Thursday 14 February 2008 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Thursday 14 February 2008 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Genesis 39:1-23

Now Joseph was taken down to Egypt, and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh,
the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the Ishmaelites
who had brought him down there. 2The Lord was with Joseph, and he became
a successful man; he was in the house of his Egyptian master. 3His
master saw that the Lord was with him, and that the Lord caused all that
he did to prosper in his hands. 4So Joseph found favour in his sight and
attended him; he made him overseer of his house and put him in charge of
all that he had. 5From the time that he made him overseer in his house
and over all that he had, the Lord blessed the Egyptian's house for
Joseph's sake; the blessing of the Lord was on all that he had, in house
and field. 6So he left all that he had in Joseph's charge; and, with him
there, he had no concern for anything but the food that he ate.
Now Joseph was handsome and good-looking. 7And after a time his master's
wife cast her eyes on Joseph and said, 'Lie with me.' 8But he refused
and said to his master's wife, 'Look, with me here, my master has no
concern about anything in the house, and he has put everything that he
has in my hand. 9He is not greater in this house than I am, nor has he
kept back anything from me except yourself, because you are his wife.
How then could I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' 10And
although she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not consent to lie
beside her or to be with her. 11One day, however, when he went into the
house to do his work, and while no one else was in the house, 12she
caught hold of his garment, saying, 'Lie with me!' But he left his
garment in her hand, and fled and ran outside. 13When she saw that he
had left his garment in her hand and had fled outside, 14she called out
to the members of her household and said to them, 'See, my husband* has
brought among us a Hebrew to insult us! He came in to me to lie with me,
and I cried out with a loud voice; 15and when he heard me raise my voice
and cry out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.' 16Then
she kept his garment by her until his master came home, 17and she told
him the same story, saying, 'The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought
among us, came in to me to insult me; 18but as soon as I raised my voice
and cried out, he left his garment beside me, and fled outside.' 
19 When his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, saying,
'This is the way your servant treated me', he became enraged. 20And
Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, the place where
the king's prisoners were confined; he remained there in prison. 21But
the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love; he gave him
favour in the sight of the chief jailer. 22The chief jailer committed to
Joseph's care all the prisoners who were in the prison, and whatever was
done there, he was the one who did it. 23The chief jailer paid no heed
to anything that was in Joseph's care, because the Lord was with him;
and whatever he did, the Lord made it prosper.
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1 Corinthians 2:14-3:15

Those who are unspiritual* do not receive the gifts of God's Spirit, for
they are foolishness to them, and they are unable to understand them
because they are discerned spiritually. 15Those who are spiritual
discern all things, and they are themselves subject to no one else's
scrutiny. 
16'For who has known the mind of the Lord
   so as to instruct him?'
But we have the mind of Christ. 
On Divisions in the Corinthian Church3And so, brothers and sisters,* I
could not speak to you as spiritual people, but rather as people of the
flesh, as infants in Christ. 2I fed you with milk, not solid food, for
you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready,
3for you are still of the flesh. For as long as there is jealousy and
quarrelling among you, are you not of the flesh, and behaving according
to human inclinations? 4For when one says, 'I belong to Paul', and
another, 'I belong to Apollos', are you not merely human? 
5 What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to
believe, as the Lord assigned to each. 6I planted, Apollos watered, but
God gave the growth. 7So neither the one who plants nor the one who
waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. 8The one who
plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will
receive wages according to the labour of each. 9For we are God's
servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building. 
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master
builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each
builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11For no one can lay
any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is
Jesus Christ. 12Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold,
silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw- 13the work of each builder
will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be
revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has
done. 14If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder
will receive a reward. 15If the work is burned, the builder will suffer
loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.
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Mark 2:1-12

When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he
was at home. 2So many gathered around that there was no longer room for
them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to
them. 3Then some people* came, bringing to him a paralysed man, carried
by four of them. 4And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of
the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through
it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5When Jesus saw
their faith, he said to the paralytic, 'Son, your sins are forgiven.'
6Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their
hearts, 7'Why does this fellow speak in this way? It is blasphemy! Who
can forgive sins but God alone?' 8At once Jesus perceived in his spirit
that they were discussing these questions among themselves; and he said
to them, 'Why do you raise such questions in your hearts? 9Which is
easier, to say to the paralytic, "Your sins are forgiven", or to say,
"Stand up and take your mat and walk"? 10But so that you may know that
the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins'-he said to the
paralytic- 11'I say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your
home.' 12And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out
before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God,
saying, 'We have never seen anything like this!'
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 50

Psalm 50

The mighty one, God the Lord,
   speaks and summons the earth
   from the rising of the sun to its setting. 
2Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty,
   God shines forth. 


3Our God comes and does not keep silence,
   before him is a devouring fire,
   and a mighty tempest all around him. 
4He calls to the heavens above
   and to the earth, that he may judge his people: 
5'Gather to me my faithful ones,
   who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!' 
6The heavens declare his righteousness,
   for God himself is judge.
          Selah 


7'Hear, O my people, and I will speak,
   O Israel, I will testify against you.
   I am God, your God. 
8Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you;
   your burnt-offerings are continually before me. 
9I will not accept a bull from your house,
   or goats from your folds. 
10For every wild animal of the forest is mine,
   the cattle on a thousand hills. 
11I know all the birds of the air,*
   and all that moves in the field is mine. 


12'If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
   for the world and all that is in it is mine. 
13Do I eat the flesh of bulls,
   or drink the blood of goats? 
14Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving,*
   and pay your vows to the Most High. 
15Call on me in the day of trouble;
   I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.' 


16But to the wicked God says:
   'What right have you to recite my statutes,
   or take my covenant on your lips? 
17For you hate discipline,
   and you cast my words behind you. 
18You make friends with a thief when you see one,
   and you keep company with adulterers. 


19'You give your mouth free rein for evil,
   and your tongue frames deceit. 
20You sit and speak against your kin;
   you slander your own mother's child. 
21These things you have done and I have been silent;
   you thought that I was one just like yourself.
But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you. 


22'Mark this, then, you who forget God,
   or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver. 
23Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me;
   to those who go the right way*
   I will show the salvation of God.'
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 19, 46

Psalm 19

The heavens are telling the glory of God;
   and the firmament* proclaims his handiwork. 
2Day to day pours forth speech,
   and night to night declares knowledge. 
3There is no speech, nor are there words;
   their voice is not heard; 
4yet their voice* goes out through all the earth,
   and their words to the end of the world. 


In the heavens* he has set a tent for the sun, 
5which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy,
   and like a strong man runs its course with joy. 
6Its rising is from the end of the heavens,
   and its circuit to the end of them;
   and nothing is hidden from its heat. 


7The law of the Lord is perfect,
   reviving the soul;
the decrees of the Lord are sure,
   making wise the simple; 
8the precepts of the Lord are right,
   rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is clear,
   enlightening the eyes; 
9the fear of the Lord is pure,
   enduring for ever;
the ordinances of the Lord are true
   and righteous altogether. 
10More to be desired are they than gold,
   even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey,
   and drippings of the honeycomb. 


11Moreover by them is your servant warned;
   in keeping them there is great reward. 
12But who can detect their errors?
   Clear me from hidden faults. 
13Keep back your servant also from the insolent;*
   do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
   and innocent of great transgression. 


14Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
   be acceptable to you,
   O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.


Psalm 46

God is our refuge and strength,
   a very present* help in trouble. 
2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
   though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 
3though its waters roar and foam,
   though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
          Selah 


4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
   the holy habitation of the Most High. 
5God is in the midst of the city;* it shall not be moved;
   God will help it when the morning dawns. 
6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
   he utters his voice, the earth melts. 
7The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.*
          Selah 


8Come, behold the works of the Lord;
   see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 
9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
   he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
   he burns the shields with fire. 
10'Be still, and know that I am God!
   I am exalted among the nations,
   I am exalted in the earth.' 
11The Lord of hosts is with us;
   the God of Jacob is our refuge.*
          Selah
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