Wednesday 19 February 2014 DAILY LECTIONARY

[Daily Lectionary]

Wednesday 19 February 2014 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Genesis 31:25-50

Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent in the hill country, and Laban with his kinsfolk camped in the hill country of Gilead. Laban said to Jacob, ‘What have you done? You have deceived me, and carried away my daughters like captives of the sword. Why did you flee secretly and deceive me and not tell me? I would have sent you away with mirth and songs, with tambourine and lyre. And why did you not permit me to kiss my sons and my daughters farewell? What you have done is foolish. It is in my power to do you harm; but the God of your father spoke to me last night, saying, “Take heed that you speak to Jacob neither good nor bad.” Even though you had to go because you longed greatly for your father’s house, why did you steal my gods?’ Jacob answered Laban, ‘Because I was afraid, for I thought that you would take your daughters from me by force. But anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live. In the presence of our kinsfolk, point out what I have that is yours, and take it.’ Now Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen the gods.*

 So Laban went into Jacob’s tent, and into Leah’s tent, and into the tent of the two maids, but he did not find them. And he went out of Leah’s tent, and entered Rachel’s. Now Rachel had taken the household gods and put them in the camel’s saddle, and sat on them. Laban felt all about in the tent, but did not find them. And she said to her father, ‘Let not my lord be angry that I cannot rise before you, for the way of women is upon me.’ So he searched, but did not find the household gods.

 Then Jacob became angry, and upbraided Laban. Jacob said to Laban, ‘What is my offence? What is my sin, that you have hotly pursued me? Although you have felt about through all my goods, what have you found of all your household goods? Set it here before my kinsfolk and your kinsfolk, so that they may decide between us two. These twenty years I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and I have not eaten the rams of your flocks. That which was torn by wild beasts I did not bring to you; I bore the loss of it myself; of my hand you required it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. It was like this with me: by day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes. These twenty years I have been in your house; I served you for fourteen years for your two daughters, and six years for your flock, and you have changed my wages ten times. If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear* of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labour of my hands, and rebuked you last night.’
 Then Laban answered and said to Jacob, ‘The daughters are my daughters, the children are my children, the flocks are my flocks, and all that you see is mine. But what can I do today about these daughters of mine, or about their children whom they have borne? Come now, let us make a covenant, you and I; and let it be a witness between you and me.’ So Jacob took a stone, and set it up as a pillar. And Jacob said to his kinsfolk, ‘Gather stones,’ and they took stones, and made a heap; and they ate there by the heap. Laban called it Jegar-sahadutha:* but Jacob called it Galeed.* Laban said, ‘This heap is a witness between you and me today.’ Therefore he called it Galeed, and the pillar* Mizpah,* for he said, ‘The Lord watch between you and me, when we are absent one from the other. If you ill-treat my daughters, or if you take wives in addition to my daughters, though no one else is with us, remember that God is witness between you and me.’
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1 John 2:12-17

I am writing to you, little children,
   because your sins are forgiven on account of his name. 
I am writing to you, fathers,
   because you know him who is from the beginning.
I am writing to you, young people,
   because you have conquered the evil one. 
I write to you, children,
   because you know the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
   because you know him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young people,
   because you are strong
   and the word of God abides in you,
     and you have overcome the evil one.

 Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world; for all that is in the world—the desire of the flesh, the desire of the eyes, the pride in riches—comes not from the Father but from the world. And the world and its desire* are passing away, but those who do the will of God live for ever.
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John 10:1-18

‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

 ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes* it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 101, 109

Psalm 101

I will sing of loyalty and of justice;
   to you, O Lord, I will sing. 
I will study the way that is blameless.
   When shall I attain it? 


I will walk with integrity of heart
   within my house; 
I will not set before my eyes
   anything that is base. 


I hate the work of those who fall away;
   it shall not cling to me. 
Perverseness of heart shall be far from me;
   I will know nothing of evil. 


One who secretly slanders a neighbour
   I will destroy.
A haughty look and an arrogant heart
   I will not tolerate. 


I will look with favour on the faithful in the land,
   so that they may live with me;
whoever walks in the way that is blameless
   shall minister to me. 


No one who practises deceit
   shall remain in my house;
no one who utters lies
   shall continue in my presence. 


Morning by morning I will destroy
   all the wicked in the land,
cutting off all evildoers
   from the city of the Lord.


Psalm 109

Do not be silent, O God of my praise. 
For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,
   speaking against me with lying tongues. 
They beset me with words of hate,
   and attack me without cause. 
In return for my love they accuse me,
   even while I make prayer for them.* 
So they reward me evil for good,
   and hatred for my love. 


They say,* ‘Appoint a wicked man against him;
   let an accuser stand on his right. 
When he is tried, let him be found guilty;
   let his prayer be counted as sin. 
May his days be few;
   may another seize his position. 
May his children be orphans,
   and his wife a widow. 
May his children wander about and beg;
   may they be driven out of* the ruins they inhabit. 
May the creditor seize all that he has;
   may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil. 
May there be no one to do him a kindness,
   nor anyone to pity his orphaned children. 
May his posterity be cut off;
   may his name be blotted out in the second generation. 
May the iniquity of his father* be remembered before the Lord,
   and do not let the sin of his mother be blotted out. 
Let them be before the Lord continually,
   and may his* memory be cut off from the earth. 
For he did not remember to show kindness,
   but pursued the poor and needy
   and the broken-hearted to their death. 
He loved to curse; let curses come on him.
   He did not like blessing; may it be far from him. 
He clothed himself with cursing as his coat,
   may it soak into his body like water,
   like oil into his bones. 
May it be like a garment that he wraps around himself,
   like a belt that he wears every day.’ 


May that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord,
   of those who speak evil against my life. 
But you, O Lord my Lord,
   act on my behalf for your name’s sake;
   because your steadfast love is good, deliver me. 
For I am poor and needy,
   and my heart is pierced within me. 
I am gone like a shadow at evening;
   I am shaken off like a locust. 
My knees are weak through fasting;
   my body has become gaunt. 
I am an object of scorn to my accusers;
   when they see me, they shake their heads. 


Help me, O Lord my God!
   Save me according to your steadfast love. 
Let them know that this is your hand;
   you, O Lord, have done it. 
Let them curse, but you will bless.
   Let my assailants be put to shame;* may your servant be glad. 
May my accusers be clothed with dishonour;
   may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle. 
With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;
   I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 119:121-144

Psalm 119:121-144

I have done what is just and right;
   do not leave me to my oppressors. 
Guarantee your servant’s well-being;
   do not let the godless oppress me. 
My eyes fail from watching for your salvation,
   and for the fulfilment of your righteous promise. 
Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,
   and teach me your statutes. 
I am your servant; give me understanding,
   so that I may know your decrees. 
It is time for the Lord to act,
   for your law has been broken. 
Truly I love your commandments
   more than gold, more than fine gold. 
Truly I direct my steps by all your precepts;*
   I hate every false way. 


Your decrees are wonderful;
   therefore my soul keeps them. 
The unfolding of your words gives light;
   it imparts understanding to the simple. 
With open mouth I pant,
   because I long for your commandments. 
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   as is your custom towards those who love your name. 
Keep my steps steady according to your promise,
   and never let iniquity have dominion over me. 
Redeem me from human oppression,
   that I may keep your precepts. 
Make your face shine upon your servant,
   and teach me your statutes. 
My eyes shed streams of tears
   because your law is not kept. 


You are righteous, O Lord,
   and your judgements are right. 
You have appointed your decrees in righteousness
   and in all faithfulness. 
My zeal consumes me
   because my foes forget your words. 
Your promise is well tried,
   and your servant loves it. 
I am small and despised,
   yet I do not forget your precepts. 
Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness,
   and your law is the truth. 
Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
   but your commandments are my delight. 
Your decrees are righteous for ever;
   give me understanding that I may live.
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