Monday 1 October 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Monday 1 October 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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2 Kings 17:24-41

The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath,
and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria in place of the
people of Israel; they took possession of Samaria, and settled in its
cities. 25When they first settled there, they did not worship the Lord;
therefore the Lord sent lions among them, which killed some of them.
26So the king of Assyria was told, 'The nations that you have carried
away and placed in the cities of Samaria do not know the law of the god
of the land; therefore he has sent lions among them; they are killing
them, because they do not know the law of the god of the land.' 27Then
the king of Assyria commanded, 'Send there one of the priests whom you
carried away from there; let him* go and live there, and teach them the
law of the god of the land.' 28So one of the priests whom they had
carried away from Samaria came and lived in Bethel; he taught them how
they should worship the Lord. 
29 But every nation still made gods of its own and put them in the
shrines of the high places that the people of Samaria had made, every
nation in the cities in which they lived; 30the people of Babylon made
Succoth-benoth, the people of Cuth made Nergal, the people of Hamath
made Ashima; 31the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; the Sepharvites
burned their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the
gods of Sepharvaim. 32They also worshipped the Lord and appointed from
among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who
sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. 33So they
worshipped the Lord, but they also served their own gods, after the
manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. 34To
this day they continue to practise their former customs.
They do not worship the Lord and they do not follow the statutes or the
ordinances or the law or the commandment that the Lord commanded the
children of Jacob, whom he named Israel. 35The Lord had made a covenant
with them and commanded them, 'You shall not worship other gods or bow
yourselves to them or serve them or sacrifice to them, 36but you shall
worship the Lord, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great
power and with an outstretched arm; you shall bow yourselves to him, and
to him you shall sacrifice. 37The statutes and the ordinances and the
law and the commandment that he wrote for you, you shall always be
careful to observe. You shall not worship other gods; 38you shall not
forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not worship
other gods, 39but you shall worship the Lord your God; he will deliver
you out of the hand of all your enemies.' 40They would not listen,
however, but they continued to practise their former custom. 
41 So these nations worshipped the Lord, but also served their carved
images; to this day their children and their children's children
continue to do as their ancestors did.
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1 Corinthians 7:25-31

Now concerning virgins, I have no command of the Lord, but I give my
opinion as one who by the Lord's mercy is trustworthy. 26I think that,
in view of the impending* crisis, it is well for you to remain as you
are. 27Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be free. Are you free
from a wife? Do not seek a wife. 28But if you marry, you do not sin, and
if a virgin marries, she does not sin. Yet those who marry will
experience distress in this life,* and I would spare you that. 29I mean,
brothers and sisters,* the appointed time has grown short; from now on,
let even those who have wives be as though they had none, 30and those
who mourn as though they were not mourning, and those who rejoice as
though they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as though they had no
possessions, 31and those who deal with the world as though they had no
dealings with it. For the present form of this world is passing away.
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Matthew 6:25-34

'Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat
or what you will drink,* or about your body, what you will wear. Is not
life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26Look at the
birds of the air; they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and
yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than
they? 27And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of
life?* 28And why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the
field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 29yet I tell you, even
Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. 30But if God
so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is
thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you-you of little
faith? 31Therefore do not worry, saying, "What will we eat?" or "What
will we drink?" or "What will we wear?" 32For it is the Gentiles who
strive for all these things; and indeed your heavenly Father knows that
you need all these things. 33But strive first for the kingdom of God*
and his* righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as
well. 
34 'So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of
its own. Today's trouble is enough for today.
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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. 
2I declare that your steadfast love is established for ever;
   your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. 


3You said, 'I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
   I have sworn to my servant David: 
4"I will establish your descendants for ever,
   and build your throne for all generations." '
          Selah 


5Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord,
   your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones. 
6For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord?
   Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, 
7a God feared in the council of the holy ones,
   great and awesome* above all that are around him? 
8O Lord God of hosts,
   who is as mighty as you, O Lord?
   Your faithfulness surrounds you. 
9You rule the raging of the sea;
   when its waves rise, you still them. 
10You crushed Rahab like a carcass;
   you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 
11The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours;
   the world and all that is in it-you have founded them. 
12The north and the south*-you created them;
   Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. 
13You have a mighty arm;
   strong is your hand, high your right hand. 
14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;
   steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. 
15Happy are the people who know the festal shout,
   who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance; 
16they exult in your name all day long,
   and extol* your righteousness. 
17For you are the glory of their strength;
   by your favour our horn is exalted. 
18For 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. 
20I have found my servant David;
   with my holy oil I have anointed him; 
21my hand shall always remain with him;
   my arm also shall strengthen him. 
22The enemy shall not outwit him,
   the wicked shall not humble him. 
23I will crush his foes before him
   and strike down those who hate him. 
24My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him;
   and in my name his horn shall be exalted. 
25I will set his hand on the sea
   and his right hand on the rivers. 
26He shall cry to me, "You are my Father,
   my God, and the Rock of my salvation!" 
27I will make him the firstborn,
   the highest of the kings of the earth. 
28For-ever I will keep my steadfast love for him,
   and my covenant with him will stand firm. 
29I will establish his line for ever,
   and his throne as long as the heavens endure. 
30If his children forsake my law
   and do not walk according to my ordinances, 
31if they violate my statutes
   and do not keep my commandments, 
32then I will punish their transgression with the rod
   and their iniquity with scourges; 
33but I will not remove from him my steadfast love,
   or be false to my faithfulness. 
34I will not violate my covenant,
   or alter the word that went forth from my lips. 
35Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness;
   I will not lie to David. 
36His line shall continue for ever,
   and his throne endure before me like the sun. 
37It shall be established for ever like the moon,
   an enduring witness in the skies.'
          Selah 


38But now you have spurned and rejected him;
   you are full of wrath against your anointed. 
39You have renounced the covenant with your servant;
   you have defiled his crown in the dust. 
40You have broken through all his walls;
   you have laid his strongholds in ruins. 
41All who pass by plunder him;
   he has become the scorn of his neighbours. 
42You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
   you have made all his enemies rejoice. 
43Moreover, you have turned back the edge of his sword,
   and you have not supported him in battle. 
44You have removed the sceptre from his hand,*
   and hurled his throne to the ground. 
45You have cut short the days of his youth;
   you have covered him with shame.
          Selah 


46How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself for ever?
   How long will your wrath burn like fire? 
47Remember how short my time is-*
   for what vanity you have created all mortals! 
48Who can live and never see death?
   Who can escape the power of Sheol?
          Selah 


49Lord, where is your steadfast love of old,
   which by your faithfulness you swore to David? 
50Remember, O Lord, how your servant is taunted;
   how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples,* 
51with which your enemies taunt, O Lord,
   with which they taunted the footsteps of your anointed. 


52Blessed be the Lord for ever.Amen and Amen.
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