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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)
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Psalm 34

Psalm 34[a][b]

Of David. When he pretended to be insane(A) before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.

I will extol the Lord at all times;(B)
    his praise will always be on my lips.
I will glory(C) in the Lord;
    let the afflicted hear and rejoice.(D)
Glorify the Lord(E) with me;
    let us exalt(F) his name together.

I sought the Lord,(G) and he answered me;
    he delivered(H) me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant;(I)
    their faces are never covered with shame.(J)
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
    he saved him out of all his troubles.(K)
The angel of the Lord(L) encamps around those who fear him,
    and he delivers(M) them.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;(N)
    blessed is the one who takes refuge(O) in him.
Fear the Lord,(P) you his holy people,
    for those who fear him lack nothing.(Q)
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
    but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.(R)
11 Come, my children, listen(S) to me;
    I will teach you(T) the fear of the Lord.(U)
12 Whoever of you loves life(V)
    and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue(W) from evil
    and your lips from telling lies.(X)
14 Turn from evil and do good;(Y)
    seek peace(Z) and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord(AA) are on the righteous,(AB)
    and his ears are attentive(AC) to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against(AD) those who do evil,(AE)
    to blot out their name(AF) from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears(AG) them;
    he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close(AH) to the brokenhearted(AI)
    and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,(AJ)
    but the Lord delivers him from them all;(AK)
20 he protects all his bones,
    not one of them will be broken.(AL)

21 Evil will slay the wicked;(AM)
    the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue(AN) his servants;
    no one who takes refuge(AO) in him will be condemned.

Jeremiah 16:14-21

14 “However, the days are coming,”(A) declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’(B) 15 but it will be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north(C) and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’(D) For I will restore(E) them to the land I gave their ancestors.(F)

16 “But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will catch them.(G) After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt(H) them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.(I) 17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden(J) from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.(K) 18 I will repay(L) them double(M) for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land(N) with the lifeless forms of their vile images(O) and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols.(P)(Q)

19 Lord, my strength and my fortress,
    my refuge(R) in time of distress,
to you the nations will come(S)
    from the ends of the earth and say,
“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,(T)
    worthless idols(U) that did them no good.(V)
20 Do people make their own gods?
    Yes, but they are not gods!”(W)

21 “Therefore I will teach them—
    this time I will teach them
    my power and might.
Then they will know
    that my name(X) is the Lord.

Mark 1:14-20

Jesus Announces the Good News(A)

14 After John(B) was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee,(C) proclaiming the good news of God.(D) 15 “The time has come,”(E) he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe(F) the good news!”(G)

Jesus Calls His First Disciples

16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 18 At once they left their nets and followed him.(H)

19 When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets. 20 Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

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.

Matthew 10:16-32

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves.(A) Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.(B) 17 Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils(C) and be flogged in the synagogues.(D) 18 On my account you will be brought before governors and kings(E) as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it.(F) At that time you will be given what to say, 20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father(G) speaking through you.

21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents(H) and have them put to death.(I) 22 You will be hated by everyone because of me,(J) but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.(K) 23 When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.(L)

24 “The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master.(M) 25 It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul,(N) how much more the members of his household!

26 “So do not be afraid of them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.(O) 27 What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs. 28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One(P) who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care.[a] 30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.(Q) 31 So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.(R)

32 “Whoever acknowledges me before others,(S) I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.

New International Version (NIV)

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