory, much more that which remaineth is in glory.

12 Having therefore such a hope, we use great boldness of speech, 13 and are not as Moses, who put a veil upon his face, that the children of Israel should not look stedfastly [g]on the end of that which [h]was passing away: 14 but their [i]minds were hardened: for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil [j]remaineth, it not being revealed to them that it is done away in Christ. 15 But unto this day, whensoever Moses is read, a veil lieth upon their heart. 16 But whensoever [k]it shall turn to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we all, with unveiled face [l]beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit.

Mark 10:17-31

17 And as he was going forth [a]into the way, there ran one to him, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? 18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good save one, even God. 19 Thou knowest the commandments, [b]Do not kill, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor thy father and mother. 20 And he said unto him, Teacher, all these things have I observed from my youth. 21 And Jesus looking upon him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 22 But his countenance fell at the saying, and he went away sorrowful: for he was one that had great possessions.

23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 24 And the disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it [c]for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26 And they were astonished exceedingly, saying [d]unto him, Then who can be saved? 27 Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for all things are possible with God. 28 Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. 29 Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or mother, or father, or children, or lands, for my sake, and for the [e]gospel’s sake, 30 but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the [f]world to come eternal life. 31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.