DAILY OFFICE

Daily scripture readings from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer

Sunday, March 10

Today's readings include passages from Psalms, Genesis, Romans and John.

Psalm 19

1 The heavens declare the glory of God,     and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours out speech,     and night to night reveals knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words,     whose voice is not heard. 4 Their voice goes out through all the earth,     and their words to the end of the world.     In them he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom leaving his chamber,     and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens,     and its circuit to the end of them,     and there is nothing hidden from its heat. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect,     reviving the soul;    the testimony of the Lord is sure,     making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right,     rejoicing the heart;     the commandment of the Lord is pure,     enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is clean,     enduring forever;     the rules of the Lord are true,     and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold,     even much fine gold;     sweeter also than honey     and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is your servant warned;     in keeping them there is great reward. 12 Who can discern his errors?     Declare me innocent from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins;     let them not have dominion over me!     Then I shall be blameless,     and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart     be acceptable in your sight,     Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,     a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,     though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, 3 though its waters roar and foam,     though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,     the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;     God will help her when morning dawns. 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;     he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us;     the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,     how he has brought desolations on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;     he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;     he burns the chariots with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God.     I will be exalted among the nations,     I will be exalted in the earth!” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us;     the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Psalm 66

1 Shout for joy to God, all the earth; 2  sing the glory of his name;     give to him glorious praise! 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!     So great is your power that your enemies come cringing to you. 4 All the earth worships you     and sings praises to you;     they sing praises to your name.” Selah 5 Come and see what God has done:     he is awesome in his deeds toward the children of man. 6 He turned the sea into dry land;     they passed through the river on foot.     There did we rejoice in him, 7 who rules by his might forever,     whose eyes keep watch on the nations—     let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah 8 Bless our God, O peoples;     let the sound of his praise be heard, 9 who has kept our soul among the living     and has not let our feet slip. 10 For you, O God, have tested us;     you have tried us as silver is tried. 11 You brought us into the net;     you laid a crushing burden on our backs; 12 you let men ride over our heads;     we went through fire and through water;     yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance. 13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings;     I will perform my vows to you, 14 that which my lips uttered     and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fattened animals,     with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;     I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,     and I will tell what he has done for my soul. 17 I cried to him with my mouth,     and high praise was on my tongue. 18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,     the Lord would not have listened. 19 But truly God has listened;     he has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God,     because he has not rejected my prayer     or removed his steadfast love from me!

Psalm 67

1 May God be gracious to us and bless us     and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known on earth,     your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God;     let all the peoples praise you! 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,     for you judge the peoples with equity     and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God;     let all the peoples praise you! 6 The earth has yielded its increase;     God, our God, shall bless us. 7 God shall bless us;     let all the ends of the earth fear him!

Genesis 48:8-22

When Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said, “Who are these?” 9 Joseph said to his father, “They are my sons, whom God has given me here.” And he said, “Bring them to me, please, that I may bless them.” 10 Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see. So Joseph brought them near him, and he kissed them and embraced them. 11 And Israel said to Joseph, “I never expected to see your face; and behold, God has let me see your offspring also.” 12 Then Joseph removed them from his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on the head of Ephraim, who was the younger, and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands (for Manasseh was the firstborn). 15 And he blessed Joseph and said, “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day, 16 the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.” 17 When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father's hand to move it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” 20 So he blessed them that day, saying, “By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying, ‘God make you as Ephraim and as Manasseh.’” Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. 22 Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

Romans 8:11-25

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. 12 So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. 13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. 23 And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

John 6:27-40

27 Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.” 28 Then they said to him, “What must we do, to be doing the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” 30 So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? 31 Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” 35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. 36 But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. 37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. 38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. 39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.