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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 37

Psalm 37^[a]

The Fate of Sinners and the Reward of the Just

¹Of David.

Aleph

Do not be provoked by evildoers;
do not envy those who do wrong.^(A)
²Like grass they wither quickly;
like green plants they wilt away.^(B)

Beth

³Trust in the Lord and do good
that you may dwell in the land^[b] and live secure.^(C)
⁴Find your delight in the Lord
who will give you your heart’s desire.^(D)

Gimel

⁵Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him and he will act^(E)
⁶And make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
your justice like noonday.^(F)

Daleth

⁷Be still before the Lord;
wait for him.
Do not be provoked by the prosperous,
nor by malicious schemers.

He

⁸Refrain from anger; abandon wrath;
do not be provoked; it brings only harm.
⁹Those who do evil will be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord will inherit the earth.^(G)

Waw

¹⁰Wait a little, and the wicked will be no more;
look for them and they will not be there.
¹¹But the poor will inherit the earth,^(H)
will delight in great prosperity.

Zayin

¹²The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;
¹³But my Lord laughs at them,^(I)
because he sees that their day is coming.

Heth

¹⁴The wicked unsheath their swords;
    they string their bows
To fell the poor and oppressed,
    to slaughter those whose way is upright.^(J)
¹⁵Their swords will pierce their own hearts;
    their bows will be broken.

Teth

¹⁶Better the meagerness of the righteous one
than the plenty of the wicked.^(K)
¹⁷The arms of the wicked will be broken,
while the Lord will sustain the righteous.

Yodh

¹⁸The Lord knows the days of the blameless;
their heritage lasts forever.
¹⁹They will not be ashamed when times are bad;
in days of famine they will be satisfied.

Kaph

²⁰The wicked perish,
enemies of the Lord;
They shall be consumed like fattened lambs;
like smoke they disappear.^(L)

Lamedh

²¹The wicked one borrows but does not repay;
the righteous one is generous and gives.
²²For those blessed by the Lord will inherit the earth,
but those accursed will be cut off.

Mem

²³The valiant one whose steps are guided by the Lord,
who will delight in his way,^(M)
²⁴May stumble, but he will never fall,
for the Lord holds his hand.

Nun

²⁵Neither in my youth, nor now in old age
    have I seen the righteous one abandoned^(N)
    or his offspring begging for bread.
²⁶All day long he is gracious and lends,
    and his offspring become a blessing.

Samekh

²⁷Turn from evil and do good,
that you may be settled forever.^(O)
²⁸For the Lord loves justice
and does not abandon the faithful.

Ayin

When the unjust are destroyed,
and the offspring of the wicked cut off,
²⁹The righteous will inherit the earth
and dwell in it forever.^(P)

Pe

³⁰The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom;^(Q)
his tongue speaks what is right.
³¹God’s teaching is in his heart;^(R)
his steps do not falter.

Sadhe

³²The wicked spies on the righteous
and seeks to kill him.
³³But the Lord does not abandon him in his power,
nor let him be condemned when tried.

Qoph

³⁴Wait eagerly for the Lord,
and keep his way;^(S)
He will raise you up to inherit the earth;
you will see when the wicked are cut off.

Resh

³⁵I have seen a ruthless scoundrel,
spreading out like a green cedar.^(T)
³⁶When I passed by again, he was gone;
though I searched, he could not be found.

Shin

³⁷Observe the person of integrity and mark the upright;
Because there is a future for a man of peace.^(U)
³⁸Sinners will be destroyed together;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.

Taw

³⁹The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord,
    their refuge in a time of distress.^(V)
⁴⁰The Lord helps and rescues them,
    rescues and saves them from the wicked,
    because they take refuge in him.

Amos 9:1-10

Chapter 9 Fifth Vision: The Destruction of the Sanctuary

¹I saw the Lord standing beside the altar. And he said:

Strike the capitals
    so that the threshold shakes!
    Break them off on the heads of them all!
Those who are left I will slay with the sword.
Not one shall get away,
    no survivor shall escape.^[a]^(A)
²Though they dig down to Sheol,
    even from there my hand shall take them;
Though they climb to the heavens,
    even from there I shall bring them down.^(B)
³Though they hide on the summit of Carmel,
    there too I will hunt them down and take them;
Though they hide from my gaze at the bottom of the sea,
    there I will command the serpent^[b] to bite them.^(C)
⁴Though they go into captivity before their enemies,
    there I will command the sword to slay them.
I will fix my gaze upon them
    for evil and not for good.

⁵The Lord God of hosts,
Who melts the earth with his touch,
    so that all who dwell on it mourn,
So that it will all rise up like the Nile,
    and subside like the river of Egypt;^(D)
⁶Who has built his upper chamber in heaven,
    and established his vault over the earth;
Who summons the waters of the sea
    and pours them upon the surface of the earth—
    the Lord is his name.^(E)

⁷Are you not like the Ethiopians to me,
    O Israelites?—oracle of the Lord—
Did I not bring the Israelites from the land of Egypt
    as I brought the Philistines from Caphtor
    and the Arameans^[c] from Kir?
⁸See, the eyes of the Lord God are on this sinful kingdom,
    and I will destroy it from the face of the earth—
But I will not destroy the house of Jacob completely—
    oracle of the Lord.
⁹For see, I have given the command
    to sift the house of Israel among all the nations,
As one sifts with a sieve,
    letting no pebble fall to the ground.
¹⁰All sinners among my people shall die by the sword,
    those who say, “Disaster will not reach or overtake us.”^(F)

Revelation 2:8-17

⁸“To the angel of the church in Smyrna,^[a] write this:

“‘The first and the last, who once died but came to life, says this: ⁹“I know your tribulation and poverty, but you are rich.^[b] I know the slander of those who claim to be Jews and are not, but rather are members of the assembly of Satan.^(A) ¹⁰Do not be afraid of anything that you are going to suffer. Indeed, the devil will throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will face an ordeal for ten days. Remain faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹¹“‘“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.^(B) The victor shall not be harmed by the second death.”’^[c]

To Pergamum.^[d] ¹²“To the angel of the church in Pergamum,^[e] write this:

“‘The one with the sharp two-edged sword says this: ¹³“I know that you live where Satan’s throne^[f] is, and yet you hold fast to my name and have not denied your faith in me, not even in the days of Antipas, my faithful witness, who was martyred among you, where Satan lives. ¹⁴^[g]Yet I have a few things against you. You have some people there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the Israelites: to eat food sacrificed to idols and to play the harlot.^(C) ¹⁵Likewise, you also have some people who hold to the teaching of [the] Nicolaitans. ¹⁶Therefore, repent. Otherwise, I will come to you quickly and wage war against them with the sword of my mouth.

¹⁷“‘“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna;^[h] I shall also give a white amulet upon which is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it.”’^(D)

To Thyatira.^[i]

Footnotes

2:8 Smyrna: modern Izmir, ca. thirty miles north of Ephesus, and the chief city of Lydia, with a temple to the goddess Roma. It was renowned for its loyalty to Rome, and it also had a large Jewish community very hostile toward Christians.
2:9–10 The church in Smyrna was materially poor but spiritually rich. Accusations made by Jewish brethren there occasioned the persecution of Christians; cf. Acts 14:2, 19; 17:5, 13.
2:11 The second death: this refers to the eternal death, when sinners will receive their final punishment; cf. Rev 20:6, 14–15; 21:8.
2:12–17 The letter to Pergamum praises the members of the church for persevering in their faith in Christ even in the midst of a pagan setting and in face of persecution and martyrdom (Rev 2:13). But it admonishes them about members who advocate an unprincipled morality (Rev 2:14; cf. 2 Pt 2:15; Jude 11) and others who follow the teaching of the Nicolaitans (Rev 2:15; see note there). It urges them to repent (Rev 2:16) and promises them the hidden manna and Christ’s amulet (Rev 2:17).
2:12 Pergamum: modern Bergama, ca. forty-five miles northeast of Smyrna, a center for various kinds of pagan worship. It also had an outstanding library (the word parchment is derived from its name).
2:13 Satan’s throne: the reference is to emperor worship and other pagan practices that flourished in Pergamum, perhaps specifically to the white marble altar erected and dedicated to Zeus by Eumenes II (197–160 B.C.).
2:14–15 Like Balaam, the biblical prototype of the religious compromiser (cf. Nm 25:1–3; 31:16; 2 Pt 2:15; Jude 11), the Nicolaitans in Pergamum and Ephesus (Rev 2:6) accommodated their Christian faith to paganism. They abused the principle of liberty enunciated by Paul (1 Cor 9:19–23).
2:17 The hidden manna: this is the food of life; cf. Ps 78:24–25. White amulet: literally, “white stone,” on which was written a magical name, whose power could be tapped by one who knew the secret name. It is used here as a symbol of victory and joy; cf. Rev 3:4–5. New name: this is a reference to the Christian’s rebirth in Christ; cf. Rev 3:12; 19:12; Is 62:2; 65:15.
2:18–29 The letter to Thyatira praises the progress in virtue of this small Christian community (Rev 2:19) but admonishes them for tolerating a false prophet who leads them astray (Rev 2:20). Her fate is sealed, but there is hope of repentance for her followers (Rev 2:21–22). Otherwise, they too shall die (Rev 2:23). They are warned against Satanic power or knowledge (Rev 2:24–25). Those who remain faithful will share in the messianic reign, having authority over nations (Rev 2:26–27), and will in fact possess Christ himself (Rev 2:28).

Matthew 23:13-26

¹³^[a]^(A)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You lock the kingdom of heaven^[b] before human beings. You do not enter yourselves, nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter. [¹⁴]^[c]

¹⁵^[d]“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You traverse sea and land to make one convert, and when that happens you make him a child of Gehenna twice as much as yourselves.

¹⁶^[e]^(B)“Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.’ ¹⁷Blind fools, which is greater, the gold, or the temple that made the gold sacred? ¹⁸And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing, but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.’ ¹⁹You blind ones, which is greater, the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? ²⁰^(C)One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it; ²¹one who swears by the temple swears by it and by him who dwells in it; ²²one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by him who is seated on it.

²³^(D)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You pay tithes^[f] of mint and dill and cummin, and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. [But] these you should have done, without neglecting the others. ²⁴^[g]^(E)Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

²⁵^[h]^(F)“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You cleanse the outside of cup and dish, but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence. ²⁶Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may be clean.

Footnotes

23:13–36 This series of seven “woes,” directed against the scribes and Pharisees and addressed to them, is the heart of the speech. The phrase woe to occurs often in the prophetic and apocalyptic literature, expressing horror of a sin and punishment for those who commit it. Hypocrites: see note on Mt 6:2. The hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees consists in the difference between their speech and action (Mt 23:3) and in demonstrations of piety that have no other purpose than to enhance their reputation as religious persons (Mt 23:5).
23:13 You lock the kingdom of heaven: cf. Mt 16:19 where Jesus tells Peter that he will give him the keys to the kingdom of heaven. The purpose of the authority expressed by that metaphor is to give entrance into the kingdom (the kingdom is closed only to those who reject the authority); here the charge is made that the authority of the scribes and Pharisees is exercised in such a way as to be an obstacle to entrance. Cf. Lk 11:52 where the accusation against the “scholars of the law” (Matthew’s scribes) is that they “have taken away the key of knowledge.”
23:14 Some manuscripts add a verse here or after Mt 23:12, “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites. You devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. Because of this, you will receive a very severe condemnation.” Cf. Mk 12:40; Lk 20:47. This “woe” is almost identical with Mk 12:40 and seems to be an interpolation derived from that text.
23:15 In the first century A.D. until the First Jewish Revolt against Rome (A.D. 66–70), many Pharisees conducted a vigorous missionary campaign among Gentiles. Convert: literally, “proselyte,” a Gentile who accepted Judaism fully by submitting to circumcision and all other requirements of Mosaic law. Child of Gehenna: worthy of everlasting punishment; for Gehenna, see note on Mt 5:22. Twice as much as yourselves: possibly this refers simply to the zeal of the convert, surpassing that of the one who converted him.
23:16–22 An attack on the casuistry that declared some oaths binding (one is obligated) and others not (it means nothing) and held the binding oath to be the one made by something of lesser value (the gold; the gift on the altar). Such teaching, which inverts the order of values, reveals the teachers to be blind guides; cf. Mt 15:14. Since the Matthean Jesus forbids all oaths to his disciples (Mt 5:33–37), this woe does not set up a standard for Christian moral conduct, but ridicules the Pharisees on their own terms.
23:23 The Mosaic law ordered tithing of the produce of the land (Lv 27:30; Dt 14:22–23), and the scribal tradition is said here to have extended this law to even the smallest herbs. The practice is criticized not in itself but because it shows the Pharisees’ preoccupation with matters of less importance while they neglect the weightier things of the law.
23:24 Cf. Lv 11:41–45 that forbids the eating of any “swarming creature.” The Pharisees’ scrupulosity about minor matters and neglect of greater ones (Mt 23:23) is further brought out by this contrast between straining liquids that might contain a tiny “swarming creature” and yet swallowing the camel. The latter was one of the unclean animals forbidden by the law (Lv 11:4), but it is hardly possible that the scribes and Pharisees are being denounced as guilty of so gross a violation of the food laws. To swallow the camel is only a hyperbolic way of speaking of their neglect of what is important.
23:25–26 The ritual washing of utensils for dining (cf. Mk 7:4) is turned into a metaphor illustrating a concern for appearances while inner purity is ignored. The scribes and Pharisees are compared to cups carefully washed on the outside but filthy within. Self-indulgence: the Greek word here translated means lack of self-control, whether in drinking or in sexual conduct.

New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 37^[a]

The Fate of Sinners and the Reward of the Just

Aleph

Beth

Gimel

Daleth

He

Waw

Zayin

Heth

Teth

Yodh

Kaph

Lamedh

Mem

Nun

Samekh

Ayin

Pe

Sadhe

Qoph

Resh

Shin

Taw

Footnotes

Cross references

Chapter 9

Fifth Vision: The Destruction of the Sanctuary

Footnotes

Cross references

Footnotes

Cross references

Footnotes

Cross references

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Book of Common Prayer

Psalm 37[a]

The Fate of Sinners and the Reward of the Just

Aleph

Beth

Gimel

Daleth

He

Waw

Zayin

Heth

Teth

Yodh

Kaph

Lamedh

Mem

Nun

Samekh

Ayin

Pe

Sadhe

Qoph

Resh

Shin

Taw

Footnotes

Cross references

Chapter 9

Fifth Vision: The Destruction of the Sanctuary

Footnotes

Cross references

Footnotes

Cross references

Footnotes

Cross references

Psalm 37^[a]