Friday 16 February 2024 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Friday 16 February 2024
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Ezekiel 18:1-4,25-32

The word of the Lord came to me: What do you mean by repeating this
proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The parents have eaten sour
grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’? As I live, says
the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel.
Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the
life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall
die.

 If a man is righteous and does what is lawful and right— if he
does not eat upon the mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of
the house of Israel, does not defile his neighbour’s wife or
approach a woman during her menstrual period, does not oppress anyone,
but restores to the debtor his pledge, commits no robbery, gives his
bread to the hungry and covers the naked with a garment, does not take
advance or accrued interest, withholds his hand from iniquity,
executes true justice between contending parties, follows my statutes,
and is careful to observe my ordinances, acting faithfully—such a
one is righteous; he shall surely live, says the Lord God.

 If he has a son who is violent, a shedder of blood, who does any of
these things (though his father* does none of them), who eats upon the
mountains, defiles his neighbour’s wife, oppresses the poor and
needy, commits robbery, does not restore the pledge, lifts up his eyes
to the idols, commits abomination, takes advance or accrued interest;
shall he then live? He shall not. He has done all these abominable
things; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon himself.

 But if this man has a son who sees all the sins that his father has
done, considers, and does not do likewise, who does not eat upon the
mountains or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel,
does not defile his neighbour’s wife, does not wrong anyone, exacts
no pledge, commits no robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and
covers the naked with a garment, withholds his hand from iniquity,*
takes no advance or accrued interest, observes my ordinances, and
follows my statutes; he shall not die for his father’s iniquity; he
shall surely live. As for his father, because he practised extortion,
robbed his brother, and did what is not good among his people, he dies
for his iniquity.

 Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of
the father?’ When the son has done what is lawful and right, and has
been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live. The
person who sins shall die. A child shall not suffer for the iniquity
of a parent, nor a parent suffer for the iniquity of a child; the
righteousness of the righteous shall be his own, and the wickedness of
the wicked shall be his own.

 But if the wicked turn away from all their sins that they have
committed and keep all my statutes and do what is lawful and right,
they shall surely live; they shall not die. None of the transgressions
that they have committed shall be remembered against them; for the
righteousness that they have done they shall live. Have I any pleasure
in the death of the wicked, says the Lord God, and not rather that
they should turn from their ways and live? But when the righteous turn
away from their righteousness and commit iniquity and do the same
abominable things that the wicked do, shall they live? None of the
righteous deeds that they have done shall be remembered; for the
treachery of which they are guilty and the sin they have committed,
they shall die.

 Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is unfair.’ Hear now, O house
of Israel: Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? When
the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity,
they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they
shall die. Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they
have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their
life. Because they considered and turned away from all the
transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they
shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is
unfair.’ O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways
that are unfair?

 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, all of you according
to your ways, says the Lord God. Repent and turn from all your
transgressions; otherwise iniquity will be your ruin.* Cast away from
you all the transgressions that you have committed against me, and get
yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of
Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, says the Lord
God. Turn, then, and live.
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Philippians 4:1-9

Therefore, my brothers and sisters,* whom I love and long for, my joy
and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
 I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the
Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion,* help these women,
for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together
with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the
book of life.

 Rejoice* in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.* Let your
gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Do not worry about
anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of
God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and
your minds in Christ Jesus. 

 Finally, beloved,* whatever is true, whatever is honourable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is
commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything
worthy of praise, think about* these things. Keep on doing the things
that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the
God of peace will be with you.
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John 17:9-19

I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world,
but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All
mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them.
And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I
am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have
given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with
them, I protected them in your name that* you have given me. I guarded
them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be
lost,* so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming
to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my
joy made complete in themselves.* I have given them your word, and the
world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as
I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of
the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.* They do
not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me
into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their
sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.
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Morning Psalms: Psalm 95, 31

Psalm 95

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
   let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
   let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 
For the Lord is a great God,
   and a great King above all gods. 
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
   the heights of the mountains are his also. 
The sea is his, for he made it,
   and the dry land, which his hands have formed. 

O come, let us worship and bow down,
   let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 
For he is our God,
   and we are the people of his pasture,
   and the sheep of his hand. 

O that today you would listen to his voice! 
   Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
   as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 
when your ancestors tested me,
   and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 
For forty years I loathed that generation
   and said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,
   and they do not regard my ways.’ 
Therefore in my anger I swore,
   ‘They shall not enter my rest.’

Psalm 31

In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
   do not let me ever be put to shame;
   in your righteousness deliver me. 
Incline your ear to me;
   rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
   a strong fortress to save me. 

You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
   for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, 
take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
   for you are my refuge. 
Into your hand I commit my spirit;
   you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God. 

You hate* those who pay regard to worthless idols,
   but I trust in the Lord. 
I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
   because you have seen my affliction;
   you have taken heed of my adversities, 
and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
   you have set my feet in a broad place. 

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
   my eye wastes away from grief,
   my soul and body also. 
For my life is spent with sorrow,
   and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,*
   and my bones waste away. 

I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
   a horror* to my neighbours,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
   those who see me in the street flee from me. 
I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
   I have become like a broken vessel. 
For I hear the whispering of many—
   terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
   as they plot to take my life. 

But I trust in you, O Lord;
   I say, ‘You are my God.’ 
My times are in your hand;
   deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. 
Let your face shine upon your servant;
   save me in your steadfast love. 
Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
   for I call on you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
   let them go dumbfounded to Sheol. 
Let the lying lips be stilled
   that speak insolently against the righteous
   with pride and contempt. 

O how abundant is your goodness
   that you have laid up for those who fear you,
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
   in the sight of everyone! 
In the shelter of your presence you hide them
   from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
   from contentious tongues. 

Blessed be the Lord,
   for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
   when I was beset as a city under siege. 
I had said in my alarm,
   ‘I am driven far* from your sight.’
But you heard my supplications
   when I cried out to you for help. 

Love the Lord, all you his saints.
   The Lord preserves the faithful,
   but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily. 
Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
   all you who wait for the Lord.
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Evening Psalms: Psalm 35

Psalm 35

Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me;
   fight against those who fight against me! 
Take hold of shield and buckler,
   and rise up to help me! 
Draw the spear and javelin
   against my pursuers;
say to my soul,
   ‘I am your salvation.’ 

Let them be put to shame and dishonour
   who seek after my life.
Let them be turned back and confounded
   who devise evil against me. 
Let them be like chaff before the wind,
   with the angel of the Lord driving them on. 
Let their way be dark and slippery,
   with the angel of the Lord pursuing them. 

For without cause they hid their net* for me;
   without cause they dug a pit* for my life. 
Let ruin come on them unawares.
And let the net that they hid ensnare them;
   let them fall in it—to their ruin. 

Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord,
   exulting in his deliverance. 
All my bones shall say,
   ‘O Lord, who is like you?
You deliver the weak
   from those too strong for them,
   the weak and needy from those who despoil them.’ 

Malicious witnesses rise up;
   they ask me about things I do not know. 
They repay me evil for good;
   my soul is forlorn. 
But as for me, when they were sick,
   I wore sackcloth;
   I afflicted myself with fasting.
I prayed with head bowed* on my bosom, 
   as though I grieved for a friend or a brother;
I went about as one who laments for a mother,
   bowed down and in mourning. 

But at my stumbling they gathered in glee,
   they gathered together against me;
ruffians whom I did not know
   tore at me without ceasing; 
they impiously mocked more and more,*
   gnashing at me with their teeth. 

How long, O Lord, will you look on?
   Rescue me from their ravages,
   my life from the lions! 
Then I will thank you in the great congregation;
   in the mighty throng I will praise you. 

Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me,
   or those who hate me without cause wink the eye. 
For they do not speak peace,
   but they conceive deceitful words
   against those who are quiet in the land. 
They open wide their mouths against me;
   they say, ‘Aha, Aha,
   our eyes have seen it.’ 

You have seen, O Lord; do not be silent!
   O Lord, do not be far from me! 
Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defence,
   for my cause, my God and my Lord! 
Vindicate me, O Lord, my God,
   according to your righteousness,
   and do not let them rejoice over me. 
Do not let them say to themselves,
   ‘Aha, we have our heart’s desire.’
Do not let them say, ‘We have swallowed you* up.’ 

Let all those who rejoice at my calamity
   be put to shame and confusion;
let those who exalt themselves against me
   be clothed with shame and dishonour. 

Let those who desire my vindication
   shout for joy and be glad,
   and say evermore,
‘Great is the Lord,
   who delights in the welfare of his servant.’ 
Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
   and of your praise all day long.
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