Monday 1 September 2014 DAILY LECTIONARY

[Daily Lectionary]

Monday 1 September 2014  
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Job 12:1-6,13-25

Then Job answered: 
‘No doubt you are the people,
   and wisdom will die with you. 
But I have understanding as well as you;
   I am not inferior to you.
   Who does not know such things as these? 
I am a laughing-stock to my friends;
   I, who called upon God and he answered me,
   a just and blameless man, I am a laughing-stock. 
Those at ease have contempt for misfortune,*
   but it is ready for those whose feet are unstable. 
The tents of robbers are at peace,
   and those who provoke God are secure,
   who bring their god in their hands.* 


‘With God* are wisdom and strength;
   he has counsel and understanding. 
If he tears down, no one can rebuild;
   if he shuts someone in, no one can open up. 
If he withholds the waters, they dry up;
   if he sends them out, they overwhelm the land. 
With him are strength and wisdom;
   the deceived and the deceiver are his. 
He leads counsellors away stripped,
   and makes fools of judges. 
He looses the sash of kings,
   and binds a waistcloth on their loins. 
He leads priests away stripped,
   and overthrows the mighty. 
He deprives of speech those who are trusted,
   and takes away the discernment of the elders. 
He pours contempt on princes,
   and looses the belt of the strong. 
He uncovers the deeps out of darkness,
   and brings deep darkness to light. 
He makes nations great, then destroys them;
   he enlarges nations, then leads them away. 
He strips understanding from the leaders* of the earth,
   and makes them wander in a pathless waste. 
They grope in the dark without light;
   he makes them stagger like a drunkard.
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Acts 11:19-30

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, and they spoke the word to no one except Jews. But among them were some men of Cyprus and Cyrene who, on coming to Antioch, spoke to the Hellenists* also, proclaiming the Lord Jesus. The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion; for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they associated with* the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called ‘Christians’.

 At that time prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine over all the world; and this took place during the reign of Claudius. The disciples determined that according to their ability, each would send relief to the believers* living in Judea; this they did, sending it to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.
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John 8:21-32

Again he said to them, ‘I am going away, and you will search for me, but you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.’ Then the Jews said, ‘Is he going to kill himself? Is that what he means by saying, “Where I am going, you cannot come”?’ He said to them, ‘You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins, for you will die in your sins unless you believe that I am he.’* They said to him, ‘Who are you?’ Jesus said to them, ‘Why do I speak to you at all?* I have much to say about you and much to condemn; but the one who sent me is true, and I declare to the world what I have heard from him.’ They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. So Jesus said, ‘When you have lifted up the Son of Man, then you will realize that I am he,* and that I do nothing on my own, but I speak these things as the Father instructed me. And the one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what is pleasing to him.’ As he was saying these things, many believed in him.
 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in him, ‘If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.’
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 25

Psalm 25

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 
O my God, in you I trust;
   do not let me be put to shame;
   do not let my enemies exult over me. 
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
   let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous. 


Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
   teach me your paths. 
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
   for you are the God of my salvation;
   for you I wait all day long. 


Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
   for they have been from of old. 
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
   according to your steadfast love remember me,
   for your goodness’ sake, O Lord! 


Good and upright is the Lord;
   therefore he instructs sinners in the way. 
He leads the humble in what is right,
   and teaches the humble his way. 
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
   for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. 


For your name’s sake, O Lord,
   pardon my guilt, for it is great. 
Who are they that fear the Lord?
   He will teach them the way that they should choose. 


They will abide in prosperity,
   and their children shall possess the land. 
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
   and he makes his covenant known to them. 
My eyes are ever towards the Lord,
   for he will pluck my feet out of the net. 


Turn to me and be gracious to me,
   for I am lonely and afflicted. 
Relieve the troubles of my heart,
   and bring me* out of my distress. 
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
   and forgive all my sins. 


Consider how many are my foes,
   and with what violent hatred they hate me. 
O guard my life, and deliver me;
   do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. 
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
   for I wait for you. 


Redeem Israel, O God,
   out of all its troubles.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 9, 15

Psalm 9

I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart;
   I will tell of all your wonderful deeds. 
I will be glad and exult in you;
   I will sing praise to your name, O Most High. 


When my enemies turned back,
   they stumbled and perished before you. 
For you have maintained my just cause;
   you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgement. 


You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked;
   you have blotted out their name for ever and ever. 
The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins;
   their cities you have rooted out;
   the very memory of them has perished. 


But the Lord sits enthroned for ever,
   he has established his throne for judgement. 
He judges the world with righteousness;
   he judges the peoples with equity. 


The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed,
   a stronghold in times of trouble. 
And those who know your name put their trust in you,
   for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you. 


Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion.
   Declare his deeds among the peoples. 
For he who avenges blood is mindful of them;
   he does not forget the cry of the afflicted. 


Be gracious to me, O Lord.
   See what I suffer from those who hate me;
   you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death, 
so that I may recount all your praises,
   and, in the gates of daughter Zion,
   rejoice in your deliverance. 


The nations have sunk in the pit that they made;
   in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught. 
The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgement;
   the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands.
          Higgaion. Selah


The wicked shall depart to Sheol,
   all the nations that forget God. 


For the needy shall not always be forgotten,
   nor the hope of the poor perish for ever. 


Rise up, O Lord! Do not let mortals prevail;
   let the nations be judged before you. 
Put them in fear, O Lord;
   let the nations know that they are only human.
          Selah


Psalm 15

O Lord, who may abide in your tent?
   Who may dwell on your holy hill? 


Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right,
   and speak the truth from their heart; 
who do not slander with their tongue,
   and do no evil to their friends,
   nor take up a reproach against their neighbours; 
in whose eyes the wicked are despised,
   but who honour those who fear the Lord;
who stand by their oath even to their hurt; 
who do not lend money at interest,
   and do not take a bribe against the innocent. 


Those who do these things shall never be moved.
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