Saturday 24 November 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 24 November 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Isaiah 65:17-25

For I am about to create new heavens
   and a new earth;
the former things shall not be remembered
   or come to mind. 
But be glad and rejoice for ever
   in what I am creating;
for I am about to create Jerusalem as a joy,
   and its people as a delight. 
I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
   and delight in my people;
no more shall the sound of weeping be heard in it,
   or the cry of distress. 
No more shall there be in it
   an infant that lives but a few days,
   or an old person who does not live out a lifetime;
for one who dies at a hundred years will be considered a youth,
   and one who falls short of a hundred will be considered accursed. 
They shall build houses and inhabit them;
   they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. 
They shall not build and another inhabit;
   they shall not plant and another eat;
for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
   and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. 
They shall not labour in vain,
   or bear children for calamity;*
for they shall be offspring blessed by the Lord-
   and their descendants as well. 
Before they call I will answer,
   while they are yet speaking I will hear. 
The wolf and the lamb shall feed together,
   the lion shall eat straw like the ox;
   but the serpent-its food shall be dust!
They shall not hurt or destroy
   on all my holy mountain,
says the Lord.
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Revelation 22:14-21

Blessed are those who wash their robes,* so that they will have the
right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. Outside
are the dogs and sorcerers and fornicators and murderers and idolaters,
and everyone who loves and practises falsehood.

 'It is I, Jesus, who sent my angel to you with this testimony for the
churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning
star.' 
The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.'
And let everyone who hears say, 'Come.'
And let everyone who is thirsty come.
Let anyone who wishes take the water of life as a gift.

 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if
anyone adds to them, God will add to that person the plagues described
in this book; if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this
prophecy, God will take away that person's share in the tree of life and
in the holy city, which are described in this book.

 The one who testifies to these things says, 'Surely I am coming soon.'

Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all the saints. Amen.*
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Matthew 18:21-35

Then Peter came and said to him, 'Lord, if another member of the church*
sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?'
Jesus said to him, 'Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven*
times.
 'For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who
wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning,
one who owed him ten thousand talents* was brought to him; and, as he
could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife
and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made. So the
slave fell on his knees before him, saying, "Have patience with me, and
I will pay you everything." And out of pity for him, the lord of that
slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he
went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred
denarii;* and seizing him by the throat, he said, "Pay what you owe."
Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, "Have patience
with me, and I will pay you." But he refused; then he went and threw him
into prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow-slaves saw
what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and
reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned
him and said to him, "You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt
because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your
fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?" And in anger his lord handed him
over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt. So my heavenly
Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your
brother or sister* from your heart.'
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 107:33-43, 108:1-13

Psalm 107:33-43

He turns rivers into a desert,
   springs of water into thirsty ground, 
a fruitful land into a salty waste,
   because of the wickedness of its inhabitants. 
He turns a desert into pools of water,
   a parched land into springs of water. 
And there he lets the hungry live,
   and they establish a town to live in; 
they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
   and get a fruitful yield. 
By his blessing they multiply greatly,
   and he does not let their cattle decrease. 


When they are diminished and brought low
   through oppression, trouble, and sorrow, 
he pours contempt on princes
   and makes them wander in trackless wastes; 
but he raises up the needy out of distress,
   and makes their families like flocks. 
The upright see it and are glad;
   and all wickedness stops its mouth. 
Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
   and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.


Psalm 108:1-13

My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;*
   I will sing and make melody.
   Awake, my soul!* 
Awake, O harp and lyre!
   I will awake the dawn. 
I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples,
   and I will sing praises to you among the nations. 
For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,
   and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 


Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
   and let your glory be over all the earth. 
Give victory with your right hand, and answer me,
   so that those whom you love may be rescued. 


God has promised in his sanctuary:*
   'With exultation I will divide up Shechem,
   and portion out the Vale of Succoth. 
Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;
   Ephraim is my helmet;
   Judah is my sceptre. 
Moab is my wash-basin;
   on Edom I hurl my shoe;
   over Philistia I shout in triumph.' 


Who will bring me to the fortified city?
   Who will lead me to Edom? 
Have you not rejected us, O God?
   You do not go out, O God, with our armies. 
O grant us help against the foe,
   for human help is worthless. 
With God we shall do valiantly;
   it is he who will tread down our foes.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 33

Psalm 33

Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous.
   Praise befits the upright. 
Praise the Lord with the lyre;
   make melody to him with the harp of ten strings. 
Sing to him a new song;
   play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts. 


For the word of the Lord is upright,
   and all his work is done in faithfulness. 
He loves righteousness and justice;
   the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. 


By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
   and all their host by the breath of his mouth. 
He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
   he put the deeps in storehouses. 


Let all the earth fear the Lord;
   let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 
For he spoke, and it came to be;
   he commanded, and it stood firm. 


The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
   he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 
The counsel of the Lord stands for ever,
   the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 
Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord,
   the people whom he has chosen as his heritage. 


The Lord looks down from heaven;
   he sees all humankind. 
>From where he sits enthroned he watches
   all the inhabitants of the earth- 
he who fashions the hearts of them all,
   and observes all their deeds. 
A king is not saved by his great army;
   a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 
The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
   and by its great might it cannot save. 


Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
   on those who hope in his steadfast love, 
to deliver their soul from death,
   and to keep them alive in famine. 


Our soul waits for the Lord;
   he is our help and shield. 
Our heart is glad in him,
   because we trust in his holy name. 
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
   even as we hope in you.
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