Saturday 2 September 2023 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Saturday 2 September 2023 
DAILY LECTIONARY

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1 Kings 7:51-8:21

Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the Lord was
finished. Solomon brought in the things that his father David had
dedicated, the silver, the gold, and the vessels, and stored them in
the treasuries of the house of the Lord.

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the
tribes, the leaders of the ancestral houses of the Israelites, before
King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the
Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion. All the people of Israel
assembled to King Solomon at the festival in the month Ethanim, which
is the seventh month. And all the elders of Israel came, and the
priests carried the ark. So they brought up the ark of the Lord, the
tent of meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the tent; the
priests and the Levites brought them up. King Solomon and all the
congregation of Israel, who had assembled before him, were with him
before the ark, sacrificing so many sheep and oxen that they could not
be counted or numbered. Then the priests brought the ark of the
covenant of the Lord to its place, in the inner sanctuary of the
house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the cherubim.
For the cherubim spread out their wings over the place of the ark, so
that the cherubim made a covering above the ark and its poles. The
poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy
place in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from
outside; they are there to this day. There was nothing in the ark
except the two tablets of stone that Moses had placed there at Horeb,
where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites, when they came out
of the land of Egypt. And when the priests came out of the holy place,
a cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not
stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord
filled the house of the Lord.

 Then Solomon said,
‘The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. 
I have built you an exalted house,
   a place for you to dwell in for ever.’

 Then the king turned round and blessed all the assembly of Israel,
while all the assembly of Israel stood. He said, ‘Blessed be the
Lord, the God of Israel, who with his hand has fulfilled what he
promised with his mouth to my father David, saying, “Since the day
that I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city
from any of the tribes of Israel in which to build a house, that my
name might be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.”
My father David had it in mind to build a house for the name of the
Lord, the God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, “You
did well to consider building a house for my name; nevertheless, you
shall not build the house, but your son who shall be born to you shall
build the house for my name.” Now the Lord has upheld the promise
that he made; for I have risen in the place of my father David; I sit
on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised, and have built the
house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. There I have
provided a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the Lord
that he made with our ancestors when he brought them out of the land
of Egypt.’
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Acts 28:17-31

Three days later he called together the local leaders of the Jews.
When they had assembled, he said to them, ‘Brothers, though I had
done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, yet I
was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. When they had
examined me, the Romans* wanted to release me, because there was no
reason for the death penalty in my case. But when the Jews objected, I
was compelled to appeal to the emperor—even though I had no charge
to bring against my nation. For this reason therefore I have asked to
see you and speak with you,* since it is for the sake of the hope of
Israel that I am bound with this chain.’ They replied, ‘We have
received no letters from Judea about you, and none of the brothers
coming here has reported or spoken anything evil about you. But we
would like to hear from you what you think, for with regard to this
sect we know that everywhere it is spoken against.’

 After they had fixed a day to meet him, they came to him at his
lodgings in great numbers. From morning until evening he explained the
matter to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to
convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the
prophets. Some were convinced by what he had said, while others
refused to believe. So they disagreed with each other; and as they
were leaving, Paul made one further statement: ‘The Holy Spirit was
right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah, 
“Go to this people and say,
You will indeed listen, but never understand,
   and you will indeed look, but never perceive. 
For this people’s heart has grown dull,
   and their ears are hard of hearing,
     and they have shut their eyes;
     so that they might not look with their eyes,
   and listen with their ears,
and understand with their heart and turn—
   and I would heal them.” 
Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent
to the Gentiles; they will listen.’*

 He lived there for two whole years at his own expense* and welcomed
all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about
the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.
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Mark 14:43-52

Immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the twelve,
arrived; and with him there was a crowd with swords and clubs, from
the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Now the betrayer had
given them a sign, saying, ‘The one I will kiss is the man; arrest
him and lead him away under guard.’ So when he came, he went up to
him at once and said, ‘Rabbi!’ and kissed him. Then they laid
hands on him and arrested him. But one of those who stood near drew
his sword and struck the slave of the high priest, cutting off his
ear. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Have you come out with swords and
clubs to arrest me as though I were a bandit? Day after day I was with
you in the temple teaching, and you did not arrest me. But let the
scriptures be fulfilled.’ All of them deserted him and fled.

 A certain young man was following him, wearing nothing but a linen
cloth. They caught hold of him, but he left the linen cloth and ran
off naked.
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 20, 21:1-14

Psalm 20

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
   The name of the God of Jacob protect you! 
May he send you help from the sanctuary,
   and give you support from Zion. 
May he remember all your offerings,
   and regard with favour your burnt sacrifices.
          Selah 

May he grant you your heart’s desire,
   and fulfil all your plans. 
May we shout for joy over your victory,
   and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfil all your petitions. 

Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;
   he will answer him from his holy heaven
   with mighty victories by his right hand. 
Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
   but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God. 
They will collapse and fall,
   but we shall rise and stand upright. 

Give victory to the king, O Lord;
   answer us when we call.*

Psalm 21:1-14

In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord,
   and in your help how greatly he exults! 
You have given him his heart’s desire,
   and have not withheld the request of his lips.
          Selah 
For you meet him with rich blessings;
   you set a crown of fine gold on his head. 
He asked you for life; you gave it to him—
   length of days for ever and ever. 
His glory is great through your help;
   splendour and majesty you bestow on him. 
You bestow on him blessings for ever;
   you make him glad with the joy of your presence. 
For the king trusts in the Lord,
   and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be
moved.

Your hand will find out all your enemies;
   your right hand will find out those who hate you. 
You will make them like a fiery furnace
   when you appear.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
   and fire will consume them. 
You will destroy their offspring from the earth,
   and their children from among humankind. 
If they plan evil against you,
   if they devise mischief, they will not succeed. 
For you will put them to flight;
   you will aim at their faces with your bows. 

Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength!
   We will sing and praise your power.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 110:1-7, 116, 117

Psalm 110:1-7

The Lord says to my lord,
   ‘Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.’ 

The Lord sends out from Zion
   your mighty sceptre.
   Rule in the midst of your foes. 
Your people will offer themselves willingly
   on the day you lead your forces
   on the holy mountains.*
>From the womb of the morning,
   like dew, your youth* will come to you. 
The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind,
   ‘You are a priest for ever according to the order of
Melchizedek.’* 

The Lord is at your right hand;
   he will shatter kings on the day of his wrath. 
He will execute judgement among the nations,
   filling them with corpses;
he will shatter heads
   over the wide earth. 
He will drink from the stream by the path;
   therefore he will lift up his head.

Psalm 116

I love the Lord, because he has heard
   my voice and my supplications. 
Because he inclined his ear to me,
   therefore I will call on him as long as I live. 
The snares of death encompassed me;
   the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
   I suffered distress and anguish. 
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
   ‘O Lord, I pray, save my life!’ 

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous;
   our God is merciful. 
The Lord protects the simple;
   when I was brought low, he saved me. 
Return, O my soul, to your rest,
   for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. 

For you have delivered my soul from death,
   my eyes from tears,
   my feet from stumbling. 
I walk before the Lord
   in the land of the living. 
I kept my faith, even when I said,
   ‘I am greatly afflicted’; 
I said in my consternation,
   ‘Everyone is a liar.’ 

What shall I return to the Lord
   for all his bounty to me? 
I will lift up the cup of salvation
   and call on the name of the Lord, 
I will pay my vows to the Lord
   in the presence of all his people. 
Precious in the sight of the Lord
   is the death of his faithful ones. 
O Lord, I am your servant;
   I am your servant, the child of your serving-maid.
   You have loosed my bonds. 
I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice
   and call on the name of the Lord. 
I will pay my vows to the Lord
   in the presence of all his people, 
in the courts of the house of the Lord,
   in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord, all you nations!
   Extol him, all you peoples! 
For great is his steadfast love towards us,
   and the faithfulness of the Lord endures for ever.
Praise the Lord!
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