Saturday 8 July 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 8 July 2023 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Samuel 14:16-30

Saul’s lookouts in Gibeah of Benjamin were watching as the multitude
was surging back and forth. Then Saul said to the troops that were
with him, ‘Call the roll and see who has gone from us.’ When they
had called the roll, Jonathan and his armour-bearer were not there.
Saul said to Ahijah, ‘Bring the ark of God here.’ For at that time
the ark of God went with the Israelites. While Saul was talking to the
priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and
more; and Saul said to the priest, ‘Withdraw your hand.’ Then Saul
and all the people who were with him rallied and went into the battle;
and every sword was against the other, so that there was very great
confusion. Now the Hebrews who previously had been with the
Philistines and had gone up with them into the camp turned and joined
the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise, when all the
Israelites who had gone into hiding in the hill country of Ephraim
heard that the Philistines were fleeing, they too followed closely
after them in the battle. So the Lord gave Israel the victory that
day.
The battle passed beyond Beth-aven, and the troops with Saul numbered
altogether about ten thousand men. The battle spread out over the hill
country of Ephraim. 
Now Saul committed a very rash act on that day. He had laid an oath on
the troops, saying, ‘Cursed be anyone who eats food before it is
evening and I have been avenged on my enemies.’ So none of the
troops tasted food. All the troops came upon a honeycomb; and there
was honey on the ground. When the troops came upon the honeycomb, the
honey was dripping out; but they did not put their hands to their
mouths, for they feared the oath. But Jonathan had not heard his
father charge the troops with the oath; so he extended the staff that
was in his hand, and dipped the tip of it in the honeycomb, and put
his hand to his mouth; and his eyes brightened. Then one of the
soldiers said, ‘Your father strictly charged the troops with an
oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food this day.” And so
the troops are faint.’ Then Jonathan said, ‘My father has troubled
the land; see how my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of
this honey. How much better if today the troops had eaten freely of
the spoil taken from their enemies; for now the slaughter among the
Philistines has not been great.’
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Acts 9:10-19a

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to
him in a vision, ‘Ananias.’ He answered, ‘Here I am, Lord.’
The Lord said to him, ‘Get up and go to the street called Straight,
and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this
moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias
come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.’
But Ananias answered, ‘Lord, I have heard from many about this man,
how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has
authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.’
But the Lord said to him, ‘Go, for he is an instrument whom I have
chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the
people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for
the sake of my name.’ So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid
his hands on Saul and said, ‘Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who
appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain
your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.’ And immediately
something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored.
Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he
regained his strength.
For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,
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Luke 23:32-43

Two others also, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death
with him. When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they
crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on
his left. [[ Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not
know what they are doing.’]] And they cast lots to divide his
clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed
at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the
Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him,
coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the
King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over
him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’ 
One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and
saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the
other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under
the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned
justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man
has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when
you come into your kingdom.’ He replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today
you will be with me in Paradise.’
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 137:1-9, 144

Psalm 137:1-9

By the rivers of Babylon—
   there we sat down and there we wept
   when we remembered Zion. 
On the willows there
   we hung up our harps. 
For there our captors
   asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
   ‘Sing us one of the songs of Zion!’ 

How could we sing the Lord’s song
   in a foreign land? 
If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
   let my right hand wither! 
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
   if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
   above my highest joy. 

Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
   the day of Jerusalem’s fall,
how they said, ‘Tear it down! Tear it down!
   Down to its foundations!’ 
O daughter Babylon, you devastator!
   Happy shall they be who pay you back
   what you have done to us! 
Happy shall they be who take your little ones
   and dash them against the rock!

Psalm 144

Blessed be the Lord, my rock,
   who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; 
my rock and my fortress,
   my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield, in whom I take refuge,
   who subdues the peoples under me. 

O Lord, what are human beings that you regard them,
   or mortals that you think of them? 
They are like a breath;
   their days are like a passing shadow. 

Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
   touch the mountains so that they smoke. 
Make the lightning flash and scatter them;
   send out your arrows and rout them. 
Stretch out your hand from on high;
   set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters,
   from the hand of aliens, 
whose mouths speak lies,
   and whose right hands are false. 

I will sing a new song to you, O God;
   upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, 
the one who gives victory to kings,
   who rescues his servant David. 
Rescue me from the cruel sword,
   and deliver me from the hand of aliens,
whose mouths speak lies,
   and whose right hands are false. 

May our sons in their youth
   be like plants full grown,
our daughters like corner pillars,
   cut for the building of a palace. 
May our barns be filled
   with produce of every kind;
may our sheep increase by thousands,
   by tens of thousands in our fields, 
   and may our cattle be heavy with young.
May there be no breach in the walls, no exile,
   and no cry of distress in our streets. 

Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall;
   happy are the people whose God is the Lord.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 104

Psalm 104

Bless the Lord, O my soul.
   O Lord my God, you are very great.
You are clothed with honour and majesty, 
   wrapped in light as with a garment.
You stretch out the heavens like a tent, 
   you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
you make the clouds your chariot,
   you ride on the wings of the wind, 
you make the winds your messengers,
   fire and flame your ministers. 

You set the earth on its foundations,
   so that it shall never be shaken. 
You cover it with the deep as with a garment;
   the waters stood above the mountains. 
At your rebuke they flee;
   at the sound of your thunder they take to flight. 
They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys
   to the place that you appointed for them. 
You set a boundary that they may not pass,
   so that they might not again cover the earth. 

You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
   they flow between the hills, 
giving drink to every wild animal;
   the wild asses quench their thirst. 
By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;
   they sing among the branches. 
>From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
   the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work. 

You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,
   and plants for people to use,
to bring forth food from the earth, 
   and wine to gladden the human heart,
oil to make the face shine,
   and bread to strengthen the human heart. 
The trees of the Lord are watered abundantly,
   the cedars of Lebanon that he planted. 
In them the birds build their nests;
   the stork has its home in the fir trees. 
The high mountains are for the wild goats;
   the rocks are a refuge for the coneys. 
You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
   the sun knows its time for setting. 
You make darkness, and it is night,
   when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. 
The young lions roar for their prey,
   seeking their food from God. 
When the sun rises, they withdraw
   and lie down in their dens. 
People go out to their work
   and to their labour until the evening. 

O Lord, how manifold are your works!
   In wisdom you have made them all;
   the earth is full of your creatures. 
Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
   creeping things innumerable are there,
   living things both small and great. 
There go the ships,
   and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it. 

These all look to you
   to give them their food in due season; 
when you give to them, they gather it up;
   when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. 
When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
   when you take away their breath, they die
   and return to their dust. 
When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
   and you renew the face of the ground. 

May the glory of the Lord endure for ever;
   may the Lord rejoice in his works— 
who looks on the earth and it trembles,
   who touches the mountains and they smoke. 
I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
   I will sing praise to my God while I have being. 
May my meditation be pleasing to him,
   for I rejoice in the Lord. 
Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
   and let the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord!
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