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Book of Common Prayer

Daily Old and New Testament readings based on the Book of Common Prayer.
Duration: 861 days
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
Version
Psalm 131-135

131 O Lord, remember David, and all his meekness.

How he swore to the Lord, he vowed a vow to the God of Jacob:

If I shall enter into the tabernacle of my house: if I shall go up into the bed wherein I lie:

If I shall give sleep to my eyes, or slumber to my eyelids,

Or rest to my temples: until I find out a place for the Lord, a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

Behold we have heard of it in Ephrata: we have found it in the fields of the wood.

We will go into his tabernacle: We will adore in the place where his feet stood.

Arise, O Lord, into thy resting place: thou and the ark, which thou hast sanctified.

Let thy priests be clothed with justice: and let thy saints rejoice.

10 For thy servant David's sake, turn not away the face of thy anointed.

11 The Lord hath sworn truth to David, and he will not make it void: of the fruit of thy womb I will set upon thy throne.

12 If thy children will keep thy covenant, and these my testimonies which I shall teach them: Their children also for evermore shall sit upon thy throne.

13 For the Lord hath chosen Sion: he hath chosen it for his dwelling.

14 This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it.

15 Blessing, I will bless her widow: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16 I will clothe her priests with salvation: and her saints shall rejoice with exceeding great joy.

17 There will I bring forth a horn to David: I have prepared a lamp for my anointed.

18 His enemies I will clothe with confusion: but upon him will my sanctification flourish.

132 Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity.

Like the precious ointment on the head, that ran down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, Which ran down to the skirt of his garment:

As the dew of Hermon, which descendeth upon mount Sion. For there the Lord hath commandeth blessing, and life for evermore.

133 Behold now bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord: Who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

In the nights lift up your hands to the holy places, and bless ye the Lord.

May the Lord out of Sion bless thee, he that made heaven and earth.

134 Praise ye the name of the Lord: O you his servants, praise the Lord:

You that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.

Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good: sing ye to his name, for it is sweet.

For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself: Israel for his own possession.

For I have known that the Lord is great, and our God is above all gods.

Whatsoever the Lord hath pleased he hath done, in heaven, in earth, in the sea, and in all the deeps.

He bringeth up clouds from the end of the earth: he hath made lightnings for the rain. He bringeth forth winds out of his stores:

He slew the firstborn of Egypt from man even unto beast.

He sent forth signs and wonders in the midst of thee, O Egypt: upon Pharao, and upon all his servants.

10 He smote many nations, and slew mighty kings:

11 Sehon king of the Amorrhites, and Og king of Basan, and all the kingdoms of Chanaan.

12 And gave their land for an inheritance, for an inheritance to his people Israel.

13 Thy name, O Lord, is for ever: thy memorial, O Lord, unto all generations.

14 For the Lord will judge his people, and will be entreated in favour of his servants.

15 The idols of the Gentiles are silver and gold, the works of men's hands.

16 They have a mouth, but they speak not: they have eyes, but they see not.

17 They have ears, but they hear not: neither is there any breath in their mouths.

18 Let them that make them be like to them: and every one that trusteth in them.

19 Bless the Lord, O house of Israel: bless the Lord, O house of Aaron.

20 Bless the Lord, O house of Levi: you that fear the Lord, bless the Lord.

21 Blessed be the Lord out of Sion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem.

135 Praise the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Praise ye the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Praise ye the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who alone doth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who made the heavens in understanding: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who established the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Who made the great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The sun to rule over the day: for his mercy endureth for ever.

The moon and the stars to rule the night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

10 Who smote Egypt with their firstborn: for his mercy endureth for ever.

11 Who brought Israel from among them: for his mercy endureth for ever.

12 With a mighty hand and a stretched out arm: for his mercy endureth for ever.

13 Who divided the Red Sea into parts: for his mercy endureth for ever.

14 And brought out Israel through the midst thereof: for his mercy endureth for ever.

15 And overthrew Pharao and his host in the Red Sea: for his mercy endureth for ever.

16 Who led his people through the desert: for his mercy endureth for ever.

17 Who smote great kings: for his mercy endureth for ever.

18 And slew strong kings: for his mercy endureth for ever.

19 Sehon king of the Amorrhites: for his mercy endureth for ever.

20 And Og king of Basan: for his mercy endureth for ever.

21 And he gave their land for an inheritance: for his mercy endureth for ever.

22 For an inheritance to his servant Israel: for his mercy endureth for ever.

23 For he was mindful of us in our affliction: for his mercy endureth for ever.

24 And he redeemed us from our enemies: for his mercy endureth for ever.

25 Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.

26 Give glory to the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.

27 Give glory to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Micah 3:1-8

And I said: Hear, O ye princes of Jacob, and ye chiefs of the house of Israel: Is it not your part to know judgment,

You that hate good, and love evil: that violently pluck off their skins from them, and their flesh from their bones?

Who have eaten the flesh of my people, and have flayed their skin from off them: and have broken, and chopped their bones as for the kettle, and as flesh in the midst of the pot.

Then shall they cry to the Lord, and he will not hear them: and he will hide his face from them at that time, as they have behaved wickedly in their devices.

Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets that make my people err: that bite with their teeth, and preach peace: and if a man give not something into their mouth, they prepare war against him.

Therefore night shall be to you instead of vision, and darkness to you instead of divination; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall be darkened over them.

And they shall be confounded that see visions, and the diviners shall be confounded: and they shall all cover their faces, because there is no answer of God.

But yet I am filled with the strength of the spirit of the Lord, with judgment, and power: to declare unto Jacob his wickedness, and to Israel his sin.

Acts 24:1-23

24 And after five days the high priest Ananias came down, with some of the ancients, and one Tertullus an orator, who went to the governor against Paul.

And Paul being called for, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying: Whereas through thee we live in much peace, and many things are rectified by thy providence,

We accept it always and in all places, most excellent Felix, with all thanksgiving.

But that I be no further tedious to thee, I desire thee of thy clemency to hear us in few words.

We have found this to be a pestilent man, and raising seditions among all the Jews throughout the world, and author of the sedition of the sect of the Nazarenes.

Who also hath gone about to profane the temple: whom, we having apprehended, would also have judged according to our law.

But Lysias the tribune coming upon us, with great violence took him away out of our hands;

Commanding his accusers to come to thee: of whom thou mayest thyself, by examination, have knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him.

And the Jews also added, and said that these things were so.

10 Then Paul answered, (the governor making a sign to him to speak:) Knowing that for many years thou hast been judge over this nation, I will with good courage answer for myself.

11 For thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days, since I went up to adore in Jerusalem:

12 And neither in the temple did they find me disputing with any man, or causing any concourse of the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:

13 Neither can they prove unto thee the things whereof they now accuse me.

14 But this I confess to thee, that according to the way, which they call a heresy, so do I serve the Father and my God, believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets:

15 Having hope in God, which these also themselves look for, that there shall be a resurrection of the just and unjust.

16 And herein do I endeavour to have always a conscience without offence toward God, and towards men.

17 Now after many years, I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings, and vows.

18 In which I was found purified in the temple: neither with multitude, nor with tumult.

19 But certain Jews of Asia, who ought to be present before thee, and to accuse, if they had any thing against me:

20 Or let these men themselves say, if they found in me any iniquity, when standing before the council,

21 Except it be for this one voice only that I cried, standing among them, Concerning the resurrection of the dead am I judged this day by you.

22 And Felix put them off, having most certain knowledge of this way, saying: When Lysias the tribune shall come down, I will hear you.

23 And he commanded a centurion to keep him, and that he should be easy, and that he should not prohibit any of his friends to minister unto him.

Luke 7:36-50

36 And one of the Pharisees desired him to eat with him. And he went into the house of the Pharisee, and sat down to meat.

37 And behold a woman that was in the city, a sinner, when she knew that he sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment;

38 And standing behind at his feet, she began to wash his feet, with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.

39 And the Pharisee, who had invited him, seeing it, spoke within himself, saying: This man, if he were a prophet, would know surely who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, that she is a sinner.

40 And Jesus answering, said to him: Simon, I have somewhat to say to thee. But he said: Master, say it.

41 A certain creditor had two debtors, the one who owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

42 And whereas they had not wherewith to pay, he forgave them both. Which therefore of the two loveth him most?

43 Simon answering, said: I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And he said to him: Thou hast judged rightly.

44 And turning to the woman, he said unto Simon: Dost thou see this woman? I entered into thy house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she with tears hath washed my feet, and with her hairs hath wiped them.

45 Thou gavest me no kiss; but she, since she came in, hath not ceased to kiss my feet.

46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but she with ointment hath anointed my feet.

47 Wherefore I say to thee: Many sins are forgiven her, because she hath loved much. But to whom less is forgiven, he loveth less.

48 And he said to her: Thy sins are forgiven thee.

49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves: Who is this that forgiveth sins also?

50 And he said to the woman: Thy faith hath made thee safe, go in peace.