Saturday 23 October 2021 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 23 October 2021
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Ezra 4:7,11-24

And in the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam and Mithredath and Tabeel and
the rest of their associates wrote to King Artaxerxes of Persia; the
letter was written in Aramaic and translated.* this is a copy of the
letter that they sent):

‘To King Artaxerxes: Your servants, the people of the province
Beyond the River, send greeting. And now may it be known to the king
that the Jews who came up from you to us have gone to Jerusalem. They
are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city; they are finishing the
walls and repairing the foundations. Now may it be known to the king
that, if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not
pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be reduced.
Now because we share the salt of the palace and it is not fitting for
us to witness the king’s dishonour, therefore we send and inform the
king, so that a search may be made in the annals of your ancestors.
You will discover in the annals that this is a rebellious city,
hurtful to kings and provinces, and that sedition was stirred up in it
from long ago. On that account this city was laid waste. We make known
to the king that, if this city is rebuilt and its walls finished, you
will then have no possession in the province Beyond the River.’

 The king sent an answer: ‘To Rehum the royal deputy and Shimshai
the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in
the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now the
letter that you sent to us has been read in translation before me. So
I made a decree, and someone searched and discovered that this city
has risen against kings from long ago, and that rebellion and sedition
have been made in it. Jerusalem has had mighty kings who ruled over
the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll
were paid. Therefore issue an order that these people be made to
cease, and that this city be not rebuilt, until I make a decree.
Moreover, take care not to be slack in this matter; why should damage
grow to the hurt of the king?’

 Then when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before
Rehum and the scribe Shimshai and their associates, they hurried to
the Jews in Jerusalem and by force and power made them cease. At that
time the work on the house of God in Jerusalem stopped and was
discontinued until the second year of the reign of King Darius of
Persia.
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Philemon 1-25

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,*

To Philemon our dear friend and co-worker, to Apphia our sister,* to
Archippus our fellow-soldier, and to the church in your house:

 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ.
 When I remember you* in my prayers, I always thank my God because I
hear of your love for all the saints and your faith towards the Lord
Jesus. I pray that the sharing of your faith may become effective when
you perceive all the good that we* may do for Christ. I have indeed
received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts
of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother.
 For this reason, though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to
do your duty, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of
love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man, and now also as a prisoner
of Christ Jesus.* I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose
father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless
to you, but now he is indeed useful* both to you and to me. I am
sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him
with me, so that he might be of service to me in your place during my
imprisonment for the gospel; but I preferred to do nothing without
your consent, in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not
something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you
for a while, so that you might have him back for ever, no longer as a
slave but as more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me
but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

 So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome
me. If he has wronged you in any way, or owes you anything, charge
that to my account. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will
repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes,
brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my
heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you,
knowing that you will do even more than I say.

 One thing more—prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping
through your prayers to be restored to you.
 Epaphras, my fellow-prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to
you,* and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow-workers.

 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
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Matthew 12:33-42
 
‘Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree
bad, and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood
of vipers! How can you speak good things, when you are evil? For out
of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person brings
good things out of a good treasure, and the evil person brings evil
things out of an evil treasure. I tell you, on the day of judgement
you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter;
for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be
condemned.’
 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him, ‘Teacher, we
wish to see a sign from you.’ But he answered them, ‘An evil and
adulterous generation asks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it
except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For just as Jonah was for three
days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so for three
days and three nights the Son of Man will be in the heart of the
earth. The people of Nineveh will rise up at the judgement with this
generation and condemn it, because they repented at the proclamation
of Jonah, and see, something greater than Jonah is here! The queen of
the South will rise up at the judgement with this generation and
condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to listen to
the wisdom of Solomon, and see, something greater than Solomon is
here!
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 30, 32

Psalm 30

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
   and did not let my foes rejoice over me. 
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
   and you have healed me. 
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
   restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.* 

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
   and give thanks to his holy name. 
For his anger is but for a moment;
   his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning. 

As for me, I said in my prosperity,
   ‘I shall never be moved.’ 
By your favour, O Lord,
   you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
   I was dismayed. 

To you, O Lord, I cried,
   and to the Lord I made supplication: 
‘What profit is there in my death,
   if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
   Will it tell of your faithfulness? 
Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
   O Lord, be my helper!’ 

You have turned my mourning into dancing;
   you have taken off my sackcloth
   and clothed me with joy, 
so that my soul* may praise you and not be silent.
   O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.

Psalm 32

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven,
   whose sin is covered. 
Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity,
   and in whose spirit there is no deceit. 

While I kept silence, my body wasted away
   through my groaning all day long. 
For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
   my strength was dried up* as by the heat of summer.
          Selah 

Then I acknowledged my sin to you,
   and I did not hide my iniquity;
I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’,
   and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
          Selah 

Therefore let all who are faithful
   offer prayer to you;
at a time of distress,* the rush of mighty waters
   shall not reach them. 
You are a hiding-place for me;
   you preserve me from trouble;
   you surround me with glad cries of deliverance.
          Selah 

I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go;
   I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 
Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding,
   whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle,
   else it will not stay near you. 

Many are the torments of the wicked,
   but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. 
Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous,
   and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 42, 43

Psalm 42

As a deer longs for flowing streams,
   so my soul longs for you, O God. 
My soul thirsts for God,
   for the living God.
When shall I come and behold
   the face of God? 
My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while people say to me continually,
   ‘Where is your God?’ 

These things I remember,
   as I pour out my soul:
how I went with the throng,*
   and led them in procession to the house of God,
with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving,
   a multitude keeping festival. 
Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help and my God. 

My soul is cast down within me;
   therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and of Hermon,
   from Mount Mizar. 
Deep calls to deep
   at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
   have gone over me. 
By day the Lord commands his steadfast love,
   and at night his song is with me,
   a prayer to the God of my life. 

I say to God, my rock,
   ‘Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I walk about mournfully
   because the enemy oppresses me?’ 
As with a deadly wound in my body,
   my adversaries taunt me,
while they say to me continually,
   ‘Where is your God?’ 

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help and my God.

Psalm 43

Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
   against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust
   deliver me! 
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
   why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
   because of the oppression of the enemy? 

O send out your light and your truth;
   let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
   and to your dwelling. 
Then I will go to the altar of God,
   to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
   O God, my God. 

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
   and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
   my help and my God.
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