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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
American Standard Version (ASV)
Version
Psalm 72

The reign of the righteous king.

A Psalm of Solomon.

72 Give the king thy judgments, O God,
And thy righteousness unto the king’s son.
[a]He will judge thy people with righteousness,
And thy poor with justice.
The mountains shall bring peace to the people,
And the hills, in righteousness.
He will judge the poor of the people,
He will save the children of the needy,
And will break in pieces the oppressor.
They shall fear thee while the sun endureth,
And [b]so long as the moon, throughout all generations.
He will come down like rain upon the mown grass,
As showers that water the earth.
In his days shall the righteous flourish,
And abundance of peace, till the moon be no more.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the River unto the ends of the earth.
They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him;
And his enemies shall lick the dust.
10 The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render tribute:
The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him;
All nations shall serve him.
12 For he will deliver the needy when he crieth,
And the poor, [c]that hath no helper.
13 He will have pity on the [d]poor and needy,
And the souls of the needy he will save.
14 He will redeem their soul from [e]oppression and violence;
And precious will their blood be in his sight:
15 And [f]they shall live; and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba:
And men shall pray for him continually;
They shall bless him all the day long.
16 There shall be [g]abundance of grain in the [h]earth upon the top of the mountains;
The fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon:
And they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.
17 His name shall endure for ever;
His name shall [i]be continued [j]as long as the sun:
And men shall [k]be blessed in him;
All nations shall call him happy.

18 Blessed be Jehovah God, the God of Israel,
Who only doeth wondrous things:
19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever;
And let the whole earth be filled with his glory.
Amen, and Amen.

20 The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

Psalm 119:73-96

י Yodh.

73 Thy hands have made me and [a]fashioned me:
Give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.
74 They that fear thee shall see me and be glad,
Because I have hoped in thy word.
75 I know, O Jehovah, that thy judgments are righteous,
And that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted me.
76 Let, I pray thee, thy lovingkindness be for my comfort,
According to thy word unto thy servant.
77 Let thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live;
For thy law is my delight.
78 Let the proud be put to shame;
for they have overthrown me [b]wrongfully:
But I will meditate on thy precepts.
79 Let those that fear thee turn unto me;
[c]And they shall know thy testimonies.
80 Let my heart be perfect in thy statutes,
That I be not put to shame.

כ Kaph.

81 My soul fainteth for thy salvation;
But I hope in thy word.
82 Mine eyes fail for thy word,
While I say, When wilt thou comfort me?
83 For I am become like a wine-skin in the smoke;
Yet do I not forget thy statutes.
84 How many are the days of thy servant?
When wilt thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?
85 The proud have digged pits for me,
Who are not according to thy law.
86 All thy commandments are faithful:
They persecute me [d]wrongfully; help thou me.
87 They had almost consumed me upon earth;
But I forsook not thy precepts.
88 Quicken me after thy lovingkindness;
So shall I observe the testimony of thy mouth.

ל Lamedh.

89 For ever, O Jehovah,
Thy word is settled in heaven.
90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations:
Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.
91 [e]They abide this day according to thine ordinances;
For all things are thy servants.
92 Unless thy law had been my delight,
I should then have perished in mine affliction.
93 I will never forget thy precepts;
For with them thou hast quickened me.
94 I am thine, save me;
For I have sought thy precepts.
95 The wicked have waited for me, to destroy me;
But I will consider thy testimonies.
96 I have seen an end of all perfection;
But thy commandment is exceeding broad.

Ecclesiastes 9:11-18

11 I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all. 12 For man also knoweth not his time: as the fishes that are taken in an evil net, and as the birds that are caught in the snare, even so are the sons of men snared in an evil time, when it falleth suddenly upon them. 13 I have also seen wisdom under the sun on this wise, and it seemed great unto me: 14 There was a little city, and few men within it; and there came a great king against it, and besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. 15 Now there was found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 17 The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. 18 Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Galatians 5:1-15

For freedom did Christ set us free: stand fast therefore, and be not entangled again in a yoke of bondage.

Behold, I Paul say unto you, that, if ye receive circumcision, Christ will profit you nothing. Yea, I testify again to every man that receiveth circumcision, that he is a debtor to do the whole law. Ye are [a]severed from Christ, ye who would be justified by the law; ye are fallen away from grace. For we through the Spirit by faith wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth anything, nor uncircumcision; but faith [b]working through love. Ye were running well; who hindered you that ye should not obey the truth? This persuasion came not of him that calleth you. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 10 I have confidence to you-ward in the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be. 11 But I, brethren, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? then hath the stumbling-block of the cross been done away. 12 I would that they that unsettle you would even [c]go beyond circumcision.

13 For ye, brethren, were called for freedom; only use not your freedom for an occasion to the flesh, but through love be servants one to another. 14 For the whole law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: [d]Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

Matthew 16:1-12

16 And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and trying him asked him to show them a sign from heaven. But he answered and said unto them, [a]When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather: for the heaven is red. And in the morning, It will be foul weather to-day: for the heaven is red and lowering. Ye know how to discern the face of the heaven; but ye cannot discern the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of Jonah. And he left them, and departed.

And the disciples came to the other side and forgot to take [b]bread. And Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. And they reasoned among themselves, saying, [c]We took no [d]bread. And Jesus perceiving it said, O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, because ye have no [e]bread? Do ye not yet perceive, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many [f]baskets ye took up? 10 Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many [g]baskets ye took up? 11 How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning [h]bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. 12 Then understood they that he bade them not beware of the leaven of [i]bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.