Wednesday 15 September 2021 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Wednesday 15 September 2021
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Kings 22:1-28

For three years Aram and Israel continued without war. But in the
third year King Jehoshaphat of Judah came down to the king of Israel.
The king of Israel said to his servants, ‘Do you know that
Ramoth-gilead belongs to us, yet we are doing nothing to take it out
of the hand of the king of Aram?’ He said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Will
you go with me to battle at Ramoth-gilead?’ Jehoshaphat replied to
the king of Israel, ‘I am as you are; my people are your people, my
horses are your horses.’

 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, ‘Inquire first
for the word of the Lord.’ Then the king of Israel gathered the
prophets together, about four hundred of them, and said to them,
‘Shall I go to battle against Ramoth-gilead, or shall I refrain?’
They said, ‘Go up; for the Lord will give it into the hand of the
king.’ But Jehoshaphat said, ‘Is there no other prophet of the
Lord here of whom we may inquire?’ The king of Israel said to
Jehoshaphat, ‘There is still one other by whom we may inquire of the
Lord, Micaiah son of Imlah; but I hate him, for he never prophesies
anything favourable about me, but only disaster.’ Jehoshaphat said,
‘Let the king not say such a thing.’ Then the king of Israel
summoned an officer and said, ‘Bring quickly Micaiah son of
Imlah.’ Now the king of Israel and King Jehoshaphat of Judah were
sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the
threshing-floor at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the
prophets were prophesying before them. Zedekiah son of Chenaanah made
for himself horns of iron, and he said, ‘Thus says the Lord: With
these you shall gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.’ All the
prophets were prophesying the same and saying, ‘Go up to
Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the Lord will give it into the hand of the
king.’
 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, ‘Look,
the words of the prophets with one accord are favourable to the king;
let your word be like the word of one of them, and speak
favourably.’ But Micaiah said, ‘As the Lord lives, whatever the
Lord says to me, that I will speak.’

 When he had come to the king, the king said to him, ‘Micaiah,
shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall we refrain?’ He
answered him, ‘Go up and triumph; the Lord will give it into the
hand of the king.’ But the king said to him, ‘How many times must
I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the
Lord?’ Then Micaiah* said, ‘I saw all Israel scattered on the
mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd; and the Lord said,
“These have no master; let each one go home in peace.” ’ The
king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, ‘Did I not tell you that he
would not prophesy anything favourable about me, but only disaster?’

 Then Micaiah* said, ‘Therefore hear the word of the Lord: I saw
the Lord sitting on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing
beside him to the right and to the left of him. And the Lord said,
“Who will entice Ahab, so that he may go up and fall at
Ramoth-gilead?” Then one said one thing, and another said another,
until a spirit came forward and stood before the Lord, saying, “I
will entice him.” “How?” the Lord asked him. He replied, “I
will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.”
Then the Lord * said, “You are to entice him, and you shall succeed;
go out and do it.” So you see, the Lord has put a lying spirit in
the mouth of all these your prophets; the Lord has decreed disaster
for you.’

 Then Zedekiah son of Chenaanah came up to Micaiah, slapped him on
the cheek, and said, ‘Which way did the spirit of the Lord pass from
me to speak to you?’ Micaiah replied, ‘You will find out on that
day when you go in to hide in an inner chamber.’ The king of Israel
then ordered, ‘Take Micaiah, and return him to Amon the governor of
the city and to Joash the king’s son, and say, “Thus says the
king: Put this fellow in prison, and feed him on reduced rations of
bread and water until I come in peace.” ’ Micaiah said, ‘If you
return in peace, the Lord has not spoken by me.’ And he said,
‘Hear, you peoples, all of you!’
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1 Corinthians 2:1-13

When I came to you, brothers and sisters,* I did not come proclaiming
the mystery* of God to you in lofty words or wisdom. For I decided to
know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And I
came to you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling. My speech
and my proclamation were not with plausible words of wisdom,* but with
a demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might
rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God.
 Yet among the mature we do speak wisdom, though it is not a wisdom
of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are doomed to perish.
But we speak God’s wisdom, secret and hidden, which God decreed
before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age
understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the
Lord of glory. But, as it is written,
‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
   nor the human heart conceived,
what God has prepared for those who love him’— 
these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit
searches everything, even the depths of God. For what human being
knows what is truly human except the human spirit that is within? So
also no one comprehends what is truly God’s except the Spirit of
God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit
that is from God, so that we may understand the gifts bestowed on us
by God. And we speak of these things in words not taught by human
wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual things to
those who are spiritual.
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Matthew 4:18-25
 
As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is
called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the
lake—for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and
I will make you fish for people.’ Immediately they left their nets
and followed him. As he went from there, he saw two other brothers,
James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their
father Zebedee, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately
they left the boat and their father, and followed him. 

 Jesus* went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and
proclaiming the good news* of the kingdom and curing every disease and
every sickness among the people. So his fame spread throughout all
Syria, and they brought to him all the sick, those who were afflicted
with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, and
paralytics, and he cured them. And great crowds followed him from
Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 72

Psalm 72

Give the king your justice, O God,
   and your righteousness to a king’s son. 
May he judge your people with righteousness,
   and your poor with justice. 
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people,
   and the hills, in righteousness. 
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
   give deliverance to the needy,
   and crush the oppressor. 

May he live* while the sun endures,
   and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass,
   like showers that water the earth. 
In his days may righteousness flourish
   and peace abound, until the moon is no more. 

May he have dominion from sea to sea,
   and from the River to the ends of the earth. 
May his foes* bow down before him,
   and his enemies lick the dust. 
May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles
   render him tribute,
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
   bring gifts. 
May all kings fall down before him,
   all nations give him service. 

For he delivers the needy when they call,
   the poor and those who have no helper. 
He has pity on the weak and the needy,
   and saves the lives of the needy. 
>From oppression and violence he redeems their life;
   and precious is their blood in his sight. 

Long may he live!
   May gold of Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be made for him continually,
   and blessings invoked for him all day long. 
May there be abundance of grain in the land;
   may it wave on the tops of the mountains;
   may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
   like the grass of the field. 
May his name endure for ever,
   his fame continue as long as the sun.
May all nations be blessed in him;*
   may they pronounce him happy. 

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
   who alone does wondrous things. 
Blessed be his glorious name for ever;
   may his glory fill the whole earth.Amen and Amen. 

The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 119:73-96

Psalm 119:73-96

Your hands have made and fashioned me;
   give me understanding that I may learn your commandments. 
Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
   because I have hoped in your word. 
I know, O Lord, that your judgements are right,
   and that in faithfulness you have humbled me. 
Let your steadfast love become my comfort
   according to your promise to your servant. 
Let your mercy come to me, that I may live;
   for your law is my delight. 
Let the arrogant be put to shame,
   because they have subverted me with guile;
   as for me, I will meditate on your precepts. 
Let those who fear you turn to me,
   so that they may know your decrees. 
May my heart be blameless in your statutes,
   so that I may not be put to shame. 

My soul languishes for your salvation;
   I hope in your word. 
My eyes fail with watching for your promise;
   I ask, ‘When will you comfort me?’ 
For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke,
   yet I have not forgotten your statutes. 
How long must your servant endure?
   When will you judge those who persecute me? 
The arrogant have dug pitfalls for me;
   they flout your law. 
All your commandments are enduring;
   I am persecuted without cause; help me! 
They have almost made an end of me on earth;
   but I have not forsaken your precepts. 
In your steadfast love spare my life,
   so that I may keep the decrees of your mouth. 

The Lord exists for ever;
   your word is firmly fixed in heaven. 
Your faithfulness endures to all generations;
   you have established the earth, and it stands fast. 
By your appointment they stand today,
   for all things are your servants. 
If your law had not been my delight,
   I would have perished in my misery. 
I will never forget your precepts,
   for by them you have given me life. 
I am yours; save me,
   for I have sought your precepts. 
The wicked lie in wait to destroy me,
   but I consider your decrees. 
I have seen a limit to all perfection,
   but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
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