Thursday 6 September 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Thursday 6 September 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Kings 11:1-13

King Solomon loved many foreign women along with the daughter of
Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2from
the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the Israelites, 'You
shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you;
for they will surely incline your heart to follow their gods;' Solomon
clung to these in love. 3Among his wives were seven hundred princesses
and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart. 4For
when Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods;
and his heart was not true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of his
father David. 5For Solomon followed Astarte the goddess of the
Sidonians, and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. 6So Solomon did
what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not completely follow
the Lord, as his father David had done. 7Then Solomon built a high place
for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of
the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. 8He did the same for
all his foreign wives, who offered incense and sacrificed to their gods.

9 Then the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned
away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
10and had commanded him concerning this matter, that he should not
follow other gods; but he did not observe what the Lord commanded.
11Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, 'Since this has been your mind and
you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you,
I will surely tear the kingdom from you and give it to your servant.
12Yet for the sake of your father David I will not do it in your
lifetime; I will tear it out of the hand of your son. 13I will not,
however, tear away the entire kingdom; I will give one tribe to your
son, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem,
which I have chosen.'
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James 3:13-4:12

Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that
your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. 14But if you have
bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not be boastful and
false to the truth. 15Such wisdom does not come down from above, but is
earthly, unspiritual, devilish. 16For where there is envy and selfish
ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind.
17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of
partiality or hypocrisy. 18And a harvest of righteousness is sown in
peace for* those who make peace. 
Friendship with the World4Those conflicts and disputes among you, where
do they come from? Do they not come from your cravings that are at war
within you? 2You want something and do not have it; so you commit
murder. And you covet* something and cannot obtain it; so you engage in
disputes and conflicts. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3You
ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, in order to spend what
you get on your pleasures. 4Adulterers! Do you not know that friendship
with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a
friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. 5Or do you suppose that it
is for nothing that the scripture says, 'God* yearns jealously for the
spirit that he has made to dwell in us'? 6But he gives all the more
grace; therefore it says,
'God opposes the proud,
   but gives grace to the humble.' 
7Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee
from you. 8Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your
hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Lament
and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your
joy into dejection. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will
exalt you. 
Warning against Judging Another11 Do not speak evil against one another,
brothers and sisters.* Whoever speaks evil against another or judges
another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you
judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12There is one
lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are
you to judge your neighbour? 
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Mark 15:12-21

Pilate spoke to them again, 'Then what do you wish me to do* with the
man you call* the King of the Jews?' 13They shouted back, 'Crucify him!'
14Pilate asked them, 'Why, what evil has he done?' But they shouted all
the more, 'Crucify him!' 15So Pilate, wishing to satisfy the crowd,
released Barabbas for them; and after flogging Jesus, he handed him over
to be crucified. 
The Soldiers Mock Jesus16 Then the soldiers led him into the courtyard
of the palace (that is, the governor's headquarters*); and they called
together the whole cohort. 17And they clothed him in a purple cloak; and
after twisting some thorns into a crown, they put it on him. 18And they
began saluting him, 'Hail, King of the Jews!' 19They struck his head
with a reed, spat upon him, and knelt down in homage to him. 20After
mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own
clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. 
The Crucifixion of Jesus21 They compelled a passer-by, who was coming in
from the country, to carry his cross; it was Simon of Cyrene, the father
of Alexander and Rufus.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 37:1-18

Psalm 37:1-18

Do not fret because of the wicked;
   do not be envious of wrongdoers, 
2for they will soon fade like the grass,
   and wither like the green herb. 


3Trust in the Lord, and do good;
   so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. 
4Take delight in the Lord,
   and he will give you the desires of your heart. 


5Commit your way to the Lord;
   trust in him, and he will act. 
6He will make your vindication shine like the light,
   and the justice of your cause like the noonday. 


7Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him;
   do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
   over those who carry out evil devices. 


8Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath.
   Do not fret-it leads only to evil. 
9For the wicked shall be cut off,
   but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land. 


10Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more;
   though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there. 
11But the meek shall inherit the land,
   and delight in abundant prosperity. 


12The wicked plot against the righteous,
   and gnash their teeth at them; 
13but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
   for he sees that their day is coming. 


14The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows
   to bring down the poor and needy,
   to kill those who walk uprightly; 
15their sword shall enter their own heart,
   and their bows shall be broken. 


16Better is a little that the righteous person has
   than the abundance of many wicked. 
17For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
   but the Lord upholds the righteous. 


18The Lord knows the days of the blameless,
   and their heritage will abide for ever;
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 37:19-42

Psalm 37:19-42

they are not put to shame in evil times,
   in the days of famine they have abundance. 


20But the wicked perish,
   and the enemies of the Lord are like the glory of the pastures;
   they vanish-like smoke they vanish away. 


21The wicked borrow, and do not pay back,
   but the righteous are generous and keep giving; 
22for those blessed by the Lord shall inherit the land,
   but those cursed by him shall be cut off. 


23Our steps* are made firm by the Lord,
   when he delights in our* way; 
24though we stumble,* we* shall not fall headlong,
   for the Lord holds us* by the hand. 


25I have been young, and now am old,
   yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken
   or their children begging bread. 
26They are ever giving liberally and lending,
   and their children become a blessing. 


27Depart from evil, and do good;
   so you shall abide for ever. 
28For the Lord loves justice;
   he will not forsake his faithful ones. 


The righteous shall be kept safe for ever,
   but the children of the wicked shall be cut off. 
29The righteous shall inherit the land,
   and live in it for ever. 


30The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom,
   and their tongues speak justice. 
31The law of their God is in their hearts;
   their steps do not slip. 


32The wicked watch for the righteous,
   and seek to kill them. 
33The Lord will not abandon them to their power,
   or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial. 


34Wait for the Lord, and keep to his way,
   and he will exalt you to inherit the land;
   you will look on the destruction of the wicked. 


35I have seen the wicked oppressing,
   and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.* 
36Again I* passed by, and they were no more;
   though I sought them, they could not be found. 


37Mark the blameless, and behold the upright,
   for there is posterity for the peaceable. 
38But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed;
   the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off. 


39The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord;
   he is their refuge in the time of trouble. 
40The Lord helps them and rescues them;
   he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them,
   because they take refuge in him.
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