Friday 1 September 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Friday 1 September 2023
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Kings 5:1-6:1,7

*Now King Hiram of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon, when he heard
that they had anointed him king in place of his father; for Hiram had
always been a friend to David. Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying,
‘You know that my father David could not build a house for the name
of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies
surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet.*
But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is
neither adversary nor misfortune. So I intend to build a house for the
name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to my father David, “Your
son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the
house for my name.” Therefore command that cedars from the Lebanon
be cut for me. My servants will join your servants, and I will give
you whatever wages you set for your servants; for you know that there
is no one among us who knows how to cut timber like the Sidonians.’

 When Hiram heard the words of Solomon, he rejoiced greatly, and
said, ‘Blessed be the Lord today, who has given to David a wise son
to be over this great people.’ Hiram sent word to Solomon, ‘I have
heard the message that you have sent to me; I will fulfil all your
needs in the matter of cedar and cypress timber. My servants shall
bring it down to the sea from the Lebanon; I will make it into rafts
to go by sea to the place you indicate. I will have them broken up
there for you to take away. And you shall meet my needs by providing
food for my household.’ So Hiram supplied Solomon’s every need for
timber of cedar and cypress. Solomon in turn gave Hiram twenty
thousand cors of wheat as food for his household, and twenty cors of
fine oil. Solomon gave this to Hiram year by year. So the Lord gave
Solomon wisdom, as he promised him. There was peace between Hiram and
Solomon; and the two of them made a treaty.

 King Solomon conscripted forced labour out of all Israel; the levy
numbered thirty thousand men. He sent them to the Lebanon, ten
thousand a month in shifts; they would be a month in the Lebanon and
two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the forced labour.
Solomon also had seventy thousand labourers and eighty thousand
stonecutters in the hill country, besides Solomon’s three thousand
three hundred supervisors who were over the work, having charge of the
people who did the work. At the king’s command, they quarried out
great, costly stones in order to lay the foundation of the house with
dressed stones. So Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the
Gebalites did the stonecutting and prepared the timber and the stone
to build the house.

In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out
of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over
Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to
build the house of the Lord.

 The house was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that
neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron was heard in the temple
while it was being built.
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Acts 28:1-16

After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was
called Malta. The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had
begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us
round it. Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it
on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on
his hand. When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand,
they said to one another, ‘This man must be a murderer; though he
has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.’ He,
however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.
They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had
waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him,
they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

 Now in the neighbourhood of that place were lands belonging to the
leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and
entertained us hospitably for three days. It so happened that the
father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul
visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him.
After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had
diseases also came and were cured. They bestowed many honours on us,
and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions
we needed.

 Three months later we set sail on a ship that had wintered at the
island, an Alexandrian ship with the Twin Brothers as its figurehead.
We put in at Syracuse and stayed there for three days; then we weighed
anchor and came to Rhegium. After one day there a south wind sprang
up, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. There we found
believers* and were invited to stay with them for seven days. And so
we came to Rome. The believers* from there, when they heard of us,
came as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns to meet us. On
seeing them, Paul thanked God and took courage.

 When we came into Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with
the soldier who was guarding him.
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Mark 14:27-42

And Jesus said to them, ‘You will all become deserters; for it is
written,
“I will strike the shepherd,
   and the sheep will be scattered.” 
But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.’ Peter
said to him, ‘Even though all become deserters, I will not.’ Jesus
said to him, ‘Truly I tell you, this day, this very night, before
the cock crows twice, you will deny me three times.’ But he said
vehemently, ‘Even though I must die with you, I will not deny
you.’ And all of them said the same.

 They went to a place called Gethsemane; and he said to his
disciples, ‘Sit here while I pray.’ He took with him Peter and
James and John, and began to be distressed and agitated. And he said
to them, ‘I am deeply grieved, even to death; remain here, and keep
awake.’ And going a little farther, he threw himself on the ground
and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. He
said, ‘Abba,* Father, for you all things are possible; remove this
cup from me; yet, not what I want, but what you want.’ He came and
found them sleeping; and he said to Peter, ‘Simon, are you asleep?
Could you not keep awake one hour? Keep awake and pray that you may
not come into the time of trial;* the spirit indeed is willing, but
the flesh is weak.’ And again he went away and prayed, saying the
same words. And once more he came and found them sleeping, for their
eyes were very heavy; and they did not know what to say to him. He
came a third time and said to them, ‘Are you still sleeping and
taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is
betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going. See, my
betrayer is at hand.’
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 16, 17

Psalm 16

Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge. 
I say to the Lord, ‘You are my Lord;
   I have no good apart from you.’*

As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
   in whom is all my delight. 

Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;*
   their drink-offerings of blood I will not pour out
   or take their names upon my lips. 

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;
   you hold my lot. 
The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   I have a goodly heritage. 

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;
   in the night also my heart instructs me. 
I keep the Lord always before me;
   because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 

Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
   my body also rests secure. 
For you do not give me up to Sheol,
   or let your faithful one see the Pit. 

You show me the path of life.
   In your presence there is fullness of joy;
   in your right hand are pleasures for evermore.

Psalm 17

Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry;
   give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit. 
>From you let my vindication come;
   let your eyes see the right. 

If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
   if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
   my mouth does not transgress. 
As for what others do, by the word of your lips
   I have avoided the ways of the violent. 
My steps have held fast to your paths;
   my feet have not slipped. 

I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God;
   incline your ear to me, hear my words. 
Wondrously show your steadfast love,
   O saviour of those who seek refuge
   from their adversaries at your right hand. 

Guard me as the apple of the eye;
   hide me in the shadow of your wings, 
from the wicked who despoil me,
   my deadly enemies who surround me. 
They close their hearts to pity;
   with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 
They track me down;* now they surround me;
   they set their eyes to cast me to the ground. 
They are like a lion eager to tear,
   like a young lion lurking in ambush. 

Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them!
   By your sword deliver my life from the wicked, 
from mortals—by your hand, O Lord—
   from mortals whose portion in life is in this world.
May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them;
   may their children have more than enough;
   may they leave something over to their little ones. 

As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness;
   when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 22

Psalm 22

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
   Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my
groaning? 
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
   and by night, but find no rest. 

Yet you are holy,
   enthroned on the praises of Israel. 
In you our ancestors trusted;
   they trusted, and you delivered them. 
To you they cried, and were saved;
   in you they trusted, and were not put to shame. 

But I am a worm, and not human;
   scorned by others, and despised by the people. 
All who see me mock at me;
   they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; 
‘Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
   let him rescue the one in whom he delights!’ 

Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
   you kept me safe on my mother’s breast. 
On you I was cast from my birth,
   and since my mother bore me you have been my God. 
Do not be far from me,
   for trouble is near
   and there is no one to help. 

Many bulls encircle me,
   strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 
they open wide their mouths at me,
   like a ravening and roaring lion. 

I am poured out like water,
   and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
   it is melted within my breast; 
my mouth* is dried up like a potsherd,
   and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
   you lay me in the dust of death. 

For dogs are all around me;
   a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shrivelled;* 
I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me; 
they divide my clothes among themselves,
   and for my clothing they cast lots. 

But you, O Lord, do not be far away!
   O my help, come quickly to my aid! 
Deliver my soul from the sword,
   my life* from the power of the dog! 
   Save me from the mouth of the lion! 

>From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued* me. 
I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters;*
   in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 
You who fear the Lord, praise him!
   All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him;
   stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 
For he did not despise or abhor
   the affliction of the afflicted;
he did not hide his face from me,*
   but heard when I* cried to him. 

>From you comes my praise in the great congregation;
   my vows I will pay before those who fear him. 
The poor* shall eat and be satisfied;
   those who seek him shall praise the Lord.
   May your hearts live for ever! 

All the ends of the earth shall remember
   and turn to the Lord;
and all the families of the nations
   shall worship before him.* 
For dominion belongs to the Lord,
   and he rules over the nations. 

To him,* indeed, shall all who sleep in* the earth bow down;
   before him shall bow all who go down to the dust,
   and I shall live for him.* 
Posterity will serve him;
   future generations will be told about the Lord, 
and* proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn,
   saying that he has done it.
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