Wednesday 16 March 2022 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Wednesday 16 March 2022 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Genesis 42:18-28

On the third day Joseph said to them, ‘Do this and you will live,
for I fear God: if you are honest men, let one of your brothers stay
here where you are imprisoned. The rest of you shall go and carry
grain for the famine of your households, and bring your youngest
brother to me. Thus your words will be verified, and you shall not
die.’ And they agreed to do so. They said to one another, ‘Alas,
we are paying the penalty for what we did to our brother; we saw his
anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why
this anguish has come upon us.’ Then Reuben answered them, ‘Did I
not tell you not to wrong the boy? But you would not listen. So now
there comes a reckoning for his blood.’ They did not know that
Joseph understood them, since he spoke with them through an
interpreter. He turned away from them and wept; then he returned and
spoke to them. And he picked out Simeon and had him bound before their
eyes. Joseph then gave orders to fill their bags with grain, to return
every man’s money to his sack, and to give them provisions for their
journey. This was done for them.
 They loaded their donkeys with their grain, and departed. When one
of them opened his sack to give his donkey fodder at the
lodging-place, he saw his money at the top of the sack. He said to his
brothers, ‘My money has been put back; here it is in my sack!’ At
this they lost heart and turned trembling to one another, saying,
‘What is this that God has done to us?’
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1 Corinthians 5:9-6:8

I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral
persons— not at all meaning the immoral of this world, or the greedy
and robbers, or idolaters, since you would then need to go out of the
world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who
bears the name of brother or sister* who is sexually immoral or
greedy, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or robber. Do not even
eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging those outside?
Is it not those who are inside that you are to judge? God will judge
those outside. ‘Drive out the wicked person from among you.’ 

When any of you has a grievance against another, do you dare to take
it to court before the unrighteous, instead of taking it before the
saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if
the world is to be judged by you, are you incompetent to try trivial
cases? Do you not know that we are to judge angels—to say nothing of
ordinary matters? If you have ordinary cases, then, do you appoint as
judges those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your
shame. Can it be that there is no one among you wise enough to decide
between one believer* and another, but a believer* goes to court
against a believer*—and before unbelievers at that?

 In fact, to have lawsuits at all with one another is already a
defeat for you. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be
defrauded? But you yourselves wrong and defraud—and believers* at
that.
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Mark 4:1-20

Again he began to teach beside the lake. Such a very large crowd
gathered around him that he got into a boat on the lake and sat there,
while the whole crowd was beside the lake on the land. He began to
teach them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to
them: ‘Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed
fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Other seed fell on
rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and it sprang up
quickly, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was
scorched; and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell
among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no
grain. Other seed fell into good soil and brought forth grain, growing
up and increasing and yielding thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’
And he said, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’
 When he was alone, those who were around him along with the twelve
asked him about the parables. And he said to them, ‘To you has been
given the secret* of the kingdom of God, but for those outside,
everything comes in parables; in order that
“they may indeed look, but not perceive,
   and may indeed listen, but not understand;
so that they may not turn again and be forgiven.” ’

 And he said to them, ‘Do you not understand this parable? Then how
will you understand all the parables? The sower sows the word. These
are the ones on the path where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan
immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. And
these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, they
immediately receive it with joy. But they have no root, and endure
only for a while; then, when trouble or persecution arises on account
of the word, immediately they fall away.* And others are those sown
among the thorns: these are the ones who hear the word, but the cares
of the world, and the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things
come in and choke the word, and it yields nothing. And these are the
ones sown on the good soil: they hear the word and accept it and bear
fruit, thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.’
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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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