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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 119:145-176

Qoph

145 With my (A)whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!
    I will (B)keep your statutes.
146 I call to you; save me,
    that I may observe your testimonies.
147 I rise before (C)dawn and cry for help;
    I (D)hope in your words.
148 My eyes are awake before (E)the watches of the night,
    that I may meditate on your promise.
149 Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;
    O Lord, (F)according to your justice (G)give me life.
150 They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;
    they are far from your law.
151 But (H)you are near, O Lord,
    and all your commandments are (I)true.
152 Long have I known from your testimonies
    that you have (J)founded them forever.

Resh

153 Look on my (K)affliction and deliver me,
    for (L)I do not forget your law.
154 (M)Plead my cause and redeem me;
    (N)give me life according to your promise!
155 (O)Salvation is far from the wicked,
    (P)for they do not seek your statutes.
156 (Q)Great is your mercy, O Lord;
    (R)give me life according to your rules.
157 (S)Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
    but I do not (T)swerve from your testimonies.
158 I look at (U)the faithless with (V)disgust,
    because they do not keep your commands.
159 Consider how I (W)love your precepts!
    (X)Give me life according to your steadfast love.
160 (Y)The sum of your word is (Z)truth,
    and every one of your (AA)righteous rules endures forever.

Sin and Shin

161 (AB)Princes persecute me (AC)without cause,
    but my heart (AD)stands in awe of your words.
162 I (AE)rejoice at your word
    like one who (AF)finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood,
    but I love (AG)your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you
    for your (AH)righteous rules.
165 Great (AI)peace have those who love your law;
    (AJ)nothing can make them stumble.
166 I (AK)hope for your salvation, O Lord,
    and I do your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your testimonies;
    I (AL)love them exceedingly.
168 I keep your precepts and testimonies,
    (AM)for all my ways are before you.

Taw

169 Let my (AN)cry come before you, O Lord;
    (AO)give me understanding (AP)according to your word!
170 Let my plea come before you;
    (AQ)deliver me according to your word.
171 My lips will (AR)pour forth praise,
    for you (AS)teach me your statutes.
172 My tongue will sing of your word,
    for (AT)all your commandments are right.
173 Let your hand be ready to help me,
    for I have (AU)chosen your precepts.
174 I (AV)long for your salvation, O Lord,
    and your law is my (AW)delight.
175 Let my soul live and praise you,
    and let your rules help me.
176 I have (AX)gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant,
    for I do not (AY)forget your commandments.

Psalm 128-130

Blessed Is Everyone Who Fears the Lord

A Song of (A)Ascents.

128 (B)Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
    who (C)walks in his ways!
You (D)shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands;
    you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you.

Your wife will be like (E)a fruitful vine
    within your house;
your children will be like (F)olive shoots
    around your table.
Behold, thus shall the man be blessed
    who fears the Lord.

(G)The Lord bless you (H)from Zion!
    May you see (I)the prosperity of Jerusalem
    all the days of your life!
May you see your (J)children's children!
    (K)Peace be upon Israel!

They Have Afflicted Me from My Youth

A Song of (L)Ascents.

129 “Greatly[a] have they (M)afflicted me (N)from my youth”—
    (O)let Israel now say—
“Greatly have they (P)afflicted me (Q)from my youth,
    (R)yet they have not prevailed against me.
(S)The plowers plowed (T)upon my back;
    they made long their furrows.”
The Lord is righteous;
    he has cut (U)the cords of the wicked.
May all who hate Zion
    be (V)put to shame and turned backward!
Let them be like (W)the grass on the housetops,
    which (X)withers before it grows up,
with which the reaper does not fill his hand
    nor the binder of sheaves his arms,
nor do those who pass by say,
    (Y)“The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
    We (Z)bless you in the name of the Lord!”

My Soul Waits for the Lord

A Song of (AA)Ascents.

130 Out of (AB)the depths I cry to you, O Lord!
    O Lord, hear my voice!
(AC)Let your ears be attentive
    to (AD)the voice of my pleas for mercy!

If you, O Lord, should (AE)mark iniquities,
    O Lord, who could (AF)stand?
But with you there is (AG)forgiveness,
    (AH)that you may be feared.

I (AI)wait for the Lord, (AJ)my soul waits,
    and (AK)in his word I hope;
my soul (AL)waits for the Lord
    more than (AM)watchmen for (AN)the morning,
    more than watchmen for the morning.

O Israel, (AO)hope in the Lord!
    For (AP)with the Lord there is steadfast love,
    and with him is plentiful redemption.
And he will (AQ)redeem Israel
    from all his iniquities.

1 Samuel 12:1-6

Samuel's Farewell Address

12 And Samuel said to all Israel, “Behold, I have obeyed (A)your voice in all that you have said to me (B)and have made a king over you. And now, behold, the king (C)walks before you, (D)and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before (E)his anointed. (F)Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me[a] and I will restore it to you.” They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man's hand.” And he said to them, “The Lord is witness against you, and (G)his anointed is witness this day, that you have not found anything (H)in my hand.” And they said, “He is witness.”

And Samuel said to the people, (I)“The Lord is witness,[b] who appointed Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

1 Samuel 12:16-25

16 Now therefore (A)stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. 17 (B)Is it not wheat harvest today? (C)I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that (D)your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” 18 So Samuel called upon the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day, (E)and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.

19 And all the people said to Samuel, (F)“Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.” 20 And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet (G)do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 21 And (H)do not turn aside after (I)empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. 22 (J)For the Lord will not forsake his people, (K)for his great name's sake, because (L)it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. 23 Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing (M)to pray for you, (N)and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. 24 (O)Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider (P)what great things he has done for you. 25 But if you still do wickedly, (Q)you shall be swept away, (R)both you and your king.”

Acts 8:14-25

14 Now when (A)the apostles at Jerusalem heard that (B)Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, 15 who came down and prayed for them (C)that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 for (D)he had not yet (E)fallen on any of them, but (F)they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then (G)they laid their hands on them and (H)they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, (I)“May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God (J)with money! 21 You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for (K)your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, (L)if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are in (M)the gall[a] of bitterness and in (N)the bond of iniquity.” 24 And Simon answered, (O)“Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

25 Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, (P)preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Luke 23:1-12

Jesus Before Pilate

23 (A)Then the whole company of them arose and brought him before Pilate. And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man (B)misleading our nation and (C)forbidding us to give tribute to (D)Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, (E)a king.” (F)And Pilate asked him, (G)“Are you the King of the Jews?” And he answered him, (H)“You have said so.” Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, (I)“I find no guilt in this man.” But they were urgent, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, (J)from Galilee even to this place.”

Jesus Before Herod

When Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean. And when he learned that he belonged to (K)Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who was himself in Jerusalem at that time. When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, (L)for he had long desired to see him, (M)because he had heard about him, and he was hoping (N)to see some sign done by him. So he questioned him at some length, but he made no answer. 10 The chief priests and the scribes stood by, vehemently accusing him. 11 And Herod with his soldiers (O)treated him with contempt and (P)mocked him. Then, (Q)arraying him in splendid clothing, he sent him back to Pilate. 12 And (R)Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before this they had been at enmity with each other.

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.