Wednesday 25 November 2009 DAILY LECTIONARY

Wed Nov 25 02:00:11 EST 2009

 Wednesday 25 November 2009
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Obadiah 15-21

For the day of the Lord is near against all the nations.
As you have done, it shall be done to you;
   your deeds shall return on your own head.
For as you have drunk on my holy mountain,
   all the nations around you shall drink;
they shall drink and gulp down,*
   and shall be as though they had never been.

But on Mount Zion there shall be those that escape,
   and it shall be holy;
and the house of Jacob shall take possession of those who dispossessed them.
The house of Jacob shall be a fire,
   the house of Joseph a flame,
   and the house of Esau stubble;
they shall burn them and consume them,
   and there shall be no survivor of the house of Esau;

for the Lord has spoken.
Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau,
   and those of the Shephelah the land of the Philistines;
they shall possess the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria,
   and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
The exiles of the Israelites who are in Halah*
   shall possess* Phoenicia as far as Zarephath;
and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
   shall possess the towns of the Negeb.
Those who have been saved* shall go up to Mount Zion
   to rule Mount Esau;
   and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.
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1 Peter 2:1-10

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built* into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:
‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
   a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him* will not be put to shame.’
To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,
‘The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the very head of the corner’,
and
‘A stone that makes them stumble,
   and a rock that makes them fall.’
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,* in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.
Once you were not a people,
   but now you are God’s people;
once you had not received mercy,
   but now you have received mercy.
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Matthew 19:23-30

Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’ When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, ‘Then who can be saved?’ But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.’

 Then Peter said in reply, ‘Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold,* and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 119:145-176

Psalm 119:145-176

With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord.
   I will keep your statutes.
I cry to you; save me,
   that I may observe your decrees.
I rise before dawn and cry for help;
   I put my hope in your words.
My eyes are awake before each watch of the night,
   that I may meditate on your promise.
In your steadfast love hear my voice;
   O Lord, in your justice preserve my life.
Those who persecute me with evil purpose draw near;
   they are far from your law.
Yet you are near, O Lord,
   and all your commandments are true.
Long ago I learned from your decrees
   that you have established them for ever.

Look on my misery and rescue me,
   for I do not forget your law.
Plead my cause and redeem me;
   give me life according to your promise.
Salvation is far from the wicked,
   for they do not seek your statutes.
Great is your mercy, O Lord;
   give me life according to your justice.
Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
   yet I do not swerve from your decrees.
I look at the faithless with disgust,
   because they do not keep your commands.
Consider how I love your precepts;
   preserve my life according to your steadfast love.
The sum of your word is truth;
   and every one of your righteous ordinances endures for ever.

Princes persecute me without cause,
   but my heart stands in awe of your words.
I rejoice at your word
   like one who finds great spoil.
I hate and abhor falsehood,
   but I love your law.
Seven times a day I praise you
   for your righteous ordinances.
Great peace have those who love your law;
   nothing can make them stumble.
I hope for your salvation, O Lord,
   and I fulfil your commandments.
My soul keeps your decrees;
   I love them exceedingly.
I keep your precepts and decrees,
   for all my ways are before you.

Let my cry come before you, O Lord;
   give me understanding according to your word.
Let my supplication come before you;
   deliver me according to your promise.
My lips will pour forth praise,
   because you teach me your statutes.
My tongue will sing of your promise,
   for all your commandments are right.
Let your hand be ready to help me,
   for I have chosen your precepts.
I long for your salvation, O Lord,
   and your law is my delight.
Let me live that I may praise you,
   and let your ordinances help me.
I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant,
   for I do not forget your commandments.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 128, 129, 130

Psalm 128

Happy is everyone who fears the Lord,
   who walks in his ways.
You shall eat the fruit of the labour of your hands;
   you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
   within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots
   around your table.
Thus shall the man be blessed
   who fears the Lord.

The Lord bless you from Zion.
   May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem
   all the days of your life.
May you see your children’s children.
   Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 129

‘Often have they attacked me from my youth’
   —let Israel now say—
‘often have they attacked me from my youth,
   yet they have not prevailed against me.
Those who plough ploughed on my back;
   they made their furrows long.’
The Lord is righteous;
   he has cut the cords of the wicked.
May all who hate Zion
   be put to shame and turned back.
Let them be like the grass on the housetops
   that withers before it grows up,
with which reapers do not fill their hands
   or binders of sheaves their arms,
while those who pass by do not say,
   ‘The blessing of the Lord be upon you!
   We bless you in the name of the Lord!’

Psalm 130

Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord.
   Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
   to the voice of my supplications!

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
   Lord, who could stand?
But there is forgiveness with you,
   so that you may be revered.

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
   and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
   more than those who watch for the morning,
   more than those who watch for the morning.

O Israel, hope in the Lord!
   For with the Lord there is steadfast love,
   and with him is great power to redeem.
It is he who will redeem Israel
   from all its iniquities.
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