Sunday 7 October 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Sunday 7 October 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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2 Kings 20:1-21

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. The
prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, 'Thus says the
Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not
recover.' 2Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the
Lord: 3'Remember now, O Lord, I implore you, how I have walked before
you in faithfulness with a whole heart, and have done what is good in
your sight.' Hezekiah wept bitterly. 4Before Isaiah had gone out of the
middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: 5'Turn back, and say to
Hezekiah prince of my people, Thus says the Lord, the God of your
ancestor David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears;
indeed, I will heal you; on the third day you shall go up to the house
of the Lord. 6I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you
and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; I will defend this
city for my own sake and for my servant David's sake.' 7Then Isaiah
said, 'Bring a lump of figs. Let them take it and apply it to the boil,
so that he may recover.' 
8 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'What shall be the sign that the Lord will
heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the third
day?' 9Isaiah said, 'This is the sign to you from the Lord, that the
Lord will do the thing that he has promised: the shadow has now advanced
ten intervals; shall it retreat ten intervals?' 10Hezekiah answered, 'It
is normal for the shadow to lengthen ten intervals; rather let the
shadow retreat ten intervals.' 11The prophet Isaiah cried to the Lord;
and he brought the shadow back the ten intervals, by which the sun* had
declined on the dial of Ahaz. 
Envoys from Babylon12 At that time King Merodach-baladan son of Baladan
of Babylon sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he
had heard that Hezekiah had been sick. 13Hezekiah welcomed them;* he
showed them all his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices,
the precious oil, his armoury, all that was found in his storehouses;
there was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not
show them. 14Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah, and said to
him, 'What did these men say? From where did they come to you?' Hezekiah
answered, 'They have come from a far country, from Babylon.' 15He said,
'What have they seen in your house?' Hezekiah answered, 'They have seen
all that is in my house; there is nothing in my storehouses that I did
not show them.' 
16 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 'Hear the word of the Lord: 17Days are
coming when all that is in your house, and that which your ancestors
have stored up until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing
shall be left, says the Lord. 18Some of your own sons who are born to
you shall be taken away; they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king
of Babylon.' 19Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'The word of the Lord that
you have spoken is good.' For he thought, 'Why not, if there will be
peace and security in my days?' 
Death of Hezekiah20 The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah, all his power,
how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city,
are they not written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah?
21Hezekiah slept with his ancestors; and his son Manasseh succeeded him.
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Acts 12:1-17

About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to
the church. 2He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword.
3After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter
also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) 4When he had
seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of
soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after
the Passover. 5While Peter was kept in prison, the church prayed
fervently to God for him. 
Peter Delivered from Prison6 The very night before Herod was going to
bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two
soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the
prison. 7Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the
cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, 'Get up
quickly.' And the chains fell off his wrists. 8The angel said to him,
'Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.' He did so. Then he said to
him, 'Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.' 9Peter* went out and
followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the
angel's help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10After they
had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron
gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and
they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left
him. 11Then Peter came to himself and said, 'Now I am sure that the Lord
has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all
that the Jewish people were expecting.' 
12 As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother
of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were
praying. 13When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to
answer. 14On recognizing Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that,
instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was
standing at the gate. 15They said to her, 'You are out of your mind!'
But she insisted that it was so. They said, 'It is his angel.'
16Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate,
they saw him and were amazed. 17He motioned to them with his hand to be
silent, and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the
prison. And he added, 'Tell this to James and to the believers.'* Then
he left and went to another place.
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Luke 7:11-17

Soon afterwards* he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a
large crowd went with him. 12As he approached the gate of the town, a
man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother's only son,
and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the town.
13When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, 'Do
not weep.' 14Then he came forward and touched the bier, and the bearers
stood still. And he said, 'Young man, I say to you, rise!' 15The dead
man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus* gave him to his mother. 16Fear
seized all of them; and they glorified God, saying, 'A great prophet has
risen among us!' and 'God has looked favourably on his people!' 17This
word about him spread throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 118

Psalm 118

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   his steadfast love endures for ever! 


2Let Israel say,
   'His steadfast love endures for ever.' 
3Let the house of Aaron say,
   'His steadfast love endures for ever.' 
4Let those who fear the Lord say,
   'His steadfast love endures for ever.' 


5Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
   the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 
6With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
   What can mortals do to me? 
7The Lord is on my side to help me;
   I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 
8It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in mortals. 
9It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in princes. 


10All nations surrounded me;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
11They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
12They surrounded me like bees;
   they blazed* like a fire of thorns;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
13I was pushed hard,* so that I was falling,
   but the Lord helped me. 
14The Lord is my strength and my might;
   he has become my salvation. 


15There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
'The right hand of the Lord does valiantly; 
16   the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
   the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.' 
17I shall not die, but I shall live,
   and recount the deeds of the Lord. 
18The Lord has punished me severely,
   but he did not give me over to death. 


19Open to me the gates of righteousness,
   that I may enter through them
   and give thanks to the Lord. 


20This is the gate of the Lord;
   the righteous shall enter through it. 


21I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation. 
22The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone. 
23This is the Lord's doing;
   it is marvellous in our eyes. 
24This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.* 
25Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 


26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.*
   We bless you from the house of the Lord. 
27The Lord is God,
   and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
   up to the horns of the altar.* 


28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
   you are my God, I will extol you. 


29O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 145

Psalm 145

I will extol you, my God and King,
   and bless your name for ever and ever. 
2Every day I will bless you,
   and praise your name for ever and ever. 
3Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
   his greatness is unsearchable. 


4One generation shall laud your works to another,
   and shall declare your mighty acts. 
5On the glorious splendour of your majesty,
   and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 
6The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
   and I will declare your greatness. 
7They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
   and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 


8The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 
9The Lord is good to all,
   and his compassion is over all that he has made. 


10All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
   and all your faithful shall bless you. 
11They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
   and tell of your power, 
12to make known to all people your* mighty deeds,
   and the glorious splendour of your* kingdom. 
13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures throughout all generations. 


The Lord is faithful in all his words,
   and gracious in all his deeds.* 
14The Lord upholds all who are falling,
   and raises up all who are bowed down. 
15The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food in due season. 
16You open your hand,
   satisfying the desire of every living thing. 
17The Lord is just in all his ways,
   and kind in all his doings. 
18The Lord is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth. 
19He fulfils the desire of all who fear him;
   he also hears their cry, and saves them. 
20The Lord watches over all who love him,
   but all the wicked he will destroy. 


21My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
   and all flesh will bless his holy name for ever and ever.
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