◀ All Reading Plans / Book of Common Prayer / Ps. 75 76; Ps. 23 27; Lev. 23:23–44; 2 Thess. 3:1–18; Matt. 7:13–21 (New Catholic Bible)

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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.

Duration: 861 days

Psalm 75-76

Psalm 75^[a]

God Is Judge of the World

¹For the director.^[b] According to “Do not destroy!” A psalm of Asaph. A song.

²We give thanks^[c] to you, O God,
    we give thanks to you.
For your wondrous deeds
    declare that your name is near.
³^[d]You say, “When I receive the assembly,
    I will judge with equity.
⁴When the earth quakes, with all its inhabitants,
    it is I who will hold its pillars firm.^[e] Selah
⁵^[f]“I say to the arrogant,^[g] ‘Do not boast,’
    and to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horns.
⁶Do not rebel against heaven
    or speak with arrogance against the Rock.’ ”^[h]
⁷^[i]For judgment does not come from east or west,
    nor from the wilderness or the mountains.^[j]
⁸Rather, it is God who judges rightly,
    humbling one and exalting another.^[k]
⁹The Lord holds in his hand a cup
    filled with foaming wine and richly spiced.
When he pours it out,
    all the wicked^[l] of the earth must drink;
    they will drain it down to the dregs.
¹⁰As for me, I will proclaim this forever;
    I will sing praises^[m] to the God of Jacob.
¹¹“I will cut off all the horns of the wicked,
    but the horns of the righteous^[n] will be exalted.”

Psalm 76^[o]

God, Defender of Zion

¹For the director.^[p] With stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph. A song.

²^[q]God is renowned in Judah;
    his name is great in Israel.
³His tent has been established in Salem,
    his dwelling place in Zion.
⁴There he shattered the flashing arrows,
    shields and swords and weapons of war. Selah
⁵^[r]You are awesome and resplendent,
    more majestic than the everlasting mountains.
⁶The bold warriors lie plundered
    and sleeping their last sleep.^[s]
And not one of the men of war
    can lift up his hands.
⁷At your rebuke, O God of Jacob,
    both chariots and horses lie prostrate.
⁸You indeed are awesome;
    who can stand in your presence when your anger is aroused?
⁹You thundered your verdicts from the heavens;
    the earth in its terror was silent
¹⁰when you arose, O God, to judge,
    to rescue all the afflicted of the land.^[t] Selah
¹¹Human wrath only serves to praise you;^[u]
    those who survive your anger will cling to you.
¹²^[v]Make vows to the Lord, your God, and keep them;
    let all the lands nearby
    bring gifts to the Awesome One,
¹³who breaks the spirit of rulers
    and inspires fear in the kings of the earth.

Footnotes

Psalm 75:1 This psalm has parallels to the song of Hannah (see 1 Sam 2:1-10). Freed from the Exile but always dependent on and pestered by those who had taken their place in the land, the People of God give thanks to the Lord. They know that in the end God will make right triumph on earth; the righteous will obtain glory, and the wicked will receive the chastisement they deserve. These oracles proclaim once again the reversal worked by true justice: the proud will be abased, and the humble will be lifted up.
We can pray this psalm with the same sentiments of the psalmist and apply the role of Judge to the risen Christ, to whom the Father has given it. We can proclaim the wondrous deeds of our Savior, who will come to save the righteous and punish the wicked on the last day.
Psalm 75:1 For the director: thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. According to “Do not destroy!”: see note on Ps 57:1. Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
Psalm 75:2 Give thanks: this is given in the form of praise (see Pss 7:18; 28:7; 30:13; 35:18). Wondrous deeds: see note on Ps 9:2. Name: see note on Ps 5:12.
Psalm 75:3 This is a reassuring word from God, possibly through prophetic words already uttered by the Prophets (e.g., Isaiah in 2 Ki 19:21-34). When I receive the assembly: another possible translation is: “I choose the appointed time.”
Psalm 75:4 God is the Master of the moral order as well as the physical universe, and he keeps them stable (see Pss 93:1f; 96:10; 1 Sam 2:8) or makes them quake (see Ps 18:8; Job 26:11); no cataclysm escapes his will (see Pss 46:3f; 60:4), and he alone establishes the hour of the judgment (see Hab 2:3).
Psalm 75:5 This passage recalls Ps 94:4; 1 Sam 2:3; Job 15:25f. The wicked are fools (see Pss 14:1; 94:7). The horn is the symbol of arrogant and aggressive force (see Pss 89:18; 92:11; Deut 33:17; 1 Ki 22:11); it will be broken (see Jer 48:25; Zec 2:1-4).
Psalm 75:5 The Lord speaks to those who incite chaos and immorality: the arrogant and the wicked who live without God and his laws (see Pss 52:3; 73:3ff).
Psalm 75:6 The wicked even dare to place themselves in direct opposition to God by rebel[ling], i.e., raising their horns against heaven and speaking with arrogance, i.e., with outstretched neck—a common gesture of opposition.
Psalm 75:7 Concerning these first two verses of the response from earth (vv. 7-8), possibly by a Levite, see 1 Sam 2:7; Dan 2:21. The oracles against the nations envisaged such and such a power, in the north (see Zep 2:13), in the south (see Isa 30:6), or in the wilderness (Isa 21:1); other oracles were directed against the mountains of Israel (see Ezek 6:2; 36:1), or the forests of the south (see Ezek 21:2f). Here, the wilderness represents the south, and the mountains (Lebanon) stand for the north (see note on v. 7, below). As in Zec 1:16, the accent is placed on the universality of the divine judgment (see v. 9) on the day of the Lord (see Mt 24:23ff).
Psalm 75:7 For judgment does not come . . . the mountains: another possible translation is: “No one from the east or the west / or from the wilderness can exalt a man.” In other words, search where we may, there is no other arbiter but God; therefore, no earthly honor is anything but provisional. Furthermore, no one can escape God’s judgment (see Ps 139); God will bring down anyone who exalts himself.
Psalm 75:8 Indeed, judgment belongs to God alone, for he is sovereign in judgment and in redemption.
Psalm 75:9 All the wicked will be vanquished by God. The image of the cup full of foaming and dizzying wine is taken from the Prophets (see Isa 51:17; Jer 25:15; 49:12; Lam 4:21; Ezek 23:31; Hab 2:15); it has already appeared in Ps 60:5 (see Job 21:20) and will reappear in Rev 14:10. See also note on Ps 16:5.
Psalm 75:10 It is unclear who is speaking in this verse. It may be the Levite in his own name or as a representative of his people. Sing praises: see note on Ps 7:18. Jacob: i.e., Israel (see Gen 32:28).
Psalm 75:11 This verse appears to be another word from the Lord to go with verses 2-5, above. He indicates that even if godlessness now triumphs and justice is subverted, at the end of time the Messiah will come to judge the nations in fulfillment of the promise about the victory of the righteous.
Psalm 76:1 In 701 B.C., the mighty army of Sennacherib had camped beneath the walls of Jerusalem. One night the attacker suddenly lifted the siege. What mysterious terror did the Lord employ to put to rout the forces of that haughty ruler? It is the victory of God at Jerusalem; and in the holy city, God reveals himself through his triumphs (see 2 Ki 19:35). The memory of this event remained engraved in the minds of the people (see 2 Mac 8:19; Sir 48:21) and became the symbol for the salvation awaited by the poor, the remnant of God.
Like Ps 46, this hymn to the glory of Zion is doubtless inspired by that event; it restores the courage and hope of the exiles returning from Babylon after 538 B.C. The fearsome God prostrates the powerful of the world and saves the lowly. This confidence of the poor will continuously rise from the heart of humankind in protest against haughty dominators as an announcement of the judgment of God.
It is by the glorious Christ that God the Father dwells in and protects his new people, the Church. With this psalm, we can rightly celebrate our Savior, who is terrible for his enemies: the devil, sin, and death.
Psalm 76:1 For the director: these words are thought to be a musical or liturgical notation. Asaph: see notes on Pss 73–89.
Psalm 76:2 The Lord has chosen Salem (ancient name for Jerusalem; see Gen 14:18; Heb 7:1-3) as his royal city so that both the southern kingdom (Judah) and the northern kingdom (Israel) may gain reassurance that God is in their midst (see Ps 46).
Psalm 76:5 Praise of God’s mighty deed against the Assyrians and his judgment of evildoers.
Psalm 76:6 Last sleep: allusion to the night of which 2 Ki 19:35 speaks (see Ps 13:5; Jer 51:39, 57; Nah 3:18).
Psalm 76:10 Rescue all the afflicted of the land: the psalmist widens his perspectives to include not only the inhabitants of Zion, but also all the lowly who will be saved by God’s defeat of the rulers and war leaders.
Psalm 76:11 Praise you: everyone must give honor to the Most High—even those who rebel against the Lord and his kingdom must proclaim his honor and glory. When wrath leads men to do evil, it also leads to God’s praise when he defeats them. The same theme is found in an alternative translation: “your wrath against men brings you praise”; in his wrath, he brings down the wicked and obtains praise from those he has thus rescued. Furthermore, God’s wrath against evil is never exhausted. This should gain him the praise and fear of all peoples.
Psalm 76:12 All people must respond wisely to the Lord. His covenant people must keep their vows to him. The Gentiles must offer homage to this Awesome One who rules over everyone, including kings.

Psalm 23

Psalm 23^[a]

Prayer to the Good Shepherd

¹A psalm of David.

The Lord is my shepherd;
    there is nothing I shall lack.
²He makes me lie down in green pastures;^[b]
    he leads me to tranquil streams.
³He restores my soul,^[c]
    guiding me in paths of righteousness
    so that his name may be glorified.
⁴Even though I wander
    through the valley of the shadow of death,^[d]
I will fear no evil,
    for you are at my side,
with your rod and your staff
    that comfort me.
⁵^[e]You spread a table for me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;^[f]
    my cup overflows.
⁶Only goodness and kindness^[g] will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever and ever.

Footnotes

Psalm 23:1 This psalm is a profession of joyful trust in the Lord as the good Shepherd-King that has become one of the world’s greatest prayers. The image of God in shepherd’s garb has parallels in the Prophets (see Isa 40:11; Ezek 34:11-16) and will be the best known of the allegories in which Jesus speaks of himself (see Jn 10:11-18), so much so that the New Testament writers love to give him this title (see Heb 13:20; 1 Pet 2:25; Rev 7:17). The water, oil, and cup of wine of which the text speaks made Christians think of the Sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation, and Eucharist. As a result, the psalm used to be sung during the Easter Vigil by the newly baptized, who were filled with the joy of God.
In praying this psalm, we can dwell on the fact that the heavenly Father’s love embraces us from eternity, preparing for us in Christ all kinds of spiritual blessings: election, adoption, redemption, incorporation into Christ (see Eph 1:3-14). He watches over us solicitously (see Mt 6:25-34) and follows us through the Good Shepherd who seeks out the straying sheep until he finds it again (see Lk 15).
Psalm 23:2 Green pastures: a symbol for everything that makes life flourish. Tranquil streams: literally, “waters of resting places,” waters that bring refreshment and well-being (see Isa 49:10).
Psalm 23:3 Restores my soul: the Lord revitalizes the psalmist’s spirit (see Ps 19:8; Ru 4:15; Prov 25:13; Lam 1:16). Paths of righteousness: paths that conform to the will of the Lord, the “right way.”
Psalm 23:4 Valley of the shadow of death: another possible translation is: “through the darkest valley.” It refers to any situation that is death-threatening.
Psalm 23:5 What was only a comparison used by the psalmist to indicate the happiness of those who dwell in the house of the Lord has become a wonderful reality in the New Covenant. God sets the table for all who as members of his Church seek rest and protection in the house of God during their pilgrimage. He gives them the Bread of Heaven and the cup of his love and the riches of his grace—Christ’s Precious Blood and the anointing of the Spirit with his sevenfold gifts.
Psalm 23:5 In the ancient Near East, covenants were frequently made at a meal (see Ps 41:10; Gen 31:54; Ob 7). Anoint my head with oil: reception customarily accorded to an honored guest at a banquet (see Lk 7:46; see also 2 Sam 12:20; Eccl 9:8; Dan 10:3). Cup: the same image is found in Pss 16:5; 75:9; 116:13. This verse indicates that the Messianic Banquet (see Ps 22:27) is reserved for the righteous; the wicked are excluded from it (see Isa 65:13f).
Psalm 23:6 Goodness and kindness: the terms often refer to blessings of God’s covenant with Israel; here they are personified (see Pss 25:21; 43:3; 79:8; 89:14). Days of my life: see Pss 27:4; 128:5. Forever: this word could mean “throughout the years.” However, since even the pagan people surrounding Israel believed that human life continued after death in some kind of shadowy existence in the netherworld (see notes on Pss 11:7; 16:9-11), the word “forever” legitimately can be taken in its true sense.

Psalm 27

Psalm 27^[a]

Trust in God, Our Light and Salvation

¹Of David.

The Lord is my light^[b] and my salvation;
    whom should I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom should I be afraid?
²When evildoers close in on me
    to devour my flesh,^[c]
it is they, my adversaries and enemies,
    who stumble and fall.
³Even if an army encamps against me,
    my heart^[d] will not succumb to fear;
even if war breaks out against me,
    I will not have my trust shaken.
⁴There is only one thing I ask of the Lord,
    just one thing I seek:
to dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
so that I may enjoy the beauty of the Lord^[e]
    and gaze on his temple.
⁵For he will hide me in his shelter
    in times of trouble.
He will conceal me under the cover of his tent^[f]
    and place me high upon a rock.
⁶Even now my head is raised high
    above my enemies who surround me.
In his tent I will offer sacrifices^[g] with joyous shouts;
    I will sing and chant praise to the Lord.
⁷O Lord, hear my voice when I cry out;
    be merciful to me and answer me.
⁸My heart^[h] says of you,
    “Seek his face.”
It is your face, O Lord, that I seek;
⁹    do not hide your face^[i] from me.
Do not turn away your servant in anger,
    you who have been my help.
Do not reject or forsake me,
    O God, my Savior.
¹⁰Even if my father and mother abandon me,
    the Lord will gather me up.^[j]
¹¹Teach me your way,^[k] O Lord,
    and lead me along a level path
    because of my enemies.
¹²Do not abandon me to the will of my adversaries,
    for lying witnesses have risen against me,
    breathing forth violence in their malice.
¹³I am confident that I will behold the goodness of the Lord^[l]
    in the land of the living.
¹⁴Place your hope in the Lord:
    be strong and courageous in your heart,
    and place your hope in the Lord.

Footnotes

Psalm 27:1 Although enemies or the difficulties of existence may be multiplied, the believer finds a sure refuge in God—such is the cry of trust that opens this psalm. Then the movement of the prayer deepens, becoming the search and avid desire for God. It is in the temple that one discovers the presence of the Lord in the sacrifice, chant, supplication, and the law. If such a search becomes necessary for life, will not God be present to his most forsaken and pressured servant?
In praying this psalm, we can place a similar confidence in God and the Lord Jesus, one capable of enabling us to overcome all adversity and death itself.
Psalm 27:1 The Lord is my light: “light” often symbolizes happiness and well-being (see Pss 18:29; 36:10; 43:3; 97:11) or life and salvation (see Isa 9:2; 49:6; 58:8; Jer 13:16; Am 5:18-20), whose source is the Lord (see Isa 10:17; Mic 7:8f).
Psalm 27:2 To devour my flesh: the psalmist’s enemies are like rapacious beasts (see Pss 7:3; 17:12; 22:13f, 17); in the figurative sense, this refers to calumny (see Dan 3:8).
Psalm 27:3 With the Lord as his stronghold and helper, the psalmist fears nothing—not even an army arrayed against him. So long as this strong union with God remains unbroken, the psalmist is secure. Heart: see note on Ps 4:8.
Psalm 27:4 Tarrying in the house of the Lord is an expression and sign of spiritual union with God and intimacy with him. Beauty of the Lord: i.e., his goodness (see Ps 90:17).
Psalm 27:5 Shelter . . . tent: references to the sanctuary of Jerusalem (see Rev 7:15f). See also Pss 31:21; 32:7; 61:5; 91:1.
Psalm 27:6 I will offer sacrifices: see note on Ps 7:18.
Psalm 27:8 Heart: see note on Ps 4:8. Seek his face: an idiom meaning to commune with the Lord, originating in the custom of pilgrimages to sacred places (see Pss 24:6; 105:4; 2 Sam 21:1; Hos 5:15). It then took on the general sense of seeking to know the Lord, anticipate his desires, and live in his presence. In a word, to seek the Lord is to serve him faithfully (Deut 4:29-31).
Psalm 27:9 Hide your face: see note on Ps 13:2.
Psalm 27:10 Union with God gives confidence in prayer; and prayer is something that even the most devout person must do. Sirach says: “Pray in [the Lord’s] presence” (17:25) and “Let nothing hinder you from promptly discharging your vows [i.e., your prayer]” (18:22).
Psalm 27:11 Your way: God’s manner of dealing kindly with those who remain faithful to the covenant by keeping his commandments (see Pss 86:11; 128:1; 143:8).
Psalm 27:13 Goodness of the Lord: the good things promised in the covenant with David (see 2 Sam 7:28). Land of the living: reference to this life or to the temple (see Pss 52:7; 116:9; Isa 38:11), where the God of life is present; the psalmist is speaking of the world of the living as opposed to the world of the dead.

Leviticus 23:23-44

²³New Year’s Day.^[a] The Lord said to Moses, ²⁴“Speak to the children of Israel saying: On the first day of the seventh month you shall observe a Sabbath, a memorial with the blowing of trumpets, a holy assembly. ²⁵You shall do no heavy labor. You shall make an offering by fire to the Lord.”

²⁶Day of Atonement.^[b] The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²⁷“The tenth day of the seventh month shall be a Day of Atonement. You shall have a holy assembly and you shall humble yourselves. You shall make an offering by fire to the Lord. ²⁸You shall not work on this day, for it is a Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord, your God. ²⁹Whoever does not humble himself that day shall be cut off from among his people. ³⁰I will destroy whoever does any work on that day from among his people. ³¹You shall do absolutely no work. This shall be a statute forever from one generation to the next in all of your dwellings. ³²It shall be a Sabbath of rest for you. You shall humble yourselves on the evening of the ninth of the month. You shall celebrate your Sabbath from that evening until the next.”

³³Feast of Booths.^[c] The Lord said to Moses, ³⁴“Speak to the children of Israel, saying: The fifteenth day of the seventh month shall be the Lord’s Feast of Booths, for seven days. ³⁵On the first day you shall have a holy assembly. You shall do no heavy labor. ³⁶For seven days you shall make an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy assembly and you shall make an offering by fire to the Lord. It is a holy assembly, and you shall do no heavy labor. ³⁷These are the feasts of the Lord on which you shall proclaim holy assemblies, making a burnt offering to the Lord, and offering up a cereal offering, a sacrifice, and a drink offering, each on its own day, ³⁸in addition to the Sabbaths of the Lord, your gifts, your vows, and all of the free-will offerings that you give to the Lord. ³⁹On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord for seven days. On the first day there will be a Sabbath rest, and on the eighth day there will be a Sabbath rest. ⁴⁰On the first day you shall gather for yourselves the shoots of the healthy trees, fronds from the palm trees, branches from the leafy trees, and willows from the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord, your God, for seven days. ⁴¹You shall observe it as a feast of the Lord for seven days each year. This is a statute forever, from one generation to the next, that you shall celebrate in the seventh month. ⁴²You shall dwell in tents for seven days. All native-born Israelites shall dwell in tents ⁴³so that all of your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in tents when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord, your God.”

⁴⁴This is how Moses described the feasts of the Lord to the children of Israel.

2 Thessalonians 3

Chapter 3

Request for Prayers. ¹Finally, brethren, pray for us, so that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified, as it was with you. ²Pray too that we may be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not all have faith.

³However, the Lord is faithful. He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. ⁴And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do all that we direct you to do. ⁵May the Lord guide your hearts to the love of God and the steadfastness of Christ.

Christian Value of Work.^[a] ⁶In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, brethren, we command you to keep your distance from any of the brethren who are living an idle existence and who disregard the tradition you received from us. ⁷For you yourselves know how you should follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you. ⁸We did not ever accept food from anyone, but with toil and drudgery we worked night and day so that we would not burden any of you. ⁹We did so, not because we have no right to accept such help, but to present ourselves as a model for you to imitate.

¹⁰In fact, even when we were with you, we charged that anyone who was unwilling to work should not eat. ¹¹Now we have been told that some among you are living a life of idleness, not working but acting as busybodies. ¹²We command and urge such people in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and earn their own living.

¹³Brethren, never grow weary of doing what is right. ¹⁴If anyone refuses to obey our instructions in this letter, take note of him and have nothing to do with him so that he may be put to shame. ¹⁵However, do not treat him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.

Conclusion^[b]

¹⁶Final Prayer. May the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you.

¹⁷Final Blessing. I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. It is the distinguishing mark of every letter of mine. ¹⁸The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.

Matthew 7:13-21

¹³The Two Ways.^[a]“Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. ¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and those who find it are few in number.

¹⁵False Prophets and True Disciples.^[b]“Be on guard against false prophets who come to you disguised in sheep’s clothing, but who inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶By their fruits you will know them. Does one pick grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but a rotten tree produces bad fruit. ¹⁸A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus, by their fruits you will know them.

²¹“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my heavenly Father.

New Catholic Bible (NCB)

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 75[a]

God Is Judge of the World

Psalm 76[o]

God, Defender of Zion

Footnotes

Psalm 23[a]

Prayer to the Good Shepherd

Footnotes

Psalm 27[a]

Trust in God, Our Light and Salvation

Footnotes

Footnotes

Chapter 3

Conclusion[b]

Footnotes

Footnotes

Psalm 75^[a]

Psalm 76^[o]

Psalm 23^[a]

Psalm 27^[a]

Conclusion^[b]