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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
World English Bible (WEB)
Version
Psalm 131-135

A Song of Ascents. By David.

131 Yahweh, my heart isn’t arrogant, nor my eyes lofty;
    nor do I concern myself with great matters,
    or things too wonderful for me.
Surely I have stilled and quieted my soul,
    like a weaned child with his mother,
    like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Israel, hope in Yahweh,
    from this time forward and forever more.

A Song of Ascents.

132 Yahweh, remember David and all his affliction,
how he swore to Yahweh,
    and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:
“Surely I will not come into the structure of my house,
    nor go up into my bed;
I will not give sleep to my eyes,
    or slumber to my eyelids,
until I find out a place for Yahweh,
    a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”
Behold, we heard of it in Ephrathah.
    We found it in the field of Jaar.
“We will go into his dwelling place.
    We will worship at his footstool.”
Arise, Yahweh, into your resting place,
    you, and the ark of your strength.
Let your priests be clothed with righteousness.
    Let your saints shout for joy!
10 For your servant David’s sake,
    don’t turn away the face of your anointed one.
11 Yahweh has sworn to David in truth.
    He will not turn from it:
    “I will set the fruit of your body on your throne.
12 If your children will keep my covenant,
    my testimony that I will teach them,
    their children also will sit on your throne forever more.”
13 For Yahweh has chosen Zion.
    He has desired it for his habitation.
14 “This is my resting place forever.
    I will live here, for I have desired it.
15 I will abundantly bless her provision.
    I will satisfy her poor with bread.
16 I will also clothe her priests with salvation.
    Her saints will shout aloud for joy.
17 I will make the horn of David to bud there.
    I have ordained a lamp for my anointed.
18 I will clothe his enemies with shame,
    but on himself, his crown will shine.”

A Song of Ascents. By David.

133 See how good and how pleasant it is
    for brothers to live together in unity!
It is like the precious oil on the head,
    that ran down on the beard,
    even Aaron’s beard,
    that came down on the edge of his robes,
like the dew of Hermon,
    that comes down on the hills of Zion;
    for there Yahweh gives the blessing,
    even life forever more.

A Song of Ascents.

134 Look! Praise Yahweh, all you servants of Yahweh,
    who stand by night in Yahweh’s house!
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary.
    Praise Yahweh!
May Yahweh bless you from Zion,
    even he who made heaven and earth.

135 Praise Yah!
    Praise Yahweh’s name!
    Praise him, you servants of Yahweh,
you who stand in Yahweh’s house,
    in the courts of our God’s house.
Praise Yah, for Yahweh is good.
    Sing praises to his name, for that is pleasant.
For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel for his own possession.
For I know that Yahweh is great,
    that our Lord is above all gods.
Whatever Yahweh pleased, that he has done,
    in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.
    He makes lightnings with the rain.
    He brings the wind out of his treasuries.
He struck the firstborn of Egypt,
    both of man and animal.
He sent signs and wonders into the middle of you, Egypt,
    on Pharaoh, and on all his servants.
10 He struck many nations,
    and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
    Og king of Bashan,
    and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land for a heritage,
    a heritage to Israel, his people.
13 Your name, Yahweh, endures forever;
    your renown, Yahweh, throughout all generations.
14 For Yahweh will judge his people
    and have compassion on his servants.

15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    the work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they can’t speak.
    They have eyes, but they can’t see.
17 They have ears, but they can’t hear,
    neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
    yes, everyone who trusts in them.
19 House of Israel, praise Yahweh!
    House of Aaron, praise Yahweh!
20 House of Levi, praise Yahweh!
    You who fear Yahweh, praise Yahweh!
21 Blessed be Yahweh from Zion,
    who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise Yah!

Job 1

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God,[a] and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. His possessions also were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the children of the east. His sons went and held a feast in the house of each one on his birthday; and they sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. It was so, when the days of their feasting had run their course, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job said, “It may be that my sons have sinned, and renounced God in their hearts.” Job did so continually.

Now on the day when God’s sons came to present themselves before Yahweh,[b] Satan also came among them. Yahweh said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.”

Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant, Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil.”

Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 Haven’t you made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will renounce you to your face.”

12 Yahweh said to Satan, “Behold,[c] all that he has is in your power. Only on himself don’t stretch out your hand.”

So Satan went out from the presence of Yahweh. 13 It fell on a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 14 that a messenger came to Job, and said, “The oxen were plowing, and the donkeys feeding beside them, 15 and the Sabeans attacked, and took them away. Yes, they have killed the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

16 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God has fallen from the sky, and has burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

17 While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans made three bands, and swept down on the camels, and have taken them away, yes, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you.”

18 While he was still speaking, there came also another, and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, 19 and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young men, and they are dead. I alone have escaped to tell you.”

20 Then Job arose, and tore his robe, and shaved his head, and fell down on the ground, and worshiped. 21 He said, “Naked I came out of my mother’s womb, and naked will I return there. Yahweh gave, and Yahweh has taken away. Blessed be Yahweh’s name.” 22 In all this, Job didn’t sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing.

Acts 8:26-40

26 Then an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert.”

27 He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship. 28 He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

29 The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.”

30 Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 He said, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He begged Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this,

“He was led as a sheep to the slaughter.
    As a lamb before his shearer is silent,
    so he doesn’t open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away.
    Who will declare His generation?
    For his life is taken from the earth.”(A)

34 The eunuch answered Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?”

35 Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him about Jesus. 36 As they went on the way, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?”

37 [a] 38 He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing. 40 But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

John 6:16-27

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea. 17 They entered into the boat, and were going over the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18 The sea was tossed by a great wind blowing. 19 When therefore they had rowed about twenty-five or thirty stadia,[a] they saw Jesus walking on the sea(A) and drawing near to the boat; and they were afraid. 20 But he said to them, “It is I.[b] Don’t be afraid.” 21 They were willing therefore to receive him into the boat. Immediately the boat was at the land where they were going.

22 On the next day, the multitude that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, except the one in which his disciples had embarked, and that Jesus hadn’t entered with his disciples into the boat, but his disciples had gone away alone. 23 However, boats from Tiberias came near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 When the multitude therefore saw that Jesus wasn’t there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and came to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?”

26 Jesus answered them, “Most certainly I tell you, you seek me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. 27 Don’t work for the food which perishes, but for the food which remains to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has sealed him.”

World English Bible (WEB)

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