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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 8

How Majestic Is Your Name

To the choirmaster: according to The (A)Gittith.[a] A Psalm of David.

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your (B)name in all the earth!
You have set your (C)glory above the heavens.
    (D)Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established (E)strength because of your foes,
    to still (F)the enemy and the avenger.

When I (G)look at your heavens, the work of your (H)fingers,
    the moon and the stars, (I)which you have set in place,
(J)what is man that you are (K)mindful of him,
    and (L)the son of man that you (M)care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than (N)the heavenly beings[b]
    and crowned him with (O)glory and honor.
You have given him (P)dominion over the works of your hands;
    (Q)you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
    and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
    whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Psalm 148

Praise the Name of the Lord

148 (A)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord (B)from the heavens;
    praise him (C)in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his (D)hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon,
    praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you (E)highest heavens,
    and you (F)waters above the heavens!

(G)Let them praise the name of the Lord!
    For (H)he commanded and they were created.
And he (I)established them forever and ever;
    he gave (J)a decree, and it shall not (K)pass away.[a]

Praise the Lord (L)from the earth,
    you (M)great sea creatures and all deeps,
(N)fire and hail, (O)snow and mist,
    (P)stormy wind (Q)fulfilling his word!

(R)Mountains and all hills,
    (S)fruit trees and all (T)cedars!
10 (U)Beasts and all livestock,
    creeping things and (V)flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and (W)all peoples,
    princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
    old men and children!

13 (X)Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for (Y)his name alone is exalted;
    (Z)his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has (AA)raised up a horn for his people,
    (AB)praise for all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are (AC)near to him.
(AD)Praise the Lord!

Job 38:1-7

The Lord Answers Job

38 Then the Lord (A)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:

“Who is this that (B)darkens counsel by words (C)without knowledge?
(D)Dress for action[a] like a man;
    I will question you, and you make it known to me.

“Where were you when I (E)laid the foundation of the earth?
    Tell me, if you have understanding.
Who determined its measurements—surely you know!
    Or who stretched the line upon it?
On what were its bases sunk,
    or who laid its cornerstone,
when the morning stars (F)sang together
    and all (G)the sons of God (H)shouted for joy?

Hebrews 1

The Supremacy of God's Son

Long ago, at many times and (A)in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but (B)in these last days (C)he has spoken to us by (D)his Son, whom he appointed (E)the heir of all things, (F)through whom also he created (G)the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and (H)the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. (I)After making purification for sins, (J)he sat down (K)at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name (L)he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

For to which of the angels did God ever say,

(M)“You are my Son,
    today I have begotten you”?

Or again,

(N)“I will be to him a father,
    and he shall be to me a son”?

And again, when he brings (O)the firstborn into the world, he says,

(P)“Let all God's angels worship him.”

Of the angels he says,

(Q)“He makes his angels winds,
    and his ministers a flame of fire.”

But of the Son he says,

(R)“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever,
    the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, (S)has anointed you
    with (T)the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

10 And,

(U)“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands;
11 they will perish, but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment,
12 like a robe you will roll them up,
    like a garment they will be changed.[a]
But you are (V)the same,
    and your years will have no end.”

13 And to which of the angels has he ever said,

(W)“Sit at my right hand
    (X)until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

14 Are they not all ministering spirits (Y)sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to (Z)inherit salvation?

Psalm 34

Taste and See That the Lord Is Good

[a] Of David, when he (A)changed his behavior before (B)Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.

34 I will bless the Lord (C)at all times;
    his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul (D)makes its boast in the Lord;
    let the humble hear and (E)be glad.
Oh, (F)magnify the Lord with me,
    and let us exalt his name together!

I (G)sought the Lord, and he answered me
    and delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are (H)radiant,
    and their faces shall never be ashamed.
(I)This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him
    and (J)saved him out of all his troubles.
(K)The angel of the Lord (L)encamps
    around those who fear him, and delivers them.

Oh, (M)taste and see that (N)the Lord is good!
    (O)Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
    for those who fear him have no lack!
10 (P)The young lions suffer want and hunger;
    but those who (Q)seek the Lord lack no good thing.

11 (R)Come, O children, listen to me;
    (S)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 (T)What man is there who desires life
    and loves many days, that he may (U)see good?
13 (V)Keep your tongue from evil
    and your lips from (W)speaking deceit.
14 (X)Turn away from evil and do good;
    seek peace and (Y)pursue it.

15 (Z)The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
    (AA)and his ears toward their cry.
16 (AB)The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
    to (AC)cut off the memory of them from the earth.
17 (AD)When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
    and delivers them out of all their troubles.
18 The Lord is near to (AE)the brokenhearted
    and saves (AF)the crushed in spirit.

19 (AG)Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
    (AH)but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
20 He keeps all his bones;
    (AI)not one of them is broken.
21 (AJ)Affliction will slay the wicked,
    and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord (AK)redeems the life of his servants;
    none of those who take refuge in him will be (AL)condemned.

Psalm 150

Let Everything Praise the Lord

150 (A)Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his (B)sanctuary;
    praise him in (C)his mighty heavens![a]
Praise him for his (D)mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his excellent (E)greatness!

Praise him with (F)trumpet sound;
    praise him with (G)lute and (H)harp!
Praise him with (I)tambourine and (J)dance;
    praise him with (K)strings and (L)pipe!
Praise him with sounding (M)cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let (N)everything that has breath praise the Lord!
(O)Praise the Lord!

Psalm 104

O Lord My God, You Are Very Great

104 (A)Bless the Lord, O my soul!
    O Lord my God, you are (B)very great!
(C)You are clothed with splendor and majesty,
    covering yourself with light as with a garment,
    (D)stretching out the heavens (E)like a tent.
He (F)lays the beams of his (G)chambers on the waters;
he makes (H)the clouds his chariot;
    he rides on (I)the wings of the wind;
he (J)makes his messengers winds,
    his (K)ministers (L)a flaming fire.

He (M)set the earth on its foundations,
    so that it should never be moved.
You (N)covered it with the deep as with a garment;
    the waters stood above the mountains.
At (O)your rebuke they fled;
    at (P)the sound of your thunder they (Q)took to flight.
The mountains rose, the valleys sank down
    to the place that you (R)appointed for them.
You set (S)a boundary that they may not pass,
    so that they (T)might not again cover the earth.

10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
    they flow between the hills;
11 they (U)give drink to every beast of the field;
    the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Beside them the birds of the heavens dwell;
    they sing among the branches.
13 (V)From your lofty abode you (W)water the mountains;
    the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.

14 You cause (X)the grass to grow for the livestock
    and (Y)plants for man to cultivate,
that he may bring forth (Z)food from the earth
15     and (AA)wine to gladden the heart of man,
(AB)oil to make his face shine
    and bread to (AC)strengthen man's heart.

16 The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
    (AD)the cedars of Lebanon (AE)that he planted.
17 In them the birds build their nests;
    the stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high mountains are for (AF)the wild goats;
    the rocks are a refuge for (AG)the rock badgers.

19 He made the moon to mark the (AH)seasons;[a]
    the sun knows its time for setting.
20 (AI)You make darkness, and it is night,
    when all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 (AJ)The young lions roar for their prey,
    seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they steal away
    and lie down in their (AK)dens.
23 (AL)Man goes out to his work
    and to his labor until the evening.

24 O Lord, how manifold are your works!
    In (AM)wisdom have you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
25 Here is the sea, great and wide,
    (AN)which teems with creatures innumerable,
    living things both small and great.
26 There go the ships,
    and (AO)Leviathan, which you formed to (AP)play in it.[b]

27 These (AQ)all look to you,
    to (AR)give them their food in due season.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;
    when you (AS)open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29 When you (AT)hide your face, they are (AU)dismayed;
    when you (AV)take away their breath, they die
    and (AW)return to their dust.
30 When you (AX)send forth your Spirit,[c] they are created,
    and you (AY)renew the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord (AZ)endure forever;
    may the Lord (BA)rejoice in his works,
32 who looks on the earth and it (BB)trembles,
    who (BC)touches the mountains and they smoke!
33 I will sing to the Lord (BD)as long as I live;
    I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my (BE)meditation be pleasing to him,
    for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let (BF)sinners be consumed from the earth,
    and let the wicked be no more!
(BG)Bless the Lord, O my soul!
(BH)Praise the Lord!

Mark 13:21-27

21 And (A)then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 (B)For false christs and false prophets will arise and (C)perform signs and wonders, (D)to lead astray, if possible, (E)the elect. 23 But (F)be on guard; (G)I have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man

24 “But in those days, after (H)that tribulation, (I)the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and (J)the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see (K)the Son of Man coming in clouds (L)with great power and glory. 27 And then (M)he will send out the angels and (N)gather (O)his elect from (P)the four winds, from (Q)the ends of the earth (R)to the ends of heaven.

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.