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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
English Standard Version (ESV)
Version
Psalm 61-62

Lead Me to the Rock

To the choirmaster: with (A)stringed instruments. Of David.

61 Hear my cry, O God,
    (B)listen to my prayer;
from the end of the earth I call to you
    when my heart is (C)faint.
Lead me to (D)the rock
    that is higher than I,
for you have been (E)my refuge,
    a strong (F)tower against the enemy.

Let me (G)dwell in your tent forever!
    Let me take refuge under (H)the shelter of your wings! Selah
For you, O God, have heard my vows;
    you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.

(I)Prolong (J)the life of the king;
    may his years endure to all generations!
May he be enthroned forever before God;
    appoint (K)steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!

So will I ever sing praises to your name,
    as I (L)perform my vows day after day.

My Soul Waits for God Alone

To the choirmaster: according to (M)Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

62 For God alone (N)my soul (O)waits in silence;
    from him comes my salvation.
(P)He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my (Q)fortress; (R)I shall not be greatly shaken.

How long will all of you attack a man
    to batter him,
    like (S)a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
They only plan to thrust him down from his (T)high position.
    They take pleasure in falsehood.
(U)They bless with their mouths,
    but inwardly they curse. Selah

For God alone, O (V)my soul, wait in silence,
    for my hope is from him.
(W)He only is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my (X)salvation and my glory;
    my mighty rock, (Y)my refuge is God.

(Z)Trust in him at all times, O people;
    (AA)pour out your heart before him;
    God is (AB)a refuge for us. Selah

(AC)Those of low estate are but a breath;
    those of high estate (AD)are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
    (AE)they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no trust in extortion;
    (AF)set no vain hopes on robbery;
    (AG)if riches increase, set not your heart on them.

11 (AH)Once God has spoken;
    (AI)twice have I heard this:
that (AJ)power belongs to God,
12     and that to you, O Lord, (AK)belongs steadfast love.
For you will (AL)render to a man
    according to his work.

Psalm 68

God Shall Scatter His Enemies

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.

68 (A)God shall arise, his enemies shall be (B)scattered;
    and those who hate him shall flee before him!
As (C)smoke is driven away, so you shall drive them away;
    (D)as wax melts before fire,
    so the wicked shall perish before God!
But (E)the righteous shall be glad;
    they shall exult before God;
    they shall be jubilant with joy!

Sing to God, (F)sing praises to his name;
    (G)lift up a song to him who (H)rides through (I)the deserts;
his name is (J)the Lord;
    exult before him!
(K)Father of the fatherless and (L)protector of widows
    is God in his holy habitation.
God (M)settles the solitary in a home;
    he (N)leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
    but (O)the rebellious dwell in (P)a parched land.

O God, when you (Q)went out before your people,
    (R)when you marched through (S)the wilderness, Selah
(T)the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain,
    before God, the One of Sinai,
    before God,[a] the God of Israel.
(U)Rain in abundance, O God, you shed abroad;
    you restored your inheritance as it languished;
10 your flock[b] found a dwelling in it;
    in your goodness, O God, you (V)provided for the needy.

11 The Lord gives (W)the word;
    (X)the women who announce the news are a great host:
12     (Y)“The kings of the armies—they flee, they flee!”
The women at home (Z)divide the spoil—
13     though you men lie among (AA)the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
    its pinions with shimmering gold.
14 When the Almighty scatters kings there,
    let snow fall on (AB)Zalmon.

15 O mountain of God, mountain of Bashan;
    O many-peaked[c] mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
    at the mount that God (AC)desired for his abode,
    yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
17 (AD)The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
    thousands upon thousands;
    the Lord is among them; Sinai is now in the sanctuary.
18 (AE)You ascended on high,
    (AF)leading a host of captives in your train
    and (AG)receiving gifts among men,
even among (AH)the rebellious, (AI)that the Lord God may dwell there.

19 Blessed be the Lord,
    who daily (AJ)bears us up;
    God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation,
    (AK)and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death.
21 (AL)But God will strike the heads of his enemies,
    the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways.
22 The Lord said,
    “I will bring them back (AM)from Bashan,
(AN)I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 that you may (AO)strike your feet in their blood,
    that (AP)the tongues of your dogs may have their portion from the foe.”

24 Your procession is[d] seen, O God,
    the procession of my God, my King, into the sanctuary—
25 (AQ)the singers in front, (AR)the musicians last,
    between them (AS)virgins playing tambourines:
26 (AT)“Bless God in the great congregation,
    the Lord, O you[e] who are of (AU)Israel's fountain!”
27 There is (AV)Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
    the princes of Judah in their throng,
    the princes of (AW)Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28 (AX)Summon your power, O God,[f]
    the power, O God, by which you have worked for us.
29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem
    kings shall (AY)bear gifts to you.
30 Rebuke (AZ)the beasts that dwell among the reeds,
    the herd of (BA)bulls with the calves of the peoples.
(BB)Trample underfoot those who lust after tribute;
    scatter the peoples who delight in war.[g]
31 Nobles shall come from (BC)Egypt;
    (BD)Cush shall hasten to (BE)stretch out her hands to God.

32 (BF)O kingdoms of the earth, sing to God;
    sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 to him (BG)who rides in (BH)the heavens, the ancient heavens;
    behold, he (BI)sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 (BJ)Ascribe power to God,
    whose majesty is over Israel,
    and whose (BK)power is in (BL)the skies.
35 (BM)Awesome is God from his[h] (BN)sanctuary;
    the God of Israel—he is the one who gives (BO)power and strength to his people.
Blessed be God!

Job 40:1

40 And the Lord (A)said to Job:

Job 41:1-11

41 [a] “Can you draw out (A)Leviathan[b] with a fishhook
    or press down his tongue with a cord?
Can you put (B)a rope in his nose
    or pierce his jaw with (C)a hook?
Will he make many pleas to you?
    Will he speak to you soft words?
Will he make a covenant with you
    to take him for (D)your servant forever?
Will you play with him as with a bird,
    or will you put him on a leash for your girls?
Will traders bargain over him?
    Will they divide him up among the merchants?
Can you fill his skin with harpoons
    or his head with fishing spears?
Lay your hands on him;
    remember the battle—you will not do it again!
[c] Behold, the hope of a man is false;
    he is laid low even at the sight of him.
10 No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.
    Who then is he who can stand before me?
11 (E)Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
    (F)Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

Acts 16:6-15

The Macedonian Call

And (A)they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but (B)the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down (C)to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 And when Paul[a] had seen the vision, immediately (D)we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

The Conversion of Lydia

11 So, setting sail from Troas, we (E)made a direct voyage to Samothrace, and the following day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to (F)Philippi, which is a leading city of the[b] district of Macedonia and (G)a Roman colony. We remained in this city some days. 13 And (H)on the Sabbath day we went outside the gate (I)to the riverside, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we (J)sat down and spoke to the women who had come together. 14 One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, (K)who was a worshiper of God. The Lord (L)opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul. 15 And after she was baptized, (M)and her household as well, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.” And she (N)prevailed upon us.

John 12:9-19

The Plot to Kill Lazarus

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus[a] was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, (A)whom he had raised from the dead. 10 (B)So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, 11 because (C)on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus.

The Triumphal Entry

12 The next day (D)the large crowd that had come to the feast heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. 13 So they took branches of (E)palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, (F)“Hosanna! Blessed is (G)he who comes in the name of the Lord, even (H)the King of Israel!” 14 And Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, just as it is written,

15 (I)“Fear not, daughter of Zion;
behold, your king is coming,
    sitting on a donkey's colt!”

16 (J)His disciples did not understand these things at first, but (K)when Jesus was glorified, then (L)they remembered that these things had been written about him and had been done to him. 17 (M)The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness. 18 The reason why the crowd went to meet him (N)was that they heard he had done this sign. 19 So the Pharisees said to one another, (O)“You see that you are gaining nothing. Look, (P)the world has gone after him.”

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.