Sunday 18 August 2013 DAILY LECTIONARY

[Daily Lectionary]

Sunday 18 August 2013 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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2 Samuel 17:1-23

Moreover, Ahithophel said to Absalom, ‘Let me choose twelve thousand men, and I will set out and pursue David tonight. 2I will come upon him while he is weary and discouraged, and throw him into a panic; and all the people who are with him will flee. I will strike down only the king, 3and I will bring all the people back to you as a bride comes home to her husband. You seek the life of only one man,* and all the people will be at peace.’ 4The advice pleased Absalom and all the elders of Israel. 
The Counsel of Hushai5 Then Absalom said, ‘Call Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear too what he has to say.’ 6When Hushai came to Absalom, Absalom said to him, ‘This is what Ahithophel has said; shall we do as he advises? If not, you tell us.’ 7Then Hushai said to Absalom, ‘This time the counsel that Ahithophel has given is not good.’ 8Hushai continued, ‘You know that your father and his men are warriors, and that they are enraged, like a bear robbed of her cubs in the field. Besides, your father is expert in war; he will not spend the night with the troops. 9Even now he has hidden himself in one of the pits, or in some other place. And when some of our troops* fall at the first attack, whoever hears it will say, “There has been a slaughter among the troops who follow Absalom.” 10Then even the valiant warrior, whose heart is like the heart of a lion, will utterly melt with fear; for all Israel knows that your father is a warrior, and that those who are with him are valiant warriors. 11But my counsel is that all Israel be gathered to you, from Dan to Beer-sheba, like the sand by the sea for multitude, and that you go to battle in person. 12So we shall come upon him in whatever place he may be found, and we shall light on him as the dew falls on the ground; and he will not survive, nor will any of those with him. 13If he withdraws into a city, then all Israel will bring ropes to that city, and we shall drag it into the valley, until not even a pebble is to be found there.’ 14Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.’ For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring ruin on Absalom. 
Hushai Warns David to Escape15 Then Hushai said to the priests Zadok and Abiathar, ‘Thus and so did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel; and thus and so I have counselled. 16Therefore send quickly and tell David, “Do not lodge tonight at the fords of the wilderness, but by all means cross over; otherwise the king and all the people who are with him will be swallowed up.” ’ 17Jonathan and Ahimaaz were waiting at En-rogel; a servant-girl used to go and tell them, and they would go and tell King David; for they could not risk being seen entering the city. 18But a boy saw them, and told Absalom; so both of them went away quickly, and came to the house of a man at Bahurim, who had a well in his courtyard; and they went down into it. 19The man’s wife took a covering, stretched it over the well’s mouth, and spread out grain on it; and nothing was known of it. 20When Absalom’s servants came to the woman at the house, they said, ‘Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?’ The woman said to them, ‘They have crossed over the brook* of water.’ And when they had searched and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem. 
21 After they had gone, the men came up out of the well, and went and told King David. They said to David, ‘Go and cross the water quickly; for thus and so has Ahithophel counselled against you.’ 22So David and all the people who were with him set out and crossed the Jordan; by daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. 
23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order, and hanged himself; he died and was buried in the tomb of his father. ******************************************************************
Galatians 3:6-14

Just as Abraham ‘believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness’, 7so, you see, those who believe are the descendants of Abraham. 8And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, ‘All the Gentiles shall be blessed in you.’ 9For this reason, those who believe are blessed with Abraham who believed. 
10 For all who rely on the works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who does not observe and obey all the things written in the book of the law.’ 11Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law; for ‘The one who is righteous will live by faith.’* 12But the law does not rest on faith; on the contrary, ‘Whoever does the works of the law* will live by them.’ 13Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree’— 14in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. ******************************************************************
John 5:30-47

‘I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgement is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. 
31 ‘If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. 33You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. 34Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. 35He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36But I have a testimony greater than John’s. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, 38and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent. 
39 ‘You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. 40Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. 41I do not accept glory from human beings. 42But I know that you do not have the love of God in* you. 43I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? 45Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. 46If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?’ 
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 118

Psalm 118

1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   his steadfast love endures for ever! 


2Let Israel say,
   ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’ 
3Let the house of Aaron say,
   ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’ 
4Let those who fear the Lord say,
   ‘His steadfast love endures for ever.’ 


5Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
   the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. 
6With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
   What can mortals do to me? 
7The Lord is on my side to help me;
   I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. 
8It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in mortals. 
9It is better to take refuge in the Lord
   than to put confidence in princes. 


10All nations surrounded me;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
11They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
12They surrounded me like bees;
   they blazed* like a fire of thorns;
   in the name of the Lord I cut them off! 
13I was pushed hard,* so that I was falling,
   but the Lord helped me. 
14The Lord is my strength and my might;
   he has become my salvation. 


15There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
‘The right hand of the Lord does valiantly; 
16   the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
   the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.’ 
17I shall not die, but I shall live,
   and recount the deeds of the Lord. 
18The Lord has punished me severely,
   but he did not give me over to death. 


19Open to me the gates of righteousness,
   that I may enter through them
   and give thanks to the Lord. 


20This is the gate of the Lord;
   the righteous shall enter through it. 


21I thank you that you have answered me
   and have become my salvation. 
22The stone that the builders rejected
   has become the chief cornerstone. 
23This is the Lord’s doing;
   it is marvellous in our eyes. 
24This is the day that the Lord has made;
   let us rejoice and be glad in it.* 
25Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
   O Lord, we beseech you, give us success! 


26Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.*
   We bless you from the house of the Lord. 
27The Lord is God,
   and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
   up to the horns of the altar.* 


28You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
   you are my God, I will extol you. 


29O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 145

Psalm 145

Praise. Of David.
1I will extol you, my God and King,
   and bless your name for ever and ever. 
2Every day I will bless you,
   and praise your name for ever and ever. 
3Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
   his greatness is unsearchable. 


4One generation shall laud your works to another,
   and shall declare your mighty acts. 
5On the glorious splendour of your majesty,
   and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 
6The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
   and I will declare your greatness. 
7They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
   and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 


8The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 
9The Lord is good to all,
   and his compassion is over all that he has made. 


10All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
   and all your faithful shall bless you. 
11They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
   and tell of your power, 
12to make known to all people your* mighty deeds,
   and the glorious splendour of your* kingdom. 
13Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures throughout all generations. 


The Lord is faithful in all his words,
   and gracious in all his deeds.* 
14The Lord upholds all who are falling,
   and raises up all who are bowed down. 
15The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food in due season. 
16You open your hand,
   satisfying the desire of every living thing. 
17The Lord is just in all his ways,
   and kind in all his doings. 
18The Lord is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth. 
19He fulfils the desire of all who fear him;
   he also hears their cry, and saves them. 
20The Lord watches over all who love him,
   but all the wicked he will destroy. 


21My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
   and all flesh will bless his holy name for ever and ever.
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