Thursday 27 September 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Thursday 27 September 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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2 Kings 9:1-16

Then the prophet Elisha called a member of the company of prophets* and
said to him, 'Gird up your loins; take this flask of oil in your hand,
and go to Ramoth-gilead. 2When you arrive, look there for Jehu son of
Jehoshaphat, son of Nimshi; go in and get him to leave his companions,
and take him into an inner chamber. 3Then take the flask of oil, pour it
on his head, and say, "Thus says the Lord: I anoint you king over
Israel." Then open the door and flee; do not linger.' 
4 So the young man, the young prophet, went to Ramoth-gilead. 5He
arrived while the commanders of the army were in council, and he
announced, 'I have a message for you, commander.' 'For which one of us?'
asked Jehu. 'For you, commander.' 6So Jehu* got up and went inside; the
young man poured the oil on his head, saying to him, 'Thus says the Lord
the God of Israel: I anoint you king over the people of the Lord, over
Israel. 7You shall strike down the house of your master Ahab, so that I
may avenge on Jezebel the blood of my servants the prophets, and the
blood of all the servants of the Lord. 8For the whole house of Ahab
shall perish; I will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in
Israel. 9I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam son of
Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah. 10The dogs shall eat
Jezebel in the territory of Jezreel, and no one shall bury her.' Then he
opened the door and fled. 
11 When Jehu came back to his master's officers, they said to him, 'Is
everything all right? Why did that madman come to you?' He answered
them, 'You know the sort and how they babble.' 12They said, 'Liar! Come
on, tell us!' So he said, 'This is just what he said to me: "Thus says
the Lord, I anoint you king over Israel." ' 13Then hurriedly they all
took their cloaks and spread them for him on the bare* steps; and they
blew the trumpet, and proclaimed, 'Jehu is king.' 
Joram of Israel Killed14 Thus Jehu son of Jehoshaphat son of Nimshi
conspired against Joram. Joram with all Israel had been on guard at
Ramoth-gilead against King Hazael of Aram; 15but King Joram had returned
to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds that the Arameans had inflicted on
him, when he fought against King Hazael of Aram. So Jehu said, 'If this
is your wish, then let no one slip out of the city to go and tell the
news in Jezreel.' 16Then Jehu mounted his chariot and went to Jezreel,
where Joram was lying ill. King Ahaziah of Judah had come down to visit
Joram.
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1 Corinthians 6:12-20

'All things are lawful for me', but not all things are beneficial. 'All
things are lawful for me', but I will not be dominated by anything.
13'Food is meant for the stomach and the stomach for food',* and God
will destroy both one and the other. The body is meant not for
fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14And God
raised the Lord and will also raise us by his power. 15Do you not know
that your bodies are members of Christ? Should I therefore take the
members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! 16Do you
not know that whoever is united to a prostitute becomes one body with
her? For it is said, 'The two shall be one flesh.' 17But anyone united
to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. 18Shun fornication! Every sin
that a person commits is outside the body; but the fornicator sins
against the body itself. 19Or do you not know that your body is a
temple* of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that
you are not your own? 20For you were bought with a price; therefore
glorify God in your body.
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Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

'Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen by
them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven. 
2 'So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the
hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be
praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
3But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right
hand is doing, 4so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father
who sees in secret will reward you.* 
Concerning Prayer5 'And whenever you pray, do not be like the
hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the
street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you,
they have received their reward. 6But whenever you pray, go into your
room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and
your Father who sees in secret will reward you.* 
Concerning Fasting16 'And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like
the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that
they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward.
17But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18so that
your fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in
secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 34

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times;
   his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 
2My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
   let the humble hear and be glad. 
3O magnify the Lord with me,
   and let us exalt his name together. 


4I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
   and delivered me from all my fears. 
5Look to him, and be radiant;
   so your* faces shall never be ashamed. 
6This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
   and was saved from every trouble. 
7The angel of the Lord encamps
   around those who fear him, and delivers them. 
8O taste and see that the Lord is good;
   happy are those who take refuge in him. 
9O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
   for those who fear him have no want. 
10The young lions suffer want and hunger,
   but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 


11Come, O children, listen to me;
   I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 
12Which of you desires life,
   and covets many days to enjoy good? 
13Keep your tongue from evil,
   and your lips from speaking deceit. 
14Depart from evil, and do good;
   seek peace, and pursue it. 


15The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
   and his ears are open to their cry. 
16The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
   to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 
17When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
   and rescues them from all their troubles. 
18The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
   and saves the crushed in spirit. 


19Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
   but the Lord rescues them from them all. 
20He keeps all their bones;
   not one of them will be broken. 
21Evil brings death to the wicked,
   and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 
22The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
   none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 85, 86

Psalm 85

Lord, you were favourable to your land;
   you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 
2You forgave the iniquity of your people;
   you pardoned all their sin.
          Selah 
3You withdrew all your wrath;
   you turned from your hot anger. 


4Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
   and put away your indignation towards us. 
5Will you be angry with us for ever?
   Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 
6Will you not revive us again,
   so that your people may rejoice in you? 
7Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
   and grant us your salvation. 


8Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
   for he will speak peace to his people,
   to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.* 
9Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
   that his glory may dwell in our land. 


10Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
   righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 
11Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
   and righteousness will look down from the sky. 
12The Lord will give what is good,
   and our land will yield its increase. 
13Righteousness will go before him,
   and will make a path for his steps.



Psalm 86

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
   for I am poor and needy. 
2Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you;
   save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3be gracious to me, O Lord,
   for to you do I cry all day long. 
4Gladden the soul of your servant,
   for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 
5For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
   abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you. 
6Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
   listen to my cry of supplication. 
7In the day of my trouble I call on you,
   for you will answer me. 


8There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
   nor are there any works like yours. 
9All the nations you have made shall come
   and bow down before you, O Lord,
   and shall glorify your name. 
10For you are great and do wondrous things;
   you alone are God. 
11Teach me your way, O Lord,
   that I may walk in your truth;
   give me an undivided heart to revere your name. 
12I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
   and I will glorify your name for ever. 
13For great is your steadfast love towards me;
   you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 


14O God, the insolent rise up against me;
   a band of ruffians seeks my life,
   and they do not set you before them. 
15But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 
16Turn to me and be gracious to me;
   give your strength to your servant;
   save the child of your serving-maid. 
17Show me a sign of your favour,
   so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,
   because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
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