Sunday 3 October 2021 DAILY LECTIONARY

[info at dailylectionary.org]

Sunday 3 October 2021
DAILY LECTIONARY

Email Evangelism, forward to a friend: http://www.dailylectionary.org
******************************************************************
2 Kings 20:1-21

In those days Hezekiah became sick and was at the point of death. The
prophet Isaiah son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, ‘Thus says
the Lord: Set your house in order, for you shall die; you shall not
recover.’ Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to
the Lord: ‘Remember now, O Lord, I implore you, how I have walked
before you in faithfulness with a whole heart, and have done what is
good in your sight.’ Hezekiah wept bitterly. Before Isaiah had gone
out of the middle court, the word of the Lord came to him: ‘Turn
back, and say to Hezekiah prince of my people, Thus says the Lord, the
God of your ancestor David: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your
tears; indeed, I will heal you; on the third day you shall go up to
the house of the Lord. I will add fifteen years to your life. I will
deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; I
will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s
sake.’ Then Isaiah said, ‘Bring a lump of figs. Let them take it
and apply it to the boil, so that he may recover.’

 Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘What shall be the sign that the Lord
will heal me, and that I shall go up to the house of the Lord on the
third day?’ Isaiah said, ‘This is the sign to you from the Lord,
that the Lord will do the thing that he has promised: the shadow has
now advanced ten intervals; shall it retreat ten intervals?’
Hezekiah answered, ‘It is normal for the shadow to lengthen ten
intervals; rather let the shadow retreat ten intervals.’ The prophet
Isaiah cried to the Lord; and he brought the shadow back the ten
intervals, by which the sun* had declined on the dial of Ahaz.
 At that time King Merodach-baladan son of Baladan of Babylon sent
envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he had heard that
Hezekiah had been sick. Hezekiah welcomed them;* he showed them all
his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious
oil, his armoury, all that was found in his storehouses; there was
nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show
them. Then the prophet Isaiah came to King Hezekiah, and said to him,
‘What did these men say? From where did they come to you?’
Hezekiah answered, ‘They have come from a far country, from
Babylon.’ He said, ‘What have they seen in your house?’ Hezekiah
answered, ‘They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing
in my storehouses that I did not show them.’

 Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the Lord: Days are
coming when all that is in your house, and that which your ancestors
have stored up until this day, shall be carried to Babylon; nothing
shall be left, says the Lord. Some of your own sons who are born to
you shall be taken away; they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the
king of Babylon.’ Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the
Lord that you have spoken is good.’ For he thought, ‘Why not, if
there will be peace and security in my days?’
 The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah, all his power, how he made the
pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not
written in the Book of the Annals of the Kings of Judah? Hezekiah
slept with his ancestors; and his son Manasseh succeeded him.
******************************************************************
Acts 12:1-17

About that time King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged
to the church. He had James, the brother of John, killed with the
sword. After he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest
Peter also. (This was during the festival of Unleavened Bread.) When
he had seized him, he put him in prison and handed him over to four
squads of soldiers to guard him, intending to bring him out to the
people after the Passover. While Peter was kept in prison, the church
prayed fervently to God for him.
 The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound
with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in
front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an
angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped
Peter on the side and woke him, saying, ‘Get up quickly.’ And the
chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, ‘Fasten your belt
and put on your sandals.’ He did so. Then he said to him, ‘Wrap
your cloak around you and follow me.’ Peter* went out and followed
him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s
help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. After they had
passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate
leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they
went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left
him. Then Peter came to himself and said, ‘Now I am sure that the
Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and
from all that the Jewish people were expecting.’

 As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the
mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and
were praying. When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda
came to answer. On recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed
that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter
was standing at the gate. They said to her, ‘You are out of your
mind!’ But she insisted that it was so. They said, ‘It is his
angel.’ Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking; and when they opened
the gate, they saw him and were amazed. He motioned to them with his
hand to be silent, and described for them how the Lord had brought him
out of the prison. And he added, ‘Tell this to James and to the
believers.’* Then he left and went to another place.
******************************************************************
Luke 7:11-17
 
Soon afterwards* he went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and
a large crowd went with him. As he approached the gate of the town, a
man who had died was being carried out. He was his mother’s only
son, and she was a widow; and with her was a large crowd from the
town. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to
her, ‘Do not weep.’ Then he came forward and touched the bier, and
the bearers stood still. And he said, ‘Young man, I say to you,
rise!’ The dead man sat up and began to speak, and Jesus* gave him
to his mother. Fear seized all of them; and they glorified God,
saying, ‘A great prophet has risen among us!’ and ‘God has
looked favourably on his people!’ This word about him spread
throughout Judea and all the surrounding country.
******************************************************************
Morning Psalms: Psalm 118

Psalm 118

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 145

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

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

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

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
   and all your faithful shall bless you. 
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
   and tell of your power, 
to make known to all people your* mighty deeds,
   and the glorious splendour of your* kingdom. 
Your 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.* 
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
   and raises up all who are bowed down. 
The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food in due season. 
You open your hand,
   satisfying the desire of every living thing. 
The Lord is just in all his ways,
   and kind in all his doings. 
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth. 
He fulfils the desire of all who fear him;
   he also hears their cry, and saves them. 
The Lord watches over all who love him,
   but all the wicked he will destroy. 

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


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://dailylectionary.org/pipermail/dailylectionary_dailylectionary.org/attachments/20211003/54e9ba98/attachment.html>