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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 102

Psalm 102[a]

A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.

Hear my prayer,(A) Lord;
    let my cry for help(B) come to you.
Do not hide your face(C) from me
    when I am in distress.
Turn your ear(D) to me;
    when I call, answer me quickly.

For my days vanish like smoke;(E)
    my bones(F) burn like glowing embers.
My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(G)
    I forget to eat my food.(H)
In my distress I groan aloud(I)
    and am reduced to skin and bones.
I am like a desert owl,(J)
    like an owl among the ruins.
I lie awake;(K) I have become
    like a bird alone(L) on a roof.
All day long my enemies(M) taunt me;(N)
    those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(O)
For I eat ashes(P) as my food
    and mingle my drink with tears(Q)
10 because of your great wrath,(R)
    for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;(S)
    I wither(T) away like grass.

12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(U)
    your renown endures(V) through all generations.(W)
13 You will arise(X) and have compassion(Y) on Zion,
    for it is time(Z) to show favor(AA) to her;
    the appointed time(AB) has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
    her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear(AC) the name of the Lord,
    all the kings(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(AE)
    and appear in his glory.(AF)
17 He will respond to the prayer(AG) of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.

18 Let this be written(AH) for a future generation,
    that a people not yet created(AI) may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
    from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(AK)
    and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(AL) in Zion
    and his praise(AM) in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
    assemble to worship(AN) the Lord.

23 In the course of my life[b] he broke my strength;
    he cut short my days.(AO)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
    your years go on(AP) through all generations.
25 In the beginning(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens(AR) are the work of your hands.(AS)
26 They will perish,(AT) but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,(AU)
    and your years will never end.(AV)
28 The children of your servants(AW) will live in your presence;
    their descendants(AX) will be established before you.”

Psalm 142-143

Psalm 142[a]

A maskil[b] of David. When he was in the cave.(A) A prayer.

I cry aloud(B) to the Lord;
    I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(C)
I pour out before him my complaint;(D)
    before him I tell my trouble.(E)

When my spirit grows faint(F) within me,
    it is you who watch over my way.
In the path where I walk
    people have hidden a snare for me.
Look and see, there is no one at my right hand;
    no one is concerned for me.
I have no refuge;(G)
    no one cares(H) for my life.

I cry to you, Lord;
    I say, “You are my refuge,(I)
    my portion(J) in the land of the living.”(K)

Listen to my cry,(L)
    for I am in desperate need;(M)
rescue me(N) from those who pursue me,
    for they are too strong(O) for me.
Set me free from my prison,(P)
    that I may praise your name.(Q)
Then the righteous will gather about me
    because of your goodness to me.(R)

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Lord, hear my prayer,(S)
    listen to my cry for mercy;(T)
in your faithfulness(U) and righteousness(V)
    come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous(W) before you.
The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(X)
    like those long dead.(Y)
So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.(Z)
I remember(AA) the days of long ago;
    I meditate(AB) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands(AC) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.[c]

Answer me quickly,(AD) Lord;
    my spirit fails.(AE)
Do not hide your face(AF) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,(AG)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(AH) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.(AI)
Rescue me(AJ) from my enemies,(AK) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(AL) to do your will,
    for you are my God;(AM)
may your good Spirit
    lead(AN) me on level ground.(AO)

11 For your name’s sake,(AP) Lord, preserve my life;(AQ)
    in your righteousness,(AR) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(AS)
    destroy all my foes,(AT)
    for I am your servant.(AU)

Jeremiah 20:7-11

Jeremiah’s Complaint

You deceived[a](A) me, Lord, and I was deceived[b];
    you overpowered(B) me and prevailed.
I am ridiculed(C) all day long;
    everyone mocks(D) me.
Whenever I speak, I cry out
    proclaiming violence and destruction.(E)
So the word of the Lord has brought me
    insult and reproach(F) all day long.
But if I say, “I will not mention his word
    or speak anymore in his name,”(G)
his word is in my heart like a fire,(H)
    a fire shut up in my bones.
I am weary of holding it in;(I)
    indeed, I cannot.
10 I hear many whispering,
    “Terror(J) on every side!
    Denounce(K) him! Let’s denounce him!”
All my friends(L)
    are waiting for me to slip,(M) saying,
“Perhaps he will be deceived;
    then we will prevail(N) over him
    and take our revenge(O) on him.”

11 But the Lord(P) is with me like a mighty warrior;
    so my persecutors(Q) will stumble and not prevail.(R)
They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced;(S)
    their dishonor will never be forgotten.

1 Corinthians 10:14-17

Idol Feasts and the Lord’s Supper

14 Therefore, my dear friends,(A) flee from idolatry.(B) 15 I speak to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. 16 Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break(C) a participation in the body of Christ?(D) 17 Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body,(E) for we all share the one loaf.

1 Corinthians 11:27-32

27 So then, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.(A) 28 Everyone ought to examine themselves(B) before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. 29 For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ eat and drink judgment on themselves. 30 That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.(C) 31 But if we were more discerning with regard to ourselves, we would not come under such judgment.(D) 32 Nevertheless, when we are judged in this way by the Lord, we are being disciplined(E) so that we will not be finally condemned with the world.(F)

John 17

Jesus Prays to Be Glorified

17 After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven(A) and prayed:

“Father, the hour has come.(B) Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.(C) For you granted him authority over all people(D) that he might give eternal life(E) to all those you have given him.(F) Now this is eternal life: that they know you,(G) the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.(H) I have brought you glory(I) on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do.(J) And now, Father, glorify me(K) in your presence with the glory I had with you(L) before the world began.(M)

Jesus Prays for His Disciples

“I have revealed you[a](N) to those whom you gave me(O) out of the world. They were yours; you gave them to me and they have obeyed your word. Now they know that everything you have given me comes from you. For I gave them the words you gave me(P) and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you,(Q) and they believed that you sent me.(R) I pray for them.(S) I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me,(T) for they are yours. 10 All I have is yours, and all you have is mine.(U) And glory has come to me through them. 11 I will remain in the world no longer, but they are still in the world,(V) and I am coming to you.(W) Holy Father, protect them by the power of[b] your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one(X) as we are one.(Y) 12 While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by[c] that name you gave me. None has been lost(Z) except the one doomed to destruction(AA) so that Scripture would be fulfilled.(AB)

13 “I am coming to you now,(AC) but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy(AD) within them. 14 I have given them your word and the world has hated them,(AE) for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.(AF) 15 My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.(AG) 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it.(AH) 17 Sanctify them by[d] the truth; your word is truth.(AI) 18 As you sent me into the world,(AJ) I have sent them into the world.(AK) 19 For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.(AL)

Jesus Prays for All Believers

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one,(AM) Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.(AN) May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.(AO) 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me,(AP) that they may be one as we are one(AQ) 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me(AR) and have loved them(AS) even as you have loved me.

24 “Father, I want those you have given me(AT) to be with me where I am,(AU) and to see my glory,(AV) the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.(AW)

25 “Righteous Father, though the world does not know you,(AX) I know you, and they know that you have sent me.(AY) 26 I have made you[e] known to them,(AZ) and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them(BA) and that I myself may be in them.”

New International Version (NIV)

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