Monday 19 November 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Monday 19 November 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Maccabees 3:1-24

Then his son Judas, who was called Maccabeus, took command in his place.
All his brothers and all who had joined his father helped him; they
gladly fought for Israel. 
He extended the glory of his people.
   Like a giant he put on his breastplate;
he bound on his armour of war and waged battles,
   protecting the camp by his sword. 
He was like a lion in his deeds,
   like a lion's cub roaring for prey. 
He searched out and pursued those who broke the law;
   he burned those who troubled his people. 
Lawbreakers shrank back for fear of him;
   all the evildoers were confounded;
   and deliverance prospered by his hand. 
He embittered many kings,
   but he made Jacob glad by his deeds,
   and his memory is blessed for ever. 
He went through the cities of Judah;
   he destroyed the ungodly out of the land;*
   thus he turned away wrath from Israel. 
He was renowned to the ends of the earth;
   he gathered in those who were perishing.

 Apollonius now gathered together Gentiles and a large force from
Samaria to fight against Israel. When Judas learned of it, he went out
to meet him, and he defeated and killed him. Many were wounded and fell,
and the rest fled. Then they seized their spoils; and Judas took the
sword of Apollonius, and used it in battle for the rest of his life.

 When Seron, the commander of the Syrian army, heard that Judas had
gathered a large company, including a body of faithful soldiers who
stayed with him and went out to battle, he said, 'I will make a name for
myself and win honour in the kingdom. I will make war on Judas and his
companions, who scorn the king's command.' Once again a strong army of
godless men went up with him to help him, to take vengeance on the
Israelites.

 When he approached the ascent of Beth-horon, Judas went out to meet him
with a small company. But when they saw the army coming to meet them,
they said to Judas, 'How can we, few as we are, fight against so great
and so strong a multitude? And we are faint, for we have eaten nothing
today.' Judas replied, 'It is easy for many to be hemmed in by few, for
in the sight of Heaven there is no difference between saving by many or
by few. It is not on the size of the army that victory in battle
depends, but strength comes from Heaven. They come against us in great
insolence and lawlessness to destroy us and our wives and our children,
and to despoil us; but we fight for our lives and our laws. He himself
will crush them before us; as for you, do not be afraid of them.'

 When he finished speaking, he rushed suddenly against Seron and his
army, and they were crushed before him. They pursued them* down the
descent of Beth-horon to the plain; eight hundred of them fell, and the
rest fled into the land of the Philistines.
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Revelation 20:7-15

When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his
prison and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of
the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle; they are
as numerous as the sands of the sea. They marched up over the breadth of
the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city.
And fire came down from heaven* and consumed them. And the devil who had
deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the
beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and
night for ever and ever.
 Then I saw a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth
and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.
And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And
the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books.
And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up
the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to what they
had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This
is the second death, the lake of fire; and anyone whose name was not
found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. 
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Matthew 17:1-13

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John
and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. And he was transfigured
before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became
dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah,
talking with him. Then Peter said to Jesus, 'Lord, it is good for us to
be here; if you wish, I* will make three dwellings* here, one for you,
one for Moses, and one for Elijah.' While he was still speaking,
suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice
said, 'This is my Son, the Beloved;* with him I am well pleased; listen
to him!' When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were
overcome by fear. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, 'Get up and
do not be afraid.' And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus
himself alone.

 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, 'Tell no one
about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the
dead.' And the disciples asked him, 'Why, then, do the scribes say that
Elijah must come first?' He replied, 'Elijah is indeed coming and will
restore all things; but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and
they did not recognize him, but they did to him whatever they pleased.
So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.' Then the
disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the
Baptist.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 89:1-18

Psalm 89:1-18

I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord,* for ever;
   with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. 
I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever;
   your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. 


You said, 'I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
   I have sworn to my servant David: 
"I will establish your descendants for ever,
   and build your throne for all generations." '
          Selah 


Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
   your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones. 
For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
   Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, 
a God feared in the council of the holy ones,
   great and awesome* above all that are around him? 
O Lord God of hosts,
   who is as mighty as you, O Lord?
   Your faithfulness surrounds you. 
You rule the raging of the sea;
   when its waves rise, you still them. 
You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
   you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 
The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours;
   the world and all that is in it-you have founded them. 
The north and the south*-you created them;
   Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. 
You have a mighty arm;
   strong is your hand, high your right hand. 
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
   steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. 
Happy are the people who know the festal shout,
   who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance; 
they exult in your name all day long,
   and extol* your righteousness. 
For you are the glory of their strength;
   by your favour our horn is exalted. 
For our shield belongs to the Lord,
   our king to the Holy One of Israel.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 89:19-52

Psalm 89:19-52

Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said:
   'I have set the crown* on one who is mighty,
   I have exalted one chosen from the people. 
I have found my servant David;
   with my holy oil I have anointed him; 
my hand shall always remain with him;
   my arm also shall strengthen him. 
The enemy shall not outwit him,
   the wicked shall not humble him. 
I will crush his foes before him
   and strike down those who hate him. 
My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
   and in my name his horn shall be exalted. 
I will set his hand on the sea
   and his right hand on the rivers. 
He shall cry to me, "You are my Father,
   my God, and the Rock of my salvation!" 
I will make him the firstborn,
   the highest of the kings of the earth. 
For-ever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
   and my covenant with him will stand firm. 
I will establish his line for ever,
   and his throne as long as the heavens endure. 
If his children forsake my law
   and do not walk according to my ordinances, 
if they violate my statutes
   and do not keep my commandments, 
then I will punish their transgression with the rod
   and their iniquity with scourges; 
but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
   or be false to my faithfulness. 
I will not violate my covenant,
   or alter the word that went forth from my lips. 
Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness;
   I will not lie to David. 
His line shall continue for ever,
   and his throne endure before me like the sun. 
It shall be established for ever like the moon,
   an enduring witness in the skies.'
          Selah 

But now you have spurned and rejected him;
   you are full of wrath against your anointed. 
You have renounced the covenant with your servant;
   you have defiled his crown in the dust. 
You have broken through all his walls;
   you have laid his strongholds in ruins. 
All who pass by plunder him;
   he has become the scorn of his neighbours. 
You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
   you have made all his enemies rejoice. 
Moreover, you have turned back the edge of his sword,
   and you have not supported him in battle. 
You have removed the sceptre from his hand,*
   and hurled his throne to the ground. 
You have cut short the days of his youth;
   you have covered him with shame.
          Selah 

How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself for ever?
   How long will your wrath burn like fire? 
Remember how short my time is-*
   for what vanity you have created all mortals! 
Who can live and never see death?
   Who can escape the power of Sheol?
          Selah 

Lord, where is your steadfast love of old,
   which by your faithfulness you swore to David? 
Remember, O Lord, how your servant is taunted;
   how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples,* 
with which your enemies taunt, O Lord,
   with which they taunted the footsteps of your anointed. 

Blessed be the Lord for ever.Amen and Amen.
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