Sunday 12 November 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Sunday 12 November 2023
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Ezra 10:1-17

While Ezra prayed and made confession, weeping and throwing himself
down before the house of God, a very great assembly of men, women, and
children gathered to him out of Israel; the people also wept bitterly.
Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the descendants of Elam, addressed Ezra,
saying, ‘We have broken faith with our God and have married foreign
women from the peoples of the land, but even now there is hope for
Israel in spite of this. So now let us make a covenant with our God to
send away all these wives and their children, according to the counsel
of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and
let it be done according to the law. Take action, for it is your duty,
and we are with you; be strong, and do it.’ Then Ezra stood up and
made the leading priests, the Levites, and all Israel swear that they
would do as had been said. So they swore.
 Then Ezra withdrew from before the house of God, and went to the
chamber of Jehohanan son of Eliashib, where he spent the night.* He
did not eat bread or drink water, for he was mourning over the
faithlessness of the exiles. They made a proclamation throughout Judah
and Jerusalem to all the returned exiles that they should assemble at
Jerusalem, and that if any did not come within three days, by order of
the officials and the elders all their property should be forfeited,
and they themselves banned from the congregation of the exiles.

 Then all the people of Judah and Benjamin assembled at Jerusalem
within the three days; it was the ninth month, on the twentieth day of
the month. All the people sat in the open square before the house of
God, trembling because of this matter and because of the heavy rain.
Then Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, ‘You have trespassed
and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel. Now
make confession to the Lord the God of your ancestors, and do his
will; separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from the
foreign wives.’ Then all the assembly answered with a loud voice,
‘It is so; we must do as you have said. But the people are many, and
it is a time of heavy rain; we cannot stand in the open. Nor is this a
task for one day or for two, for many of us have transgressed in this
matter. Let our officials represent the whole assembly, and let all in
our towns who have taken foreign wives come at appointed times, and
with them the elders and judges of every town, until the fierce wrath
of our God on this account is averted from us.’ Only Jonathan son of
Asahel and Jahzeiah son of Tikvah opposed this, and Meshullam and
Shabbethai the Levites supported them.

 Then the returned exiles did so. Ezra the priest selected men,*
heads of families, according to their families, each of them
designated by name. On the first day of the tenth month they sat down
to examine the matter. By the first day of the first month they had
come to the end of all the men who had married foreign women.
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Acts 24:10-21

When the governor motioned to him to speak, Paul replied:

‘I cheerfully make my defence, knowing that for many years you have
been a judge over this nation. As you can find out, it is not more
than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem. They did not
find me disputing with anyone in the temple or stirring up a crowd
either in the synagogues or throughout the city. Neither can they
prove to you the charge that they now bring against me. But this I
admit to you, that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I
worship the God of our ancestors, believing everything laid down
according to the law or written in the prophets. I have a hope in
God—a hope that they themselves also accept—that there will be a
resurrection of both* the righteous and the unrighteous. Therefore I
do my best always to have a clear conscience towards God and all
people. Now after some years I came to bring alms to my nation and to
offer sacrifices. While I was doing this, they found me in the temple,
completing the rite of purification, without any crowd or disturbance.
But there were some Jews from Asia—they ought to be here before you
to make an accusation, if they have anything against me. Or let these
men here tell what crime they had found when I stood before the
council, unless it was this one sentence that I called out while
standing before them, “It is about the resurrection of the dead that
I am on trial before you today.”
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Luke 14:12-24
 
He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a
luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or
your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in
return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite
the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be
blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the
resurrection of the righteous.’
 One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, ‘Blessed
is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!’ Then Jesus*
said to him, ‘Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the
time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been
invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.” But they all alike
began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece
of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my apologies.”
Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to
try them out; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have
just been married, and therefore I cannot come.” So the slave
returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house
became angry and said to his slave, “Go out at once into the streets
and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind,
and the lame.” And the slave said, “Sir, what you ordered has been
done, and there is still room.” Then the master said to the slave,
“Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so
that my house may be filled. For I tell you,* none of those who were
invited will taste my dinner.” ’
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 93, 96

Psalm 93

The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty;
   the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength.
He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 
   your throne is established from of old;
   you are from everlasting. 

The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
   the floods have lifted up their voice;
   the floods lift up their roaring. 
More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
   more majestic than the waves* of the sea,
   majestic on high is the Lord! 

Your decrees are very sure;
   holiness befits your house,
   O Lord, for evermore.

Psalm 96

O sing to the Lord a new song;
   sing to the Lord, all the earth. 
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
   tell of his salvation from day to day. 
Declare his glory among the nations,
   his marvellous works among all the peoples. 
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
   he is to be revered above all gods. 
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
   but the Lord made the heavens. 
Honour and majesty are before him;
   strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
   bring an offering, and come into his courts. 
Worship the Lord in holy splendour;
   tremble before him, all the earth. 

Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king!
   The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
   He will judge the peoples with equity.’ 
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
   let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 
   let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 
   before the Lord; for he is coming,
   for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
   and the peoples with his truth.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 34

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times;
   his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
   let the humble hear and be glad. 
O magnify the Lord with me,
   and let us exalt his name together. 

I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
   and delivered me from all my fears. 
Look to him, and be radiant;
   so your* faces shall never be ashamed. 
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
   and was saved from every trouble. 
The angel of the Lord encamps
   around those who fear him, and delivers them. 
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
   happy are those who take refuge in him. 
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
   for those who fear him have no want. 
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
   but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 

Come, O children, listen to me;
   I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 
Which of you desires life,
   and covets many days to enjoy good? 
Keep your tongue from evil,
   and your lips from speaking deceit. 
Depart from evil, and do good;
   seek peace, and pursue it. 

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
   and his ears are open to their cry. 
The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
   to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
   and rescues them from all their troubles. 
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
   and saves the crushed in spirit. 

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
   but the Lord rescues them from them all. 
He keeps all their bones;
   not one of them will be broken. 
Evil brings death to the wicked,
   and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
   none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
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