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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 30

Joy Comes with the Morning

A Psalm of David. A song at the dedication of (A)the temple.

30 I will (B)extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes (C)rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I (D)cried to you for help,
    and you have (E)healed me.
O Lord, you have brought up my soul from (F)Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who (G)go down to the pit.[a]

Sing praises to the Lord, O you (H)his saints,
    and (I)give thanks to his holy name.[b]
(J)For his anger is but for a moment,
    and (K)his favor is for a lifetime.[c]
(L)Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but (M)joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my (N)prosperity,
    “I shall never be (O)moved.”
By your favor, O Lord,
    you made my (P)mountain stand strong;
you (Q)hid your face;
    I was (R)dismayed.

To you, O Lord, I cry,
    and (S)to the Lord I plead for mercy:
“What profit is there in my death,[d]
    if I go down to the pit?[e]
Will (T)the dust praise you?
    Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 (U)Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
    O Lord, be my helper!”

11 You have turned for me my mourning into (V)dancing;
    you have loosed my sackcloth
    and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my (W)glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
    O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

Psalm 32

Blessed Are the Forgiven

A Maskil[a] of David.

32 (A)Blessed is the one whose (B)transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man against whom the Lord (C)counts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit (D)there is no deceit.

For when I kept silent, my (E)bones wasted away
    through my (F)groaning all day long.
For day and night your (G)hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah

I (H)acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I (I)will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Therefore let everyone who is (J)godly
    offer prayer to you at a time when you (K)may be found;
surely in the rush of (L)great waters,
    they shall not reach him.
You are a (M)hiding place for me;
    you preserve me from (N)trouble;
    you surround me with (O)shouts of deliverance. Selah

I will (P)instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will (Q)counsel you with my eye upon you.
(R)Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
    which must be curbed with (S)bit and bridle,
    or it will not stay near you.

10 (T)Many are the sorrows of the wicked,
    but steadfast love surrounds the one who (U)trusts in the Lord.
11 (V)Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous,
    and (W)shout for joy, all you (X)upright in heart!

Psalm 42-43

Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil[a] of (A)the Sons of Korah.

42 (B)As a deer pants for flowing streams,
    so pants my soul for you, O God.
(C)My soul thirsts for God,
    for (D)the living God.
When shall I come and (E)appear before God?[b]
(F)My tears have been my food
    day and night,
(G)while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”
These things I remember,
    as I (H)pour out my soul:
(I)how I would go (J)with the throng
    and lead them in procession to the house of God
with glad shouts and songs of praise,
    (K)a multitude keeping festival.

(L)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you (M)in turmoil within me?
(N)Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation[c] and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;
    therefore I (O)remember you
(P)from the land of Jordan and of (Q)Hermon,
    from Mount Mizar.
Deep calls to deep
    at the roar of your waterfalls;
(R)all your breakers and your (S)waves
    have gone over me.
By day the Lord (T)commands his steadfast love,
    and at (U)night his song is with me,
    a prayer to the God of my life.
I say to God, (V)my rock:
    “Why have you forgotten me?
(W)Why do I go mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?”
10 As with a deadly wound in my bones,
    my adversaries taunt me,
(X)while they say to me all the day long,
    “Where is your God?”

11 (Y)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

43 (Z)Vindicate me, O God, and (AA)defend my cause
    against an ungodly people,
from (AB)the deceitful and unjust man
    deliver me!
For you are (AC)the God in whom I take refuge;
    why have you (AD)rejected me?
Why do I (AE)go about mourning
    because of the oppression of the enemy?

(AF)Send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your (AG)holy hill
    and to your (AH)dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
    O God, my God.

(AI)Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you in turmoil within me?
(AJ)Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my salvation and my God.

Haggai 2:1-9

The Coming Glory of the Temple

(A)In the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet: “Speak now to (B)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to (C)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to all the remnant of the people, and say, (D)‘Who is left among you who saw this house (E)in its former glory? How do you see it now? (F)Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Yet now (G)be strong, O (H)Zerubbabel, declares the Lord. (I)Be strong, O (J)Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest. (K)Be strong, all you people of the land, declares the Lord. (L)Work, for (M)I am with you, declares the Lord of hosts, (N)according to the covenant that I made with you when you came out of Egypt. (O)My Spirit remains in your midst. (P)Fear not. For thus says the Lord of hosts: (Q)Yet once more, in a little while, (R)I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land. And I will shake all nations, so that the treasures of all nations shall come in, and (S)I will fill this house with glory, says the Lord of hosts. (T)The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, declares the Lord of hosts. (U)The latter glory of this house shall be greater than the former, says the Lord of hosts. And (V)in this place I will give peace, declares the Lord of hosts.’”

Revelation 3:1-6

To the Church in Sardis

“And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him (A)who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation (B)of being alive, (C)but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works (D)complete in the sight of my God. (E)Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, (F)I will come (G)like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you. Yet you have still a few names in Sardis, people who have not (H)soiled their garments, and they will walk with me (I)in white, for they are (J)worthy. (K)The one who conquers will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never (L)blot his name out of (M)the book of life. (N)I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels. (O)He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

Matthew 24:1-14

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

24 (A)Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, (B)there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

As he sat on (C)the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him (D)privately, saying, “Tell us, (E)when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your (F)coming and of (G)the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them, (H)“See that no one leads you astray. For (I)many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am (J)the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you (K)are not alarmed, for this (L)must take place, but the end is not yet. For (M)nation will rise against nation, and (N)kingdom against kingdom, and there will be (O)famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of (P)the birth pains.

“Then (Q)they will deliver you up (R)to tribulation and (S)put you to death, and (T)you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then many will fall away[a] and (U)betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many (V)false prophets will arise (W)and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, (X)the love of many will grow cold. 13 (Y)But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom (Z)will be proclaimed throughout the whole world (AA)as a testimony (AB)to all nations, and (AC)then the end will come.

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.