Thursday 23 August 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

Thu Aug 23 02:00:00 EDT 2007

Thursday 23 August 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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2 Samuel 19:1-23

It was told Joab, 'The king is weeping and mourning for Absalom.' 2So
the victory that day was turned into mourning for all the troops; for
the troops heard that day, 'The king is grieving for his son.' 3The
troops stole into the city that day as soldiers steal in who are ashamed
when they flee in battle. 4The king covered his face, and the king cried
with a loud voice, 'O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!' 5Then
Joab came into the house to the king, and said, 'Today you have covered
with shame the faces of all your officers who have saved your life
today, and the lives of your sons and your daughters, and the lives of
your wives and your concubines, 6for love of those who hate you and for
hatred of those who love you. You have made it clear today that
commanders and officers are nothing to you; for I perceive that if
Absalom were alive and all of us were dead today, then you would be
pleased. 7So go out at once and speak kindly to your servants; for I
swear by the Lord, if you do not go, not a man will stay with you this
night; and this will be worse for you than any disaster that has come
upon you from your youth until now.' 8Then the king got up and took his
seat in the gate. The troops were all told, 'See, the king is sitting in
the gate'; and all the troops came before the king.
David Recalled to JerusalemMeanwhile, all the Israelites had fled to
their homes. 9All the people were disputing throughout all the tribes of
Israel, saying, 'The king delivered us from the hand of our enemies, and
saved us from the hand of the Philistines; and now he has fled out of
the land because of Absalom. 10But Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is
dead in battle. Now therefore why do you say nothing about bringing the
king back?' 
11 King David sent this message to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, 'Say
to the elders of Judah, "Why should you be the last to bring the king
back to his house? The talk of all Israel has come to the king.* 12You
are my kin, you are my bone and my flesh; why then should you be the
last to bring back the king?" 13And say to Amasa, "Are you not my bone
and my flesh? So may God do to me, and more, if you are not the
commander of my army from now on, in place of Joab." ' 14Amasa* swayed
the hearts of all the people of Judah as one, and they sent word to the
king, 'Return, both you and all your servants.' 15So the king came back
to the Jordan; and Judah came to Gilgal to meet the king and to bring
him over the Jordan. 
16 Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, hurried to come
down with the people of Judah to meet King David; 17with him were a
thousand people from Benjamin. And Ziba, the servant of the house of
Saul, with his fifteen sons and his twenty servants, rushed down to the
Jordan ahead of the king, 18while the crossing was taking place,* to
bring over the king's household, and to do his pleasure.
David's Mercy to ShimeiShimei son of Gera fell down before the king, as
he was about to cross the Jordan, 19and said to the king, 'May my lord
not hold me guilty or remember how your servant did wrong on the day my
lord the king left Jerusalem; may the king not bear it in mind. 20For
your servant knows that I have sinned; therefore, see, I have come this
day, the first of all the house of Joseph to come down to meet my lord
the king.' 21Abishai son of Zeruiah answered, 'Shall not Shimei be put
to death for this, because he cursed the Lord's anointed?' 22But David
said, 'What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should
today become an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel
this day? For do I not know that I am this day king over Israel?' 23The
king said to Shimei, 'You shall not die.' And the king gave him his
oath. ******************************************************************
Acts 24:1-23

Five days later the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and
an attorney, a certain Tertullus, and they reported their case against
Paul to the governor. 2When Paul* had been summoned, Tertullus began to
accuse him, saying:
'Your Excellency,* because of you we have long enjoyed peace, and
reforms have been made for this people because of your foresight. 3We
welcome this in every way and everywhere with utmost gratitude. 4But, to
detain you no further, I beg you to hear us briefly with your customary
graciousness. 5We have, in fact, found this man a pestilent fellow, an
agitator among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of
the sect of the Nazarenes.* 6He even tried to profane the temple, and so
we seized him.* 8By examining him yourself you will be able to learn
from him concerning everything of which we accuse him.' 
9 The Jews also joined in the charge by asserting that all this was
true. 
Paul's Defence before Felix10 When the governor motioned to him to
speak, Paul replied:
'I cheerfully make my defence, knowing that for many years you have been
a judge over this nation. 11As you can find out, it is not more than
twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. 12They did not find
me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd either in
the synagogues or throughout the city. 13Neither can they prove to you
the charge that they now bring against me. 14But this I admit to you,
that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I worship the God of
our ancestors, believing everything laid down according to the law or
written in the prophets. 15I have a hope in God-a hope that they
themselves also accept-that there will be a resurrection of both* the
righteous and the unrighteous. 16Therefore I do my best always to have a
clear conscience towards God and all people. 17Now after some years I
came to bring alms to my nation and to offer sacrifices. 18While I was
doing this, they found me in the temple, completing the rite of
purification, without any crowd or disturbance. 19But there were some
Jews from Asia-they ought to be here before you to make an accusation,
if they have anything against me. 20Or let these men here tell what
crime they had found when I stood before the council, 21unless it was
this one sentence that I called out while standing before them, "It is
about the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today."
' 
22 But Felix, who was rather well informed about the Way, adjourned the
hearing with the comment, 'When Lysias the tribune comes down, I will
decide your case.' 23Then he ordered the centurion to keep him in
custody, but to let him have some liberty and not to prevent any of his
friends from taking care of his needs.
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Mark 12:28-34

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another,
and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, 'Which commandment
is the first of all?' 29Jesus answered, 'The first is, "Hear, O Israel:
the Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30you shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and
with all your strength." 31The second is this, "You shall love your
neighbour as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than
these.' 32Then the scribe said to him, 'You are right, Teacher; you have
truly said that "he is one, and besides him there is no other"; 33and
"to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and
with all the strength", and "to love one's neighbour as oneself",-this
is much more important than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.'
34When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, 'You are not
far from the kingdom of God.' After that no one dared to ask him any
question.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 131, 132, 133

Psalm 131

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,
   my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things
   too great and too marvellous for me. 
2But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
   like a weaned child with its mother;
   my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.* 

3O Israel, hope in the Lord
   from this time on and for evermore.

Psalm 132

O Lord, remember in David's favour
   all the hardships he endured; 
2how he swore to the Lord
   and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, 
3'I will not enter my house
   or get into my bed; 
4I will not give sleep to my eyes
   or slumber to my eyelids, 
5until I find a place for the Lord,
   a dwelling-place for the Mighty One of Jacob.' 

6We heard of it in Ephrathah;
   we found it in the fields of Jaar. 
7'Let us go to his dwelling-place;
   let us worship at his footstool.' 

8Rise up, O Lord, and go to your resting-place,
   you and the ark of your might. 
9Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
   and let your faithful shout for joy. 
10For your servant David's sake
   do not turn away the face of your anointed one. 

11The Lord swore to David a sure oath
   from which he will not turn back:
'One of the sons of your body
   I will set on your throne. 
12If your sons keep my covenant
   and my decrees that I shall teach them,
their sons also, for evermore,
   shall sit on your throne.' 

13For the Lord has chosen Zion;
   he has desired it for his habitation: 
14'This is my resting-place for ever;
   here I will reside, for I have desired it. 
15I will abundantly bless its provisions;
   I will satisfy its poor with bread. 
16Its priests I will clothe with salvation,
   and its faithful will shout for joy. 
17There I will cause a horn to sprout up for David;
   I have prepared a lamp for my anointed one. 
18His enemies I will clothe with disgrace,
   but on him, his crown will gleam.'

Psalm 133

How very good and pleasant it is
   when kindred live together in unity! 
2It is like the precious oil on the head,
   running down upon the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
   running down over the collar of his robes. 
3It is like the dew of Hermon,
   which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the Lord ordained his blessing,
   life for evermore.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 134, 135

Psalm 134

Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
   who stand by night in the house of the Lord! 
2Lift up your hands to the holy place,
   and bless the Lord. 

3May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth,
   bless you from Zion.

Psalm 135

Praise the Lord!
   Praise the name of the Lord;
   give praise, O servants of the Lord, 
2you that stand in the house of the Lord,
   in the courts of the house of our God. 
3Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
   sing to his name, for he is gracious. 
4For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
   Israel as his own possession. 

5For I know that the Lord is great;
   our Lord is above all gods. 
6Whatever the Lord pleases he does,
   in heaven and on earth,
   in the seas and all deeps. 
7He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
   he makes lightnings for the rain
   and brings out the wind from his storehouses. 

8He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
   both human beings and animals; 
9he sent signs and wonders
   into your midst, O Egypt,
   against Pharaoh and all his servants. 
10He struck down many nations
   and killed mighty kings- 
11Sihon, king of the Amorites,
   and Og, king of Bashan,
   and all the kingdoms of Canaan- 
12and gave their land as a heritage,
   a heritage to his people Israel. 

13Your name, O Lord, endures for ever,
   your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages. 
14For the Lord will vindicate his people,
   and have compassion on his servants. 

15The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
   the work of human hands. 
16They have mouths, but they do not speak;
   they have eyes, but they do not see; 
17they have ears, but they do not hear,
   and there is no breath in their mouths. 
18Those who make them
   and all who trust them
   shall become like them. 

19O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
   O house of Aaron, bless the Lord! 
20O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
   You that fear the Lord, bless the Lord! 
21Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
   he who resides in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!
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