Saturday 12 August 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 12 August 2023 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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2 Samuel 12:15-31

Then Nathan went to his house.

The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it
became very ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David
fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground. The elders of his
house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he
would not, nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day the child
died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child
was dead; for they said, ‘While the child was still alive, we spoke
to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we tell him the
child is dead? He may do himself some harm.’ But when David saw that
his servants were whispering together, he perceived that the child was
dead; and David said to his servants, ‘Is the child dead?’ They
said, ‘He is dead.’

 Then David rose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and
changed his clothes. He went into the house of the Lord, and
worshipped; he then went to his own house; and when he asked, they set
food before him and he ate. Then his servants said to him, ‘What is
this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while
it was alive; but when the child died, you rose and ate food.’ He
said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I
said, “Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me, and the child may
live.” But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back
again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.’

 Then David consoled his wife Bathsheba, and went to her, and lay
with her; and she bore a son, and he named him Solomon. The Lord loved
him, and sent a message by the prophet Nathan; so he named him
Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites, and took the royal
city. Joab sent messengers to David, and said, ‘I have fought
against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the water city. Now, then,
gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city,
and take it; or I myself will take the city, and it will be called by
my name.’ So David gathered all the people together and went to
Rabbah, and fought against it and took it. He took the crown of Milcom
from his head; the weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a
precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. He also brought
forth the spoil of the city, a very great amount. He brought out the
people who were in it, and set them to work with saws and iron picks
and iron axes, or sent them to the brickworks. Thus he did to all the
cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to
Jerusalem.
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Acts 20:1-16

After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples; and after
encouraging them and saying farewell, he left for Macedonia. When he
had gone through those regions and had given the believers much
encouragement, he came to Greece, where he stayed for three months. He
was about to set sail for Syria when a plot was made against him by
the Jews, and so he decided to return through Macedonia. He was
accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Beroea, by Aristarchus and
Secundus from Thessalonica, by Gaius from Derbe, and by Timothy, as
well as by Tychicus and Trophimus from Asia. They went ahead and were
waiting for us in Troas; but we sailed from Philippi after the days of
Unleavened Bread, and in five days we joined them in Troas, where we
stayed for seven days.

 On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul was
holding a discussion with them; since he intended to leave the next
day, he continued speaking until midnight. There were many lamps in
the room upstairs where we were meeting. A young man named Eutychus,
who was sitting in the window, began to sink off into a deep sleep
while Paul talked still longer. Overcome by sleep, he fell to the
ground three floors below and was picked up dead. But Paul went down,
and bending over him took him in his arms, and said, ‘Do not be
alarmed, for his life is in him.’ Then Paul went upstairs, and after
he had broken bread and eaten, he continued to converse with them
until dawn; then he left. Meanwhile they had taken the boy away alive
and were not a little comforted.

 We went ahead to the ship and set sail for Assos, intending to take
Paul on board there; for he had made this arrangement, intending to go
by land himself. When he met us in Assos, we took him on board and
went to Mitylene. We sailed from there, and on the following day we
arrived opposite Chios. The next day we touched at Samos, and the day
after that we came to Miletus. For Paul had decided to sail past
Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia; he was eager
to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.
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Mark 9:30-41

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. He did not want
anyone to know it; for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them,
‘The Son of Man is to be betrayed into human hands, and they will
kill him, and three days after being killed, he will rise again.’
But they did not understand what he was saying and were afraid to ask
him.

 Then they came to Capernaum; and when he was in the house he asked
them, ‘What were you arguing about on the way?’ But they were
silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was
the greatest. He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them,
‘Whoever wants to be first must be last of all and servant of
all.’ Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking
it in his arms, he said to them, ‘Whoever welcomes one such child in
my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the
one who sent me.’

 John said to him, ‘Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in
your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following
us.’ But Jesus said, ‘Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed
of power in my name will be able soon afterwards to speak evil of me.
Whoever is not against us is for us. For truly I tell you, whoever
gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ
will by no means lose the reward.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 87, 90

Psalm 87

On the holy mount stands the city he founded; 
   the Lord loves the gates of Zion
   more than all the dwellings of Jacob. 
Glorious things are spoken of you,
   O city of God.
          Selah 

Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;
   Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia—
   ‘This one was born there,’ they say. 

And of Zion it shall be said,
   ‘This one and that one were born in it’;
   for the Most High himself will establish it. 
The Lord records, as he registers the peoples,
   ‘This one was born there.’
          Selah 

Singers and dancers alike say,
   ‘All my springs are in you.’

Psalm 90

Lord, you have been our dwelling-place
   in all generations. 
Before the mountains were brought forth,
   or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
   from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 

You turn us back to dust,
   and say, ‘Turn back, you mortals.’ 
For a thousand years in your sight
   are like yesterday when it is past,
   or like a watch in the night. 

You sweep them away; they are like a dream,
   like grass that is renewed in the morning; 
in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
   in the evening it fades and withers. 

For we are consumed by your anger;
   by your wrath we are overwhelmed. 
You have set our iniquities before you,
   our secret sins in the light of your countenance. 

For all our days pass away under your wrath;
   our years come to an end like a sigh. 
The days of our life are seventy years,
   or perhaps eighty, if we are strong;
even then their span is only toil and trouble;
   they are soon gone, and we fly away. 

Who considers the power of your anger?
   Your wrath is as great as the fear that is due to you. 
So teach us to count our days
   that we may gain a wise heart. 

Turn, O Lord! How long?
   Have compassion on your servants! 
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
   so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
   and for as many years as we have seen evil. 
Let your work be manifest to your servants,
   and your glorious power to their children. 
Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us,
   and prosper for us the work of our hands—
   O prosper the work of our hands!
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 136

Psalm 136

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever. 
O give thanks to the God of gods,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever. 
O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 

who alone does great wonders,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who by understanding made the heavens,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who spread out the earth on the waters,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who made the great lights,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
the sun to rule over the day,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 

who struck Egypt through their firstborn,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and brought Israel out from among them,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who divided the Red Sea in two,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who led his people through the wilderness,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who struck down great kings,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and killed famous kings,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
Sihon, king of the Amorites,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and Og, king of Bashan,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and gave their land as a heritage,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
a heritage to his servant Israel,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever. 

It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
and rescued us from our foes,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever; 
who gives food to all flesh,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever. 

O give thanks to the God of heaven,
   for his steadfast love endures for ever.
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