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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 66-67

Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!(A)
    Sing the glory of his name;(B)
    make his praise glorious.(C)
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!(D)
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe(E) before you.
All the earth bows down(F) to you;
    they sing praise(G) to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”[a]

Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds(H) for mankind!
He turned the sea into dry land,(I)
    they passed through(J) the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice(K) in him.
He rules forever(L) by his power,
    his eyes watch(M) the nations—
    let not the rebellious(N) rise up against him.

Praise(O) our God, all peoples,
    let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives(P)
    and kept our feet from slipping.(Q)
10 For you, God, tested(R) us;
    you refined us like silver.(S)
11 You brought us into prison(T)
    and laid burdens(U) on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;(V)
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.(W)

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings(X)
    and fulfill my vows(Y) to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
    when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
    and an offering of rams;
    I will offer bulls and goats.(Z)

16 Come and hear,(AA) all you who fear God;
    let me tell(AB) you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
    his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened;(AC)
19 but God has surely listened
    and has heard(AD) my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected(AE) my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!

Psalm 67[b]

For the director of music. With stringed instruments. A psalm. A song.

May God be gracious to us and bless us
    and make his face shine on us—[c](AF)
so that your ways may be known on earth,
    your salvation(AG) among all nations.(AH)

May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.(AI)
May the nations be glad and sing for joy,(AJ)
    for you rule the peoples with equity(AK)
    and guide the nations of the earth.(AL)
May the peoples praise you, God;
    may all the peoples praise you.

The land yields its harvest;(AM)
    God, our God, blesses us.(AN)
May God bless us still,
    so that all the ends of the earth(AO) will fear him.(AP)

Psalm 19

Psalm 19[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

The heavens(A) declare(B) the glory of God;(C)
    the skies(D) proclaim the work of his hands.(E)
Day after day they pour forth speech;
    night after night they reveal knowledge.(F)
They have no speech, they use no words;
    no sound is heard from them.
Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
    their words to the ends of the world.(G)
In the heavens God has pitched a tent(H) for the sun.(I)
    It is like a bridegroom(J) coming out of his chamber,(K)
    like a champion(L) rejoicing to run his course.
It rises at one end of the heavens(M)
    and makes its circuit to the other;(N)
    nothing is deprived of its warmth.

The law of the Lord(O) is perfect,(P)
    refreshing the soul.(Q)
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,(R)
    making wise the simple.(S)
The precepts of the Lord are right,(T)
    giving joy(U) to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
    giving light to the eyes.(V)
The fear of the Lord(W) is pure,
    enduring forever.
The decrees of the Lord are firm,
    and all of them are righteous.(X)

10 They are more precious than gold,(Y)
    than much pure gold;
they are sweeter than honey,(Z)
    than honey from the honeycomb.(AA)
11 By them your servant is warned;
    in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can discern their own errors?
    Forgive my hidden faults.(AB)
13 Keep your servant also from willful sins;(AC)
    may they not rule over me.(AD)
Then I will be blameless,(AE)
    innocent of great transgression.

14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart
    be pleasing(AF) in your sight,
    Lord, my Rock(AG) and my Redeemer.(AH)

Psalm 46

Psalm 46[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.[b] A song.

God is our refuge(A) and strength,(B)
    an ever-present(C) help(D) in trouble.(E)
Therefore we will not fear,(F) though the earth give way(G)
    and the mountains fall(H) into the heart of the sea,(I)
though its waters roar(J) and foam(K)
    and the mountains quake(L) with their surging.[c]

There is a river(M) whose streams(N) make glad the city of God,(O)
    the holy place where the Most High(P) dwells.(Q)
God is within her,(R) she will not fall;(S)
    God will help(T) her at break of day.
Nations(U) are in uproar,(V) kingdoms(W) fall;
    he lifts his voice,(X) the earth melts.(Y)

The Lord Almighty(Z) is with us;(AA)
    the God of Jacob(AB) is our fortress.(AC)

Come and see what the Lord has done,(AD)
    the desolations(AE) he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars(AF) cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow(AG) and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields[d] with fire.(AH)
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;(AI)
    I will be exalted(AJ) among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob(AK) is our fortress.(AL)

Genesis 29:20-35

20 So Jacob served seven years to get Rachel,(A) but they seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for her.(B)

21 Then Jacob said to Laban, “Give me my wife. My time is completed, and I want to make love to her.(C)

22 So Laban brought together all the people of the place and gave a feast.(D) 23 But when evening came, he took his daughter Leah(E) and brought her to Jacob, and Jacob made love to her. 24 And Laban gave his servant Zilpah(F) to his daughter as her attendant.(G)

25 When morning came, there was Leah! So Jacob said to Laban, “What is this you have done to me?(H) I served you for Rachel, didn’t I? Why have you deceived me?(I)

26 Laban replied, “It is not our custom here to give the younger daughter in marriage before the older one.(J) 27 Finish this daughter’s bridal week;(K) then we will give you the younger one also, in return for another seven years of work.(L)

28 And Jacob did so. He finished the week with Leah, and then Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to be his wife.(M) 29 Laban gave his servant Bilhah(N) to his daughter Rachel as her attendant.(O) 30 Jacob made love to Rachel also, and his love for Rachel was greater than his love for Leah.(P) And he worked for Laban another seven years.(Q)

Jacob’s Children

31 When the Lord saw that Leah was not loved,(R) he enabled her to conceive,(S) but Rachel remained childless. 32 Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.(T) She named him Reuben,[a](U) for she said, “It is because the Lord has seen my misery.(V) Surely my husband will love me now.”

33 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the Lord heard that I am not loved,(W) he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.[b](X)

34 Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me,(Y) because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.[c](Z)

35 She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” So she named him Judah.[d](AA) Then she stopped having children.(AB)

1 Timothy 3:14-4:10

Reasons for Paul’s Instructions

14 Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, 15 if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church(A) of the living God,(B) the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery(C) from which true godliness(D) springs is great:

He appeared in the flesh,(E)
    was vindicated by the Spirit,[a]
was seen by angels,
    was preached among the nations,(F)
was believed on in the world,
    was taken up in glory.(G)

The Spirit(H) clearly says that in later times(I) some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits(J) and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.(K) They forbid people to marry(L) and order them to abstain from certain foods,(M) which God created(N) to be received with thanksgiving(O) by those who believe and who know the truth. For everything God created is good,(P) and nothing is to be rejected(Q) if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God(R) and prayer.

If you point these things out to the brothers and sisters,[b] you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith(S) and of the good teaching that you have followed.(T) Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales;(U) rather, train yourself to be godly.(V) For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things,(W) holding promise for both the present life(X) and the life to come.(Y) This is a trustworthy saying(Z) that deserves full acceptance. 10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God,(AA) who is the Savior of all people,(AB) and especially of those who believe.

Mark 10:23-31

23 Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich(A) to enter the kingdom of God!”

24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[a] to enter the kingdom of God!(B) 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”(C)

26 The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

27 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”(D)

28 Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”(E)

29 “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30 will fail to receive a hundred times as much(F) in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come(G) eternal life.(H) 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”(I)

New International Version (NIV)

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