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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
New International Version (NIV)
Version
Psalm 107:33-108:13

33 He turned rivers into a desert,(A)
    flowing springs(B) into thirsty ground,
34 and fruitful land into a salt waste,(C)
    because of the wickedness of those who lived there.
35 He turned the desert into pools of water(D)
    and the parched ground into flowing springs;(E)
36 there he brought the hungry to live,
    and they founded a city where they could settle.
37 They sowed fields and planted vineyards(F)
    that yielded a fruitful harvest;
38 he blessed them, and their numbers greatly increased,(G)
    and he did not let their herds diminish.(H)

39 Then their numbers decreased,(I) and they were humbled(J)
    by oppression, calamity and sorrow;
40 he who pours contempt on nobles(K)
    made them wander in a trackless waste.(L)
41 But he lifted the needy(M) out of their affliction
    and increased their families like flocks.(N)
42 The upright see and rejoice,(O)
    but all the wicked shut their mouths.(P)

43 Let the one who is wise(Q) heed these things
    and ponder the loving deeds(R) of the Lord.

Psalm 108[a](S)(T)

A song. A psalm of David.

My heart, O God, is steadfast;(U)
    I will sing(V) and make music with all my soul.
Awake, harp and lyre!(W)
    I will awaken the dawn.
I will praise you, Lord, among the nations;
    I will sing of you among the peoples.
For great is your love,(X) higher than the heavens;
    your faithfulness(Y) reaches to the skies.(Z)
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;(AA)
    let your glory be over all the earth.(AB)

Save us and help us with your right hand,(AC)
    that those you love may be delivered.
God has spoken(AD) from his sanctuary:(AE)
    “In triumph I will parcel out Shechem(AF)
    and measure off the Valley of Sukkoth.(AG)
Gilead is mine, Manasseh is mine;
    Ephraim is my helmet,
    Judah(AH) is my scepter.
Moab(AI) is my washbasin,
    on Edom(AJ) I toss my sandal;
    over Philistia(AK) I shout in triumph.”

10 Who will bring me to the fortified city?
    Who will lead me to Edom?
11 Is it not you, God, you who have rejected us
    and no longer go out with our armies?(AL)
12 Give us aid against the enemy,
    for human help is worthless.(AM)
13 With God we will gain the victory,
    and he will trample down(AN) our enemies.

Psalm 33

Psalm 33

Sing joyfully(A) to the Lord, you righteous;
    it is fitting(B) for the upright(C) to praise him.
Praise the Lord with the harp;(D)
    make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.(E)
Sing to him a new song;(F)
    play skillfully, and shout for joy.(G)

For the word of the Lord is right(H) and true;(I)
    he is faithful(J) in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;(K)
    the earth is full of his unfailing love.(L)

By the word(M) of the Lord the heavens were made,(N)
    their starry host(O) by the breath of his mouth.
He gathers the waters(P) of the sea into jars[a];(Q)
    he puts the deep into storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the Lord;(R)
    let all the people of the world(S) revere him.(T)
For he spoke, and it came to be;
    he commanded,(U) and it stood firm.

10 The Lord foils(V) the plans(W) of the nations;(X)
    he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
11 But the plans of the Lord stand firm(Y) forever,
    the purposes(Z) of his heart through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,(AA)
    the people he chose(AB) for his inheritance.(AC)
13 From heaven the Lord looks down(AD)
    and sees all mankind;(AE)
14 from his dwelling place(AF) he watches
    all who live on earth—
15 he who forms(AG) the hearts of all,
    who considers everything they do.(AH)

16 No king is saved by the size of his army;(AI)
    no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse(AJ) is a vain hope for deliverance;
    despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes(AK) of the Lord are on those who fear him,
    on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,(AL)
19 to deliver them from death(AM)
    and keep them alive in famine.(AN)

20 We wait(AO) in hope for the Lord;
    he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice,(AP)
    for we trust in his holy name.(AQ)
22 May your unfailing love(AR) be with us, Lord,
    even as we put our hope in you.

1 Samuel 9:15-10:1

15 Now the day before Saul came, the Lord had revealed this to Samuel: 16 “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint(A) him ruler(B) over my people Israel; he will deliver(C) them from the hand of the Philistines.(D) I have looked on my people, for their cry(E) has reached me.”

17 When Samuel caught sight of Saul, the Lord said to him, “This(F) is the man I spoke to you about; he will govern my people.”

18 Saul approached Samuel in the gateway and asked, “Would you please tell me where the seer’s house is?”

19 “I am the seer,” Samuel replied. “Go up ahead of me to the high place, for today you are to eat with me, and in the morning I will send you on your way and will tell you all that is in your heart. 20 As for the donkeys(G) you lost three days ago, do not worry about them; they have been found. And to whom is all the desire(H) of Israel turned, if not to you and your whole family line?”

21 Saul answered, “But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe(I) of Israel, and is not my clan the least(J) of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin?(K) Why do you say such a thing to me?”

22 Then Samuel brought Saul and his servant into the hall and seated them at the head of those who were invited—about thirty in number. 23 Samuel said to the cook, “Bring the piece of meat I gave you, the one I told you to lay aside.”

24 So the cook took up the thigh(L) with what was on it and set it in front of Saul. Samuel said, “Here is what has been kept for you. Eat, because it was set aside for you for this occasion from the time I said, ‘I have invited guests.’” And Saul dined with Samuel that day.

25 After they came down from the high place to the town, Samuel talked with Saul on the roof(M) of his house. 26 They rose about daybreak, and Samuel called to Saul on the roof, “Get ready, and I will send you on your way.” When Saul got ready, he and Samuel went outside together. 27 As they were going down to the edge of the town, Samuel said to Saul, “Tell the servant to go on ahead of us”—and the servant did so—“but you stay here for a while, so that I may give you a message from God.”

10 Then Samuel took a flask(N) of olive oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the Lord anointed(O) you ruler over his inheritance?[a](P)

Acts 7:30-43

30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say:(A) 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers,(B) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’[a] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.(C)

33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.(D) 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’[b](E)

35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’(F) He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt(G) and performed wonders and signs(H) in Egypt, at the Red Sea(I) and for forty years in the wilderness.(J)

37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’[c](K) 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel(L) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;(M) and he received living words(N) to pass on to us.(O)

39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.(P) 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’[d](Q) 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.(R) 42 But God turned away from them(S) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.(T) This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:

“‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
    forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek
    and the star of your god Rephan,
    the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile’[e](U) beyond Babylon.

Luke 22:39-51

Jesus Prays on the Mount of Olives(A)

39 Jesus went out as usual(B) to the Mount of Olives,(C) and his disciples followed him. 40 On reaching the place, he said to them, “Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”(D) 41 He withdrew about a stone’s throw beyond them, knelt down(E) and prayed, 42 “Father, if you are willing, take this cup(F) from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”(G) 43 An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.(H) 44 And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.[a]

45 When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. 46 “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”(I)

Jesus Arrested(J)

47 While he was still speaking a crowd came up, and the man who was called Judas, one of the Twelve, was leading them. He approached Jesus to kiss him, 48 but Jesus asked him, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?”

49 When Jesus’ followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?”(K) 50 And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear.

51 But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man’s ear and healed him.

New International Version (NIV)

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