Wednesday 27 July 2022 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Wednesday 27 July 2022  
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Judges 3:12-30

The Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and
the Lord strengthened King Eglon of Moab against Israel, because they
had done what was evil in the sight of the Lord. In alliance with the
Ammonites and the Amalekites, he went and defeated Israel; and they
took possession of the city of palms. So the Israelites served King
Eglon of Moab for eighteen years.

 But when the Israelites cried out to the Lord, the Lord raised up
for them a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, the Benjaminite, a left-handed
man. The Israelites sent tribute by him to King Eglon of Moab. Ehud
made for himself a sword with two edges, a cubit in length; and he
fastened it on his right thigh under his clothes. Then he presented
the tribute to King Eglon of Moab. Now Eglon was a very fat man. When
Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent the people who
carried the tribute on their way. But he himself turned back at the
sculptured stones near Gilgal, and said, ‘I have a secret message
for you, O king.’ So the king said,* ‘Silence!’ and all his
attendants went out from his presence. Ehud came to him, while he was
sitting alone in his cool roof-chamber, and said, ‘I have a message
from God for you.’ So he rose from his seat. Then Ehud reached with
his left hand, took the sword from his right thigh, and thrust it into
Eglon’s* belly; the hilt also went in after the blade, and the fat
closed over the blade, for he did not draw the sword out of his belly;
and the dirt came out.* Then Ehud went out into the vestibule,* and
closed the doors of the roof-chamber on him, and locked them.

 After he had gone, the servants came. When they saw that the doors
of the roof-chamber were locked, they thought, ‘He must be relieving
himself* in the cool chamber.’ So they waited until they were
embarrassed. When he still did not open the doors of the roof-chamber,
they took the key and opened them. There was their lord lying dead on
the floor.

 Ehud escaped while they delayed, and passed beyond the sculptured
stones, and escaped to Seirah. When he arrived, he sounded the trumpet
in the hill country of Ephraim; and the Israelites went down with him
from the hill country, having him at their head. He said to them,
‘Follow after me; for the Lord has given your enemies the Moabites
into your hand.’ So they went down after him, and seized the fords
of the Jordan against the Moabites, and allowed no one to cross over.
At that time they killed about ten thousand of the Moabites, all
strong, able-bodied men; no one escaped. So Moab was subdued that day
under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest for eighty years.
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Acts 1:1-14

In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and
taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to
heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the
apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself
alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the
course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While
staying* with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to
wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is
what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you
will be baptized with* the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’
 So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the
time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It
is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by
his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea
and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’ When he had said this,
as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of
their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards
heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said,
‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This
Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the
same way as you saw him go into heaven.’
 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which
is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had
entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were
staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas,
Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot,
and Judas son of* James. All these were constantly devoting themselves
to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of
Jesus, as well as his brothers.
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Matthew 27:45-54

>From noon on, darkness came over the whole land* until three in the
afternoon. And about three o’clock Jesus cried with a loud voice,
‘Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?’ that is, ‘My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me?’ When some of the bystanders heard it, they said,
‘This man is calling for Elijah.’ At once one of them ran and got
a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to
him to drink. But the others said, ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah
will come to save him.’* Then Jesus cried again with a loud voice
and breathed his last.* At that moment the curtain of the temple was
torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were
split. The tombs also were opened, and many bodies of the saints who
had fallen asleep were raised. After his resurrection they came out of
the tombs and entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now when the
centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw
the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said,
‘Truly this man was God’s Son!’

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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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