Wednesday 12 December 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Wednesday 12 December 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Amos 8:1-14

This is what the Lord God showed me-a basket of summer fruit.* 2He said,
'Amos, what do you see?' And I said, 'A basket of summer fruit.'* Then
the Lord said to me,
'The end* has come upon my people Israel;
   I will never again pass them by. 
3The songs of the temple* shall become wailings on that day,' 
says the Lord God;
'the dead bodies shall be many,
   cast out in every place. Be silent!' 


4Hear this, you that trample on the needy,
   and bring to ruin the poor of the land, 
5saying, 'When will the new moon be over
   so that we may sell grain;
and the sabbath,
   so that we may offer wheat for sale?
We will make the ephah small and the shekel great,
   and practise deceit with false balances, 
6buying the poor for silver
   and the needy for a pair of sandals,
   and selling the sweepings of the wheat.' 


7The Lord has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Surely I will never forget any of their deeds. 
8Shall not the land tremble on this account,
   and everyone mourn who lives in it,
and all of it rise like the Nile,
   and be tossed about and sink again, like the Nile of Egypt? 


9On that day, says the Lord God,
   I will make the sun go down at noon,
   and darken the earth in broad daylight. 
10I will turn your feasts into mourning,
   and all your songs into lamentation;
I will bring sackcloth on all loins,
   and baldness on every head;
I will make it like the mourning for an only son,
   and the end of it like a bitter day. 


11The time is surely coming, says the Lord God,
   when I will send a famine on the land;
not a famine of bread, or a thirst for water,
   but of hearing the words of the Lord. 
12They shall wander from sea to sea,
   and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of the Lord,
   but they shall not find it. 


13In that day the beautiful young women and the young men
   shall faint for thirst. 
14Those who swear by Ashimah of Samaria,
   and say, 'As your god lives, O Dan',
and, 'As the way of Beer-sheba lives'-
   they shall fall, and never rise again. 
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Revelation 1:17-2:7

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he placed his
right hand on me, saying, 'Do not be afraid; I am the first and the
last, 18and the living one. I was dead, and see, I am alive for ever and
ever; and I have the keys of Death and of Hades. 19Now write what you
have seen, what is, and what is to take place after this. 20As for the
mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand, and the seven
golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,
and the seven lampstands are the seven churches. 


The Message to Ephesus2'To the angel of the church in Ephesus write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand,
who walks among the seven golden lampstands: 
2 'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that
you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be
apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3I also know that
you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and
that you have not grown weary. 4But I have this against you, that you
have abandoned the love you had at first. 5Remember then from what you
have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will
come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
6Yet this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans,
which I also hate. 7Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit
is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers, I will give
permission to eat from the tree of life that is in the paradise of God. 
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Matthew 23:1-12

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2'The scribes and
the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat; 3therefore, do whatever they teach you
and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practise what
they teach. 4They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,* and lay them on
the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a
finger to move them. 5They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for
they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long. 6They love to
have the place of honour at banquets and the best seats in the
synagogues, 7and to be greeted with respect in the market-places, and to
have people call them rabbi. 8But you are not to be called rabbi, for
you have one teacher, and you are all students.* 9And call no one your
father on earth, for you have one Father-the one in heaven. 10Nor are
you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.*
11The greatest among you will be your servant. 12All who exalt
themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be
exalted.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 38

Psalm 38

O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger,
   or discipline me in your wrath. 
2For your arrows have sunk into me,
   and your hand has come down on me. 


3There is no soundness in my flesh
   because of your indignation;
there is no health in my bones
   because of my sin. 
4For my iniquities have gone over my head;
   they weigh like a burden too heavy for me. 


5My wounds grow foul and fester
   because of my foolishness; 
6I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;
   all day long I go around mourning. 
7For my loins are filled with burning,
   and there is no soundness in my flesh. 
8I am utterly spent and crushed;
   I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 


9O Lord, all my longing is known to you;
   my sighing is not hidden from you. 
10My heart throbs, my strength fails me;
   as for the light of my eyes-it also has gone from me. 
11My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction,
   and my neighbours stand far off. 


12Those who seek my life lay their snares;
   those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin,
   and meditate treachery all day long. 


13But I am like the deaf, I do not hear;
   like the mute, who cannot speak. 
14Truly, I am like one who does not hear,
   and in whose mouth is no retort. 


15But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait;
   it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 
16For I pray, 'Only do not let them rejoice over me,
   those who boast against me when my foot slips.' 


17For I am ready to fall,
   and my pain is ever with me. 
18I confess my iniquity;
   I am sorry for my sin. 
19Those who are my foes without cause* are mighty,
   and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 
20Those who render me evil for good
   are my adversaries because I follow after good. 


21Do not forsake me, O Lord;
   O my God, do not be far from me; 
22make haste to help me,
   O Lord, my salvation.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 119:25-48

Psalm 119:25-48

My soul clings to the dust;
   revive me according to your word. 
26When I told of my ways, you answered me;
   teach me your statutes. 
27Make me understand the way of your precepts,
   and I will meditate on your wondrous works. 
28My soul melts away for sorrow;
   strengthen me according to your word. 
29Put false ways far from me;
   and graciously teach me your law. 
30I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
   I set your ordinances before me. 
31I cling to your decrees, O Lord;
   let me not be put to shame. 
32I run the way of your commandments,
   for you enlarge my understanding. 


33Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes,
   and I will observe it to the end. 
34Give me understanding, that I may keep your law
   and observe it with my whole heart. 
35Lead me in the path of your commandments,
   for I delight in it. 
36Turn my heart to your decrees,
   and not to selfish gain. 
37Turn my eyes from looking at vanities;
   give me life in your ways. 
38Confirm to your servant your promise,
   which is for those who fear you. 
39Turn away the disgrace that I dread,
   for your ordinances are good. 
40See, I have longed for your precepts;
   in your righteousness give me life. 


41Let your steadfast love come to me, O Lord,
   your salvation according to your promise. 
42Then I shall have an answer for those who taunt me,
   for I trust in your word. 
43Do not take the word of truth utterly out of my mouth,
   for my hope is in your ordinances. 
44I will keep your law continually,
   for ever and ever. 
45I shall walk at liberty,
   for I have sought your precepts. 
46I will also speak of your decrees before kings,
   and shall not be put to shame; 
47I find my delight in your commandments,
   because I love them. 
48I revere your commandments, which I love,
   and I will meditate on your statutes. 
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