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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 75-76

God Will Judge with Equity

To the choirmaster: according to (A)Do Not Destroy. (B)A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.

75 We give thanks to you, O God;
    we give thanks, for your name is (C)near.
We[a] recount your wondrous deeds.

“At (D)the set time that I appoint
    I will judge (E)with equity.
When the earth (F)totters, and all its inhabitants,
    it is I who keep steady its (G)pillars. Selah
I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
    and to the wicked, (H)‘Do not lift up your horn;
do not lift up your horn on high,
    or speak with haughty neck.’”

For not from the east or from the west
    and not from the wilderness comes (I)lifting up,
but it is (J)God who executes judgment,
    (K)putting down one and lifting up another.
(L)For in the hand of the Lord there is (M)a cup
    with foaming wine, (N)well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
    and all the wicked of the earth
    shall (O)drain it down to the dregs.

But I will declare it forever;
    I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 (P)All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
    (Q)but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.

Who Can Stand Before You?

To the choirmaster: with (R)stringed instruments. A Psalm of (S)Asaph. A Song.

76 In Judah God is (T)known;
    his name is great in Israel.
His (U)abode has been established in (V)Salem,
    his (W)dwelling place in Zion.
There he (X)broke the flashing arrows,
    the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Selah

Glorious are you, more majestic
    (Y)than the mountains full of (Z)prey.
(AA)The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil;
    (AB)they sank into sleep;
all the men of war
    were unable to use their hands.
At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
    both (AC)rider and horse lay stunned.

(AD)But you, you are to be feared!
    Who can (AE)stand before you
    when once your anger is roused?
From the heavens you uttered judgment;
    (AF)the earth feared and was still,
when God (AG)arose to establish judgment,
    to save all the humble of the earth. Selah

10 Surely (AH)the wrath of man shall praise you;
    the remnant[b] of wrath you will put on like a belt.
11 (AI)Make your vows to the Lord your God and perform them;
    let all around him (AJ)bring gifts
    to him who (AK)is to be feared,
12 who (AL)cuts off the spirit of princes,
    who (AM)is to be feared by the kings of the earth.

Psalm 23

The Lord Is My Shepherd

A Psalm of David.

23 The Lord is my (A)shepherd; I shall not (B)want.
    He makes me lie down in green (C)pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.[a]
    He (D)restores my soul.
He (E)leads me in (F)paths of righteousness[b]
    for his (G)name's sake.

Even though I (H)walk through the valley of (I)the shadow of death,[c]
    I will (J)fear no evil,
for (K)you are with me;
    your (L)rod and your staff,
    they comfort me.

You (M)prepare a table before me
    in (N)the presence of my enemies;
you (O)anoint my head with oil;
    my (P)cup overflows.
Surely[d] goodness and mercy[e] shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall (Q)dwell[f] in the house of the Lord
    (R)forever.[g]

Psalm 27

The Lord Is My Light and My Salvation

Of David.

27 The Lord is my (A)light and my (B)salvation;
    (C)whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold[a] of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
    to (D)eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.

(E)Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet[b] I will be confident.

(F)One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may (G)dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon (H)the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire[c] in his temple.

For he will (I)hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will (J)lift me high upon a rock.

And now my (K)head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of (L)joy;
(M)I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

(N)Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
You have said, (O)“Seek[d] my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”[e]
    (P)Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    (Q)O God of my salvation!
10 For (R)my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will (S)take me in.

11 (T)Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on (U)a level path
    because of my enemies.
12 (V)Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for (W)false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they (X)breathe out violence.

13 I believe that I shall look[f] upon (Y)the goodness of the Lord
    in (Z)the land of the living!
14 (AA)Wait for the Lord;
    (AB)be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!

Judges 5:19-31

19 “The kings came, they fought;
    then fought the kings of Canaan,
at (A)Taanach, by the waters of (B)Megiddo;
    (C)they got no spoils of silver.
20 (D)From heaven the stars fought,
    from their courses they fought against Sisera.
21 (E)The torrent Kishon swept them away,
    the ancient torrent, the torrent Kishon.
    March on, my soul, with might!

22 “Then loud beat the horses' hoofs
    with the galloping, galloping of his steeds.

23 “Curse Meroz, says the angel of the Lord,
    curse its inhabitants thoroughly,
(F)because they did not come to the help of the Lord,
    to the help of the Lord against the mighty.

24 “Most blessed of women be (G)Jael,
    the wife of Heber the Kenite,
    of tent-dwelling women most blessed.
25 (H)He asked for water and she gave him milk;
    she brought him curds in a noble's bowl.
26 (I)She sent her hand to the tent peg
    and her right hand to the workmen's mallet;
she struck Sisera;
    she crushed his head;
    she shattered and pierced his temple.
27 Between her feet
    he sank, he fell, he lay still;
between her feet
    he sank, he fell;
where he sank,
    there he fell—dead.

28 (J)“Out of the window she peered,
    the mother of Sisera wailed through (K)the lattice:
‘Why is his chariot so long in coming?
    Why tarry the hoofbeats of his chariots?’
29 Her wisest princesses answer,
    indeed, she answers herself,
30 ‘Have they not found and (L)divided the spoil?—
    A womb or two for every man;
spoil of dyed materials for Sisera,
    spoil of dyed materials embroidered,
    two pieces of dyed work embroidered for the neck as spoil?’

31 (M)“So may all your enemies perish, O Lord!
    But your friends be (N)like the sun (O)as he rises in his might.”

(P)And the land had rest for forty years.

Acts 2:22-36

22 “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, (A)a man attested to you by God (B)with (C)mighty works and wonders and signs that (D)God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— 23 this Jesus,[a] (E)delivered up according to (F)the definite plan and (G)foreknowledge of God, (H)you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. 24 (I)God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because (J)it was not possible for him to be held by it. 25 For David says concerning him,

(K)“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
    for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
26 therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
    my flesh also will dwell (L)in hope.
27 For you will not abandon my soul to (M)Hades,
    (N)or let your (O)Holy One (P)see corruption.
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’

29 “Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about (Q)the patriarch David (R)that he both died and (S)was buried, and (T)his tomb is with us to this day. 30 (U)Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that (V)God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that (W)he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. 32 This Jesus (X)God raised up, (Y)and of that we all are witnesses. 33 (Z)Being therefore (AA)exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from (AB)the Father (AC)the promise of the Holy Spirit, (AD)he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For (AE)David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,

(AF)“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35     until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that (AG)God has made him (AH)both Lord and Christ, this Jesus (AI)whom you crucified.”

Matthew 28:11-20

The Report of the Guard

11 While they were going, behold, some of (A)the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. 12 And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers 13 and said, “Tell people, (B)‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ 14 And if this comes to (C)the governor's ears, we will (D)satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” 15 So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews (E)to this day.

The Great Commission

16 Now the eleven disciples (F)went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they (G)worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, (H)“All authority (I)in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 (J)Go therefore and (K)make disciples of (L)all nations, (M)baptizing them (N)in[a] (O)the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them (P)to observe all that (Q)I have commanded you. And behold, (R)I am with you always, to (S)the end of the age.”

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.