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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 38

A Prayer in Time of Sickness

A psalm of David ·to remember [or for the memorial offering].

38 Lord, don’t ·correct [rebuke; reprove] me when you are angry.
Don’t ·punish [discipline] me when you are ·furious [enraged; 6:1].

Your arrows have ·wounded [pierced] me,
    and your hand has come down on me.
My ·body [flesh] is ·sick [L not sound] from your ·punishment [L indignation].
    Even my bones are not healthy because of my sin.
My guilt has ·overwhelmed me [L passed over my head];
    like a ·load [burden] it ·weighs me down [is too heavy for me].

My sores stink and become infected
    because I was foolish.
I am bent over and bowed down;
    I ·am sad [L walk around mourning] all day long.
·I am burning with fever [L My loins are burned with fever],
    and my ·whole body [flesh] is ·sore [L not sound].
I am weak and ·faint [L completely crushed].
    I ·moan [groan] from the ·pain I feel [L anguish of my heart].

Lord, you know everything I ·want [desire; long for];
    my ·cries [sighs] are not hidden from you.
10 My heart pounds, and my strength ·is gone [abandons/forsakes me].
    ·I am losing my sight [L The light of my eyes is not with me].
11 Because of my wounds, ·my friends [L those who love me] and neighbors ·avoid [L stand away from] me,
    and my relatives ·stay [L stand] far away.
12 ·Some people set traps to kill me [L Those who seek my life set traps for me].
    Those who ·want [seek] to ·hurt [harm; trouble] me plan trouble;
all day long they ·think up [meditate on] ·lies [deception].

13 I am like the deaf; I cannot hear.
    Like the mute, I cannot ·speak [open my mouth].
14 I am like those who do not hear,
    who have no ·answer [reproof] ·to give [L in their mouth].
15 I ·trust [hope in; wait for] you, Lord.
    You will answer, my Lord and God.
16 I said, “Don’t let them ·laugh at [rejoice in] me
    or ·brag [boast] when ·I am defeated [L my foot totters/slips].”
17 I am ·about to die [L ready to stumble],
    and ·I cannot forget my pain [L my pain is constantly with me].
18 I confess my guilt;
    I am troubled by my sin.
19 My ·enemies are strong and [L living enemies are] healthy,
    and many hate me for no reason.
20 They repay me with evil for the good I did.
    They ·lie about me [L are my accusers/adversaries] because I ·try to do [L pursued] good.

21 Lord, don’t ·leave [abandon; forsake] me;
    my God, don’t ·go away [be far from me].
22 Quickly come and help me,
    my Lord and Savior.

Psalm 119:25-48

25 ·I am about to die [L My soul clings to the dust].
    Give me life, as you have promised.
26 I ·told you about my life [L recounted my way], and you answered me.
    Teach me your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].
27 Help me understand your ·orders [L the way of your precepts].
    Then I will ·think [meditate] about your ·miracles [wonders].
28 ·I am sad and tired [L My soul is weary/melts with sorrow affliction].
    Make me ·strong [L rise up] again as you have promised.
29 ·Don’t let me be dishonest [L Turn me away from a false way];
    ·have mercy on me by helping me obey your teachings [graciously teach me your instructions/laws].
30 I have chosen the way of ·truth [faithfulness];
    I have ·obeyed [placed before me] your ·laws [judgments].
31 I ·hold on [cling] to your ·rules [decrees; testimonies].
    Lord, do not let me be ·disgraced [shamed].
32 I will ·quickly obey [L run the way of] your commands,
    because you have ·made me happy [L enlarged my heart/mind].

33 Lord, teach me ·your demands [L the way of your demands/statutes/ordinances/requirements],
    and I will ·keep [observe] them until the end.
34 Help me understand, so I can ·keep [protect] your ·teachings [instructions; laws],
    ·obeying [guarding] them with all my heart.
35 Lead me in the path of your commands,
    because ·that makes me happy [L I take pleasure in them].
36 Make me want to keep your ·rules [decrees; testimonies]
    ·instead of wishing for riches [L not to gain/profit].
37 ·Keep me [L Turn my eyes] from looking at ·worthless [false; vain] things.
    Let me live ·by your word [L in your path].
38 ·Keep your promise [Confirm your word] to me, your servant,
    so you will be ·respected [feared; Prov. 1:7].
39 Take away ·the shame [my scorn/humiliation] I fear,
    because your ·laws [judgments] are good.
40 How I ·want to follow [long for] your ·orders [precepts].
    Give me life because of your ·goodness [righteousness].

41 Lord, ·show [L bring] me your ·love [loyalty],
    and ·save me [give me victory] as you have ·promised [said].
42 I have an answer for people who ·insult [scorn] me,
    because I ·trust [find refuge in] what you say.
43 Never ·keep me from speaking your truth [L take the word of truth from my mouth],
    because I ·depend [pin my hopes] on your ·fair laws [judgments].
44 I will ·obey [keep; guard] your ·teachings [instructions; laws]
    forever and ever.
45 So I will live in ·freedom [liberty],
    because I ·want to follow [L seek] your ·orders [precepts].
46 I will discuss your ·rules [decrees; testimonies] with kings
    and will not be ashamed.
47 I ·enjoy obeying [L delight in] your commands,
    which I love.
48 I ·praise [L lift my palms/hands to] your commands, which I love,
    and I ·think [meditate] about your ·demands [statutes; ordinances; requirements].

Joshua 3:1-13

Crossing the Jordan

Early the next morning Joshua and all the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] left ·Acacia [C Hebrew: Shittim; 2:1]. They traveled to the Jordan River and camped there before crossing it. After three days the ·officers [leaders] went through the camp and gave orders to the people: “When you see the priests and Levites carrying the Ark of the ·Agreement with [Covenant/Treaty of] the Lord your God [Ex. 25:10–22], leave where you are and follow it. That way you will know which way to go since you have never ·been here [passed this way] before. But do not ·follow too closely [come near it]. Stay about ·a thousand yards [L two thousand cubits] behind the Ark.”

Then Joshua told the people, “·Make yourselves holy [Consecrate yourselves], because tomorrow the Lord will do ·amazing [miraculous] things among you.”

Joshua said to the priests, “Take the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty] and go ahead of the people.” So the priests lifted the Ark and carried it ahead of the people.

Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Today I will begin to ·make you great [exalt/honor you] in the ·opinion [L eyes] of all the Israelites so the people will know I am with you just as I was with Moses. ·Tell [Command] the priests who carry the Ark of the ·Agreement [Covenant; Treaty] to go to the edge of the Jordan River and stand in the water.”

Then Joshua said to the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], “Come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God. 10 Here is proof that the living God is ·with [among] you and that he will ·force [drive] out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites. 11 [L Look; T Behold] The Ark of the ·Agreement with [Covenant/Treaty of] the Lord of the whole world will go ahead of you into the Jordan River. 12 Now choose twelve men from among you, one from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. 13 The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the ·Master [Ruler; Lord] of the whole world [Ex. 9:29], into the Jordan ahead of you. When they step into the water, it will stop. The ·river will stop flowing [L waters going down will be cut off from above] and will stand up in a heap [C thus reminding them of the crossing of the sea in Ex. 14].”

Romans 11:25-36

25 I ·want you to understand [L do not want you to be ignorant of] this ·secret [mystery; C something God had not previously disclosed; Eph. 1:9], brothers and sisters, so you will ·understand that you do not know everything [not become conceited/arrogant/superior-minded]: ·Part of Israel has been made stubborn [or A partial hardening has happened to Israel], ·but that will change when [L until] the ·complete number [or appointed number; L fullness] of the Gentiles have come ·to God [or into the kingdom; L in]. 26 And ·that is how [in this way; or so it will be that; or so in the end] all Israel will be saved. [L As; Just as] It is written in the Scriptures:

“The ·Savior [Rescuer; Deliverer] will come from ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C a poetic term for Jerusalem symbolizing the nation Israel];
    he will take away ·all evil [wickedness; godlessness] from ·the family of Jacob [L Jacob; C Abraham’s grandson (renamed “Israel”), whose sons became the twelve tribes of Israel; Is. 59:20–21].
27 And I will make this ·agreement [covenant] with those people
    when I take away their sins [Is. 27:9].”

28 ·The Jews refuse to accept the Good News, so [L With regard to the Gospel,] they are God’s enemies. ·This has happened to help you who are not Jews [L …for your sake; C Israel’s rejection resulted in the proclamation of the Good News to the Gentiles; vv. 11, 12]. But ·the Jews are still God’s chosen people, and he loves them very much [L with regard to election, they are beloved] because of ·the promises he made to their ancestors [L the ancestors/fathers/patriarchs]. 29 ·God never changes his mind about the people he calls and the things he gives them [L For God’s gifts and calling are irrevocable]. 30 [L For] At one time you refused to obey God. But now you have received mercy, because those people refused to obey. 31 And now the Jews refuse to obey, ·because God showed mercy to you. But this happened so that they also can[a] receive mercy from him [or but this happened so that they also can[b] receive mercy from him, because of the mercy God showed to you]. 32 God has ·given [imprisoned] all people ·over to their stubborn ways [L to/in disobedience] so that he can show mercy to all.

Praise to God

33 ·Yes [L O], ·how great are [L the depth of] ·God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge [or the riches of God’s wisdom and knowledge]! ·No one can explain [L How unsearchable are…] ·the things God decides [God’s judgments] ·or understand [L …and untraceable…!] his ·ways [paths]. 34 As the Scripture says,

[L For] Who has known the mind of the Lord,
    or who has been ·able to give him advice [his counselor; Is. 40:13]?”
35 “·No one [L Or who…?] has ever given God anything
    that he must pay back [Job 41:11].”

36 ·Yes, God made all things, and everything continues through him and for him [L Because all things come from him, through him and for him]. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Matthew 25:31-46

The King Will Judge All People

31 “The Son of Man will come again in his great glory [Dan. 7:13–14], with all his angels. He will ·be King and sit on his [L sit on his] ·great [glorious] throne. 32 All the nations of the world will be gathered before him, and he will separate them ·into two groups [L one from another] as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 The Son of Man will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, ·my Father has given you his blessing [L those blessed by my Father]. ·Receive [Inherit] the kingdom God has prepared for you ·since the world was made [L from the creation/foundation of the world]. 35 [L For; Because] I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was ·alone and away from home [a stranger], and you ·invited me into your house [welcomed/received me]. 36 I was ·without clothes [naked], and you ·gave me something to wear [clothed me]. I was sick, and you ·cared for [visited; looked after] me. I was in prison, and you ·visited [came to] me.’

37 “Then the ·good [righteous] people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you ·alone and away from home [a stranger] and ·invite you into our house [welcome/receive you]? When did we see you ·without clothes [naked] and ·give you something to wear [clothe you]? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and ·care for [come to] you?’

40 “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of my ·people here [L brothers (and sisters)], you also did for me.’

41 “Then the King will say to those on his left, ‘·Go away [Depart] from me. You ·will be punished [are cursed]. Go into the ·fire that burns forever [eternal fire] that was prepared for the devil and his angels [C the demons]. 42 [L For; Because] I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was ·alone and away from home [a stranger], and you did not ·invite me into your house [welcome/receive me]. I was ·without clothes [naked], and you ·gave me nothing to wear [did not clothe me]. I was sick and in prison, and you did not ·care for [visit; look after] me.’

44 “Then those people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or ·alone and away from home [a stranger] or ·without clothes [naked] or sick or in prison? When did we see these things and not ·help [serve; care for] you?’

45 “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, ·anything [to the extent] you refused to do for even the least of ·my people here [L these], you refused to do for me.’

46 “These people will go off to ·be punished forever [eternal punishment], but the ·good people [righteous] ·will go to live forever [to eternal life].”

Expanded Bible (EXB)

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