Friday 28 September 2007 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Friday 28 September 2007 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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2 Kings 9:17-37

In Jezreel, the sentinel standing on the tower spied the company of Jehu
arriving, and said, 'I see a company.' Joram said, 'Take a horseman;
send him to meet them, and let him say, "Is it peace?" ' 18So the
horseman went to meet him; he said, 'Thus says the king, "Is it peace?"
' Jehu responded, 'What have you to do with peace? Fall in behind me.'
The sentinel reported, saying, 'The messenger reached them, but he is
not coming back.' 19Then he sent out a second horseman, who came to them
and said, 'Thus says the king, "Is it peace?" ' Jehu answered, 'What
have you to do with peace? Fall in behind me.' 20Again the sentinel
reported, 'He reached them, but he is not coming back. It looks like the
driving of Jehu son of Nimshi; for he drives like a maniac.' 
21 Joram said, 'Get ready.' And they got his chariot ready. Then King
Joram of Israel and King Ahaziah of Judah set out, each in his chariot,
and went to meet Jehu; they met him at the property of Naboth the
Jezreelite. 22When Joram saw Jehu, he said, 'Is it peace, Jehu?' He
answered, 'What peace can there be, so long as the many whoredoms and
sorceries of your mother Jezebel continue?' 23Then Joram reined about
and fled, saying to Ahaziah, 'Treason, Ahaziah!' 24Jehu drew his bow
with all his strength, and shot Joram between the shoulders, so that the
arrow pierced his heart; and he sank in his chariot. 25Jehu said to his
aide Bidkar, 'Lift him out, and throw him on the plot of ground
belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember, when you and I rode
side by side behind his father Ahab, how the Lord uttered this oracle
against him: 26"For the blood of Naboth and for the blood of his
children that I saw yesterday, says the Lord, I swear I will repay you
on this very plot of ground." Now therefore lift him out and throw him
on the plot of ground, in accordance with the word of the Lord.' 
Ahaziah of Judah Killed27 When King Ahaziah of Judah saw this, he fled
in the direction of Beth-haggan. Jehu pursued him, saying, 'Shoot him
also!' And they shot him* in the chariot at the ascent to Gur, which is
by Ibleam. Then he fled to Megiddo, and died there. 28His officers
carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his tomb with
his ancestors in the city of David. 
29 In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah began to reign
over Judah. 
Jezebel's Violent Death30 When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of
it; she painted her eyes, and adorned her head, and looked out of the
window. 31As Jehu entered the gate, she said, 'Is it peace, Zimri,
murderer of your master?' 32He looked up to the window and said, 'Who is
on my side? Who?' Two or three eunuchs looked out at him. 33He said,
'Throw her down.' So they threw her down; some of her blood spattered on
the wall and on the horses, which trampled on her. 34Then he went in and
ate and drank; he said, 'See to that cursed woman and bury her; for she
is a king's daughter.' 35But when they went to bury her, they found no
more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands.
36When they came back and told him, he said, 'This is the word of the
Lord, which he spoke by his servant Elijah the Tishbite, "In the
territory of Jezreel the dogs shall eat the flesh of Jezebel; 37the
corpse of Jezebel shall be like dung on the field in the territory of
Jezreel, so that no one can say, This is Jezebel." '
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1 Corinthians 7:1-9

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: 'It is well for a man
not to touch a woman.' 2But because of cases of sexual immorality, each
man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3The
husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the
wife to her husband. 4For the wife does not have authority over her own
body, but the husband does; likewise the husband does not have authority
over his own body, but the wife does. 5Do not deprive one another except
perhaps by agreement for a set time, to devote yourselves to prayer, and
then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of
your lack of self-control. 6This I say by way of concession, not of
command. 7I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has a particular
gift from God, one having one kind and another a different kind. 
8 To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is well for them to
remain unmarried as I am. 9But if they are not practising self-control,
they should marry. For it is better to marry than to be aflame with
passion.
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Matthew 6:7-15

'When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do;
for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. 8Do
not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask
him. 
9 'Pray then in this way:
Our Father in heaven,
   hallowed be your name. 
10   Your kingdom come.
   Your will be done,
     on earth as it is in heaven. 
11   Give us this day our daily bread.* 
12   And forgive us our debts,
     as we also have forgiven our debtors. 
13   And do not bring us to the time of trial,*
     but rescue us from the evil one.* 
14For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will
also forgive you; 15but if you do not forgive others, neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 88

Psalm 88

O Lord, God of my salvation,
   when, at night, I cry out in your presence, 
2let my prayer come before you;
   incline your ear to my cry. 


3For my soul is full of troubles,
   and my life draws near to Sheol. 
4I am counted among those who go down to the Pit;
   I am like those who have no help, 
5like those forsaken among the dead,
   like the slain that lie in the grave,
like those whom you remember no more,
   for they are cut off from your hand. 
6You have put me in the depths of the Pit,
   in the regions dark and deep. 
7Your wrath lies heavy upon me,
   and you overwhelm me with all your waves.
          Selah 


8You have caused my companions to shun me;
   you have made me a thing of horror to them.
I am shut in so that I cannot escape; 
9   my eye grows dim through sorrow.
Every day I call on you, O Lord;
   I spread out my hands to you. 
10Do you work wonders for the dead?
   Do the shades rise up to praise you?
          Selah 
11Is your steadfast love declared in the grave,
   or your faithfulness in Abaddon? 
12Are your wonders known in the darkness,
   or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness? 


13But I, O Lord, cry out to you;
   in the morning my prayer comes before you. 
14O Lord, why do you cast me off?
   Why do you hide your face from me? 
15Wretched and close to death from my youth up,
   I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.* 
16Your wrath has swept over me;
   your dread assaults destroy me. 
17They surround me like a flood all day long;
   from all sides they close in on me. 
18You have caused friend and neighbour to shun me;
   my companions are in darkness.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 91, 92

Psalm 91

You who live in the shelter of the Most High,
   who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,* 
2will say to the Lord, 'My refuge and my fortress;
   my God, in whom I trust.' 
3For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
   and from the deadly pestilence; 
4he will cover you with his pinions,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. 
5You will not fear the terror of the night,
   or the arrow that flies by day, 
6or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
   or the destruction that wastes at noonday. 


7A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you. 
8You will only look with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked. 


9Because you have made the Lord your refuge,*
   the Most High your dwelling-place, 
10no evil shall befall you,
   no scourge come near your tent. 


11For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways. 
12On their hands they will bear you up,
   so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. 
13You will tread on the lion and the adder,
   the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot. 


14Those who love me, I will deliver;
   I will protect those who know my name. 
15When they call to me, I will answer them;
   I will be with them in trouble,
   I will rescue them and honour them. 
16With long life I will satisfy them,
   and show them my salvation.



Psalm 92

1It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
   to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 
2to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
   and your faithfulness by night, 
3to the music of the lute and the harp,
   to the melody of the lyre. 
4For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
   at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 


5How great are your works, O Lord!
   Your thoughts are very deep! 
6The dullard cannot know,
   the stupid cannot understand this: 
7though the wicked sprout like grass
   and all evildoers flourish,
they are doomed to destruction for ever, 
8   but you, O Lord, are on high for ever. 
9For your enemies, O Lord,
   for your enemies shall perish;
   all evildoers shall be scattered. 


10But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox;
   you have poured over me* fresh oil. 
11My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies;
   my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. 


12The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
   and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 
13They are planted in the house of the Lord;
   they flourish in the courts of our God. 
14In old age they still produce fruit;
   they are always green and full of sap, 
15showing that the Lord is upright;
   he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
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