Monday 19 August 2013 DAILY LECTIONARY

[Daily Lectionary]

Monday 19 August 2013 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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2 Samuel 17:24-18:8

Then David came to Mahanaim, while Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. 25Now Absalom had set Amasa over the army in the place of Joab. Amasa was the son of a man named Ithra the Ishmaelite,* who had married Abigal daughter of Nahash, sister of Zeruiah, Joab’s mother. 26The Israelites and Absalom encamped in the land of Gilead. 
27 When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim 28brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, meal, parched grain, beans and lentils,* 29honey and curds, sheep, and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat; for they said, ‘The troops are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.’ 
The Defeat and Death of Absalom18Then David mustered the men who were with him, and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2And David divided the army into three groups:* one-third under the command of Joab, one-third under the command of Abishai son of Zeruiah, Joab’s brother, and one-third under the command of Ittai the Gittite. The king said to the men, ‘I myself will also go out with you.’ 3But the men said, ‘You shall not go out. For if we flee, they will not care about us. If half of us die, they will not care about us. But you are worth ten thousand of us;* therefore it is better that you send us help from the city.’ 4The king said to them, ‘Whatever seems best to you I will do.’ So the king stood at the side of the gate, while all the army marched out by hundreds and by thousands. 5The king gave orders to Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.’ And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders concerning Absalom. 
6 So the army went out into the field against Israel; and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. 7The men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the slaughter there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. 8The battle spread over the face of all the country; and the forest claimed more victims that day than the sword.
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Acts 22:30-23:11

Since he wanted to find out what Paul* was being accused of by the Jews, the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and the entire council to meet. He brought Paul down and had him stand before them. 
23While Paul was looking intently at the council he said, ‘Brothers,* up to this day I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God.’ 2Then the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near him to strike him on the mouth. 3At this Paul said to him, ‘God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting there to judge me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law you order me to be struck?’ 4Those standing nearby said, ‘Do you dare to insult God’s high priest?’ 5And Paul said, ‘I did not realize, brothers, that he was high priest; for it is written, “You shall not speak evil of a leader of your people.” ’ 
6 When Paul noticed that some were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he called out in the council, ‘Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection* of the dead.’ 7When he said this, a dissension began between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8(The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit; but the Pharisees acknowledge all three.) 9Then a great clamour arose, and certain scribes of the Pharisees’ group stood up and contended, ‘We find nothing wrong with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?’ 10When the dissension became violent, the tribune, fearing that they would tear Paul to pieces, ordered the soldiers to go down, take him by force, and bring him into the barracks. 
11 That night the Lord stood near him and said, ‘Keep up your courage! For just as you
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Mark 11:12-26

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. 13Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14He said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard it. 
Jesus Cleanses the Temple15 Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold doves; 16and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. 17He was teaching and saying, ‘Is it not written,
“My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations”?
   But you have made it a den of robbers.’ 
18And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. 19And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples* went out of the city. 
The Lesson from the Withered Fig Tree20 In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. 21Then Peter remembered and said to him, ‘Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.’ 22Jesus answered them, ‘Have* faith in God. 23Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, “Be taken up and thrown into the sea”, and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. 24So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received* it, and it will be yours. 
25 ‘Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.’* 
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 106:1-18

Psalm 106:1-18

Praise the Lord!
   O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
   for his steadfast love endures for ever. 
2Who can utter the mighty doings of the Lord,
   or declare all his praise? 
3Happy are those who observe justice,
   who do righteousness at all times. 


4Remember me, O Lord, when you show favour to your people;
   help me when you deliver them; 
5that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones,
   that I may rejoice in the gladness of your nation,
   that I may glory in your heritage. 


6Both we and our ancestors have sinned;
   we have committed iniquity, have done wickedly. 
7Our ancestors, when they were in Egypt,
   did not consider your wonderful works;
they did not remember the abundance of your steadfast love,
   but rebelled against the Most High* at the Red Sea.* 
8Yet he saved them for his name’s sake,
   so that he might make known his mighty power. 
9He rebuked the Red Sea,* and it became dry;
   he led them through the deep as through a desert. 
10So he saved them from the hand of the foe,
   and delivered them from the hand of the enemy. 
11The waters covered their adversaries;
   not one of them was left. 
12Then they believed his words;
   they sang his praise. 


13But they soon forgot his works;
   they did not wait for his counsel. 
14But they had a wanton craving in the wilderness,
   and put God to the test in the desert; 
15he gave them what they asked,
   but sent a wasting disease among them. 


16They were jealous of Moses in the camp,
   and of Aaron, the holy one of the Lord. 
17The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan,
   and covered the faction of Abiram. 
18Fire also broke out in their company;
   the flame burned up the wicked. 
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 106:19-48

Psalm 106:19-48

They made a calf at Horeb
   and worshipped a cast image. 
20They exchanged the glory of God*
   for the image of an ox that eats grass. 
21They forgot God, their Saviour,
   who had done great things in Egypt, 
22wondrous works in the land of Ham,
   and awesome deeds by the Red Sea.* 
23Therefore he said he would destroy them—
   had not Moses, his chosen one,
stood in the breach before him,
   to turn away his wrath from destroying them. 


24Then they despised the pleasant land,
   having no faith in his promise. 
25They grumbled in their tents,
   and did not obey the voice of the Lord. 
26Therefore he raised his hand and swore to them
   that he would make them fall in the wilderness, 
27and would disperse* their descendants among the nations,
   scattering them over the lands. 


28Then they attached themselves to the Baal of Peor,
   and ate sacrifices offered to the dead; 
29they provoked the Lord to anger with their deeds,
   and a plague broke out among them. 
30Then Phinehas stood up and interceded,
   and the plague was stopped. 
31And that has been reckoned to him as righteousness
   from generation to generation for ever. 


32They angered the Lord * at the waters of Meribah,
   and it went ill with Moses on their account; 
33for they made his spirit bitter,
   and he spoke words that were rash. 


34They did not destroy the peoples
   as the Lord commanded them, 
35but they mingled with the nations
   and learned to do as they did. 
36They served their idols,
   which became a snare to them. 
37They sacrificed their sons
   and their daughters to the demons; 
38they poured out innocent blood,
   the blood of their sons and daughters,
whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;
   and the land was polluted with blood. 
39Thus they became unclean by their acts,
   and prostituted themselves in their doings. 


40Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against his people,
   and he abhorred his heritage; 
41he gave them into the hand of the nations,
   so that those who hated them ruled over them. 
42Their enemies oppressed them,
   and they were brought into subjection under their power. 
43Many times he delivered them,
   but they were rebellious in their purposes,
   and were brought low through their iniquity. 
44Nevertheless, he regarded their distress
   when he heard their cry. 
45For their sake he remembered his covenant,
   and showed compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 
46He caused them to be pitied
   by all who held them captive. 


47Save us, O Lord our God,
   and gather us from among the nations,
that we may give thanks to your holy name
   and glory in your praise. 


48Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
   from everlasting to everlasting.
And let all the people say, ‘Amen.’
   Praise the Lord! ******************************************************************