Thursday 8 August 2024 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Thursday 8 August 2024  
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Judges 8:22-35

Then the Israelites said to Gideon, ‘Rule over us, you and your son
and your grandson also; for you have delivered us out of the hand of
Midian.’ Gideon said to them, ‘I will not rule over you, and my
son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.’ Then
Gideon said to them, ‘Let me make a request of you; each of you give
me an ear-ring he has taken as booty.’ (For the enemy* had golden
ear-rings, because they were Ishmaelites.) ‘We will willingly give
them,’ they answered. So they spread a garment, and each threw into
it an ear-ring he had taken as booty. The weight of the golden
ear-rings that he requested was one thousand seven hundred shekels of
gold (apart from the crescents and the pendants and the purple
garments worn by the kings of Midian, and the collars that were on the
necks of their camels). Gideon made an ephod of it and put it in his
town, in Ophrah; and all Israel prostituted themselves to it there,
and it became a snare to Gideon and to his family. So Midian was
subdued before the Israelites, and they lifted up their heads no more.
So the land had rest for forty years in the days of Gideon.
 Jerubbaal son of Joash went to live in his own house. Now Gideon had
seventy sons, his own offspring, for he had many wives. His concubine
who was in Shechem also bore him a son, and he named him Abimelech.
Then Gideon son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the
tomb of his father Joash at Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

 As soon as Gideon died, the Israelites relapsed and prostituted
themselves with the Baals, making Baal-berith their god. The
Israelites did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them
from the hand of all their enemies on every side; and they did not
exhibit loyalty to the house of Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) in return
for all the good that he had done to Israel.
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Acts 4:1-12

While Peter and John* were speaking to the people, the priests, the
captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came to them, much annoyed
because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus
there is the resurrection of the dead. So they arrested them and put
them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. But
many of those who heard the word believed; and they numbered about
five thousand.

 The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in
Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John,* and Alexander,
and all who were of the high-priestly family. When they had made the
prisoners* stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by
what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned
today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are
asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and
to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in
good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,* whom you
crucified, whom God raised from the dead. This Jesus* is
“the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
   it has become the cornerstone.”* 
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’
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John 1:43-51

The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said
to him, ‘Follow me.’ Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of
Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have
found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote,
Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can
anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and
see.’ When Jesus saw Nathanael coming towards him, he said of him,
‘Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael
asked him, ‘Where did you come to know me?’ Jesus answered, ‘I
saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Nathanael
replied, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of
Israel!’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you believe because I told you that I
saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these.’
And he said to him, ‘Very truly, I tell you,* you will see heaven
opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of
Man.’

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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 83, 145

Psalm 83

O God, do not keep silence;
   do not hold your peace or be still, O God! 
Even now your enemies are in tumult;
   those who hate you have raised their heads. 
They lay crafty plans against your people;
   they consult together against those you protect. 
They say, ‘Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;
   let the name of Israel be remembered no more.’ 
They conspire with one accord;
   against you they make a covenant— 
the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,
   Moab and the Hagrites, 
Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,
   Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre; 
Assyria also has joined them;
   they are the strong arm of the children of Lot.
          Selah 

Do to them as you did to Midian,
   as to Sisera and Jabin at the Wadi Kishon, 
who were destroyed at En-dor,
   who became dung for the ground. 
Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,
   all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna, 
who said, ‘Let us take the pastures of God
   for our own possession.’ 

O my God, make them like whirling dust,*
   like chaff before the wind. 
As fire consumes the forest,
   as the flame sets the mountains ablaze, 
so pursue them with your tempest
   and terrify them with your hurricane. 
Fill their faces with shame,
   so that they may seek your name, O Lord. 
Let them be put to shame and dismayed for ever;
   let them perish in disgrace. 
Let them know that you alone,
   whose name is the Lord,
   are the Most High over all the earth.

Psalm 145

I will extol you, my God and King,
   and bless your name for ever and ever. 
Every day I will bless you,
   and praise your name for ever and ever. 
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
   his greatness is unsearchable. 

One generation shall laud your works to another,
   and shall declare your mighty acts. 
On the glorious splendour of your majesty,
   and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 
The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed,
   and I will declare your greatness. 
They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness,
   and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 

The Lord is gracious and merciful,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 
The Lord is good to all,
   and his compassion is over all that he has made. 

All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
   and all your faithful shall bless you. 
They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom,
   and tell of your power, 
to make known to all people your* mighty deeds,
   and the glorious splendour of your* kingdom. 
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
   and your dominion endures throughout all generations. 

The Lord is faithful in all his words,
   and gracious in all his deeds.* 
The Lord upholds all who are falling,
   and raises up all who are bowed down. 
The eyes of all look to you,
   and you give them their food in due season. 
You open your hand,
   satisfying the desire of every living thing. 
The Lord is just in all his ways,
   and kind in all his doings. 
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
   to all who call on him in truth. 
He fulfils the desire of all who fear him;
   he also hears their cry, and saves them. 
The Lord watches over all who love him,
   but all the wicked he will destroy. 

My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
   and all flesh will bless his holy name for ever and ever.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 85, 86

Psalm 85

Lord, you were favourable to your land;
   you restored the fortunes of Jacob. 
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
   you pardoned all their sin.
          Selah 
You withdrew all your wrath;
   you turned from your hot anger. 

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
   and put away your indignation towards us. 
Will you be angry with us for ever?
   Will you prolong your anger to all generations? 
Will you not revive us again,
   so that your people may rejoice in you? 
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
   and grant us your salvation. 

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
   for he will speak peace to his people,
   to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.* 
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
   that his glory may dwell in our land. 

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
   righteousness and peace will kiss each other. 
Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
   and righteousness will look down from the sky. 
The Lord will give what is good,
   and our land will yield its increase. 
Righteousness will go before him,
   and will make a path for his steps.

Psalm 86

Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me,
   for I am poor and needy. 
Preserve my life, for I am devoted to you;
   save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; be gracious to me, O Lord,
   for to you do I cry all day long. 
Gladden the soul of your servant,
   for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. 
For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving,
   abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you. 
Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer;
   listen to my cry of supplication. 
In the day of my trouble I call on you,
   for you will answer me. 

There is none like you among the gods, O Lord,
   nor are there any works like yours. 
All the nations you have made shall come
   and bow down before you, O Lord,
   and shall glorify your name. 
For you are great and do wondrous things;
   you alone are God. 
Teach me your way, O Lord,
   that I may walk in your truth;
   give me an undivided heart to revere your name. 
I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart,
   and I will glorify your name for ever. 
For great is your steadfast love towards me;
   you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 

O God, the insolent rise up against me;
   a band of ruffians seeks my life,
   and they do not set you before them. 
But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious,
   slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 
Turn to me and be gracious to me;
   give your strength to your servant;
   save the child of your serving-maid. 
Show me a sign of your favour,
   so that those who hate me may see it and be put to shame,
   because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
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