Tuesday 28 August 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Tuesday 28 August 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Kings 1:38-2:4

So the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada,
and the Cherethites and the Pelethites, went down and had Solomon ride
on King David's mule, and led him to Gihon. There the priest Zadok took
the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the
trumpet, and all the people said, 'Long live King Solomon!' And all the
people went up following him, playing on pipes and rejoicing with great
joy, so that the earth quaked at their noise.

 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished
feasting. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, 'Why is the
city in an uproar?' While he was still speaking, Jonathan son of the
priest Abiathar arrived. Adonijah said, 'Come in, for you are a worthy
man and surely you bring good news.' Jonathan answered Adonijah, 'No,
for our lord King David has made Solomon king; the king has sent with
him the priest Zadok, the prophet Nathan, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada,
and the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and they had him ride on the
king's mule; the priest Zadok and the prophet Nathan have anointed him
king at Gihon; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the
city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you heard. Solomon now sits
on the royal throne. Moreover, the king's servants came to congratulate
our lord King David, saying, "May God make the name of Solomon more
famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne." The
king bowed in worship on the bed and went on to pray thus, "Blessed be
the Lord, the God of Israel, who today has granted one of my offspring*
to sit on my throne and permitted me to witness it." '

 Then all the guests of Adonijah got up trembling and went their own
ways. Adonijah, fearing Solomon, got up and went to grasp the horns of
the altar. Solomon was informed, 'Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon;
see, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, "Let King
Solomon swear to me first that he will not kill his servant with the
sword." ' So Solomon responded, 'If he proves to be a worthy man, not
one of his hairs shall fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in
him, he shall die.' Then King Solomon sent to have him brought down from
the altar. He came to do obeisance to King Solomon; and Solomon said to
him, 'Go home.'

When David's time to die drew near, he charged his son Solomon, saying:
'I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, be courageous,
and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and
keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his
testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may
prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. Then the Lord will
establish his word that he spoke concerning me: "If your heirs take heed
to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and
with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne
of Israel."
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Acts 26:24-27:8

While he was making this defence, Festus exclaimed, 'You are out of your
mind, Paul! Too much learning is driving you insane!' But Paul said, 'I
am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I am speaking the
sober truth. Indeed the king knows about these things, and to him I
speak freely; for I am certain that none of these things has escaped his
notice, for this was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe
the prophets? I know that you believe.' Agrippa said to Paul, 'Are you
so quickly persuading me to become a Christian?'* Paul replied, 'Whether
quickly or not, I pray to God that not only you but also all who are
listening to me today might become such as I am-except for these
chains.'

 Then the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those
who had been seated with them; and as they were leaving, they said to
one another, 'This man is doing nothing to deserve death or
imprisonment.' Agrippa said to Festus, 'This man could have been set
free if he had not appealed to the emperor.'

When it was decided that we were to sail for Italy, they transferred
Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort,
named Julius. Embarking on a ship of Adramyttium that was about to set
sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by
Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we put in at
Sidon; and Julius treated Paul kindly, and allowed him to go to his
friends to be cared for. Putting out to sea from there, we sailed under
the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. After we had
sailed across the sea that is off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra
in Lycia. There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship bound for Italy
and put us on board. We sailed slowly for a number of days and arrived
with difficulty off Cnidus, and as the wind was against us, we sailed
under the lee of Crete off Salmone. Sailing past it with difficulty, we
came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.
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Mark 13:28-37

'From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes
tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also,
when you see these things taking place, you know that he* is near, at
the very gates. Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away
until all these things have taken place. Heaven and earth will pass
away, but my words will not pass away.

 'But about that day or hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven,
nor the Son, but only the Father. Beware, keep alert;* for you do not
know when the time will come. It is like a man going on a journey, when
he leaves home and puts his slaves in charge, each with his work, and
commands the doorkeeper to be on the watch. Therefore, keep awake-for
you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening,
or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn, or else he may find you
asleep when he comes suddenly. And what I say to you I say to all: Keep
awake.'
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 5, 6

Psalm 5

Give ear to my words, O Lord;
   give heed to my sighing. 
Listen to the sound of my cry,
   my King and my God,
   for to you I pray. 
O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
   in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch. 


For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
   evil will not sojourn with you. 
The boastful will not stand before your eyes;
   you hate all evildoers. 
You destroy those who speak lies;
   the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful. 


But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
   will enter your house,
I will bow down towards your holy temple
   in awe of you. 
Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
   because of my enemies;
   make your way straight before me. 


For there is no truth in their mouths;
   their hearts are destruction;
their throats are open graves;
   they flatter with their tongues. 
Make them bear their guilt, O God;
   let them fall by their own counsels;
because of their many transgressions cast them out,
   for they have rebelled against you. 


But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
   let them ever sing for joy.
Spread your protection over them,
   so that those who love your name may exult in you. 
For you bless the righteous, O Lord;
   you cover them with favour as with a shield.



Psalm 6

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
   or discipline me in your wrath. 
Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am languishing;
   O Lord, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror. 
My soul also is struck with terror,
   while you, O Lord-how long? 


Turn, O Lord, save my life;
   deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love. 
For in death there is no remembrance of you;
   in Sheol who can give you praise? 


I am weary with my moaning;
   every night I flood my bed with tears;
   I drench my couch with my weeping. 
My eyes waste away because of grief;
   they grow weak because of all my foes. 


Depart from me, all you workers of evil,
   for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. 
The Lord has heard my supplication;
   the Lord accepts my prayer. 
All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;
   they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 10, 11

Psalm 10

Why, O Lord, do you stand far off?
   Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble? 
In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor-
   let them be caught in the schemes they have devised. 


For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart,
   those greedy for gain curse and renounce the Lord. 
In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, 'God will not seek it
out';
   all their thoughts are, 'There is no God.' 


Their ways prosper at all times;
   your judgements are on high, out of their sight;
   as for their foes, they scoff at them. 
They think in their heart, 'We shall not be moved;
   throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.' 


Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression;
   under their tongues are mischief and iniquity. 
They sit in ambush in the villages;
   in hiding-places they murder the innocent. 


Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless; 
   they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert;
they lurk that they may seize the poor;
   they seize the poor and drag them off in their net. 


They stoop, they crouch,
   and the helpless fall by their might. 
They think in their heart, 'God has forgotten,
   he has hidden his face, he will never see it.' 


Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand;
   do not forget the oppressed. 
Why do the wicked renounce God,
   and say in their hearts, 'You will not call us to account'? 


But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief,
   that you may take it into your hands;
the helpless commit themselves to you;
   you have been the helper of the orphan. 


Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers;
   seek out their wickedness until you find none. 
The Lord is king for ever and ever;
   the nations shall perish from his land. 


O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek;
   you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear 
to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed,
   so that those from earth may strike terror no more.*



Psalm 11

In the Lord I take refuge; how can you say to me,
   'Flee like a bird to the mountains;* 
for look, the wicked bend the bow,
   they have fitted their arrow to the string,
   to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart. 
If the foundations are destroyed,
   what can the righteous do?' 


The Lord is in his holy temple;
   the Lord's throne is in heaven.
   His eyes behold, his gaze examines humankind. 
The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked,
   and his soul hates the lover of violence. 
On the wicked he will rain coals of fire and sulphur;
   a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup. 
For the Lord is righteous;
he loves righteous deeds;
   the upright shall behold his face.
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