Tuesday 5 November 2024 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Tuesday 5 November 2024  
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Ecclesiasticus 43:1-22

The pride of the higher realms is the clear vault of the sky,
   as glorious to behold as the sight of the heavens. 
The sun, when it appears, proclaims as it rises
   what a marvellous instrument it is, the work of the Most High. 
At noon it parches the land,
   and who can withstand its burning heat? 
A man tending* a furnace works in burning heat,
   but three times as hot is the sun scorching the mountains;
it breathes out fiery vapours,
   and its bright rays blind the eyes. 
Great is the Lord who made it;
   at his orders it hurries on its course. 

It is the moon that marks the changing seasons,*
   governing the times, their everlasting sign. 
>From the moon comes the sign for festal days,
   a light that wanes when it completes its course. 
The new moon, as its name suggests, renews itself;*
   how marvellous it is in this change,
a beacon to the hosts on high,
   shining in the vault of the heavens! 

The glory of the stars is the beauty of heaven,
   a glittering array in the heights of the Lord. 
On the orders of the Holy One they stand in their appointed places;
   they never relax in their watches. 
Look at the rainbow, and praise him who made it;
   it is exceedingly beautiful in its brightness. 
It encircles the sky with its glorious arc;
   the hands of the Most High have stretched it out. 

By his command he sends the driving snow
   and speeds the lightnings of his judgement. 
Therefore the storehouses are opened,
   and the clouds fly out like birds. 
In his majesty he gives the clouds their strength,
   and the hailstones are broken in pieces.
The voice of his thunder rebukes the earth; 
   when he appears, the mountains shake.
At his will the south wind blows;
   so do the storm from the north and the whirlwind.
He scatters the snow like birds flying down,
   and its descent is like locusts alighting. 
The eye is dazzled by the beauty of its whiteness,
   and the mind is amazed as it falls. 
He pours frost over the earth like salt,
   and icicles form like pointed thorns. 
The cold north wind blows,
   and ice freezes on the water;
it settles on every pool of water,
   and the water puts it on like a breastplate. 
He consumes the mountains and burns up the wilderness,
   and withers the tender grass like fire. 
A mist quickly heals all things;
   the falling dew gives refreshment from the heat.
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Revelation 14:14-15:8

Then I looked, and there was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud
was one like the Son of Man, with a golden crown on his head, and a
sharp sickle in his hand! Another angel came out of the temple,
calling with a loud voice to the one who sat on the cloud, ‘Use your
sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of
the earth is fully ripe.’ So the one who sat on the cloud swung his
sickle over the earth, and the earth was reaped.

 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had
a sharp sickle. Then another angel came out from the altar, the angel
who has authority over fire, and he called with a loud voice to him
who had the sharp sickle, ‘Use your sharp sickle and gather the
clusters of the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.’ So the
angel swung his sickle over the earth and gathered the vintage of the
earth, and he threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.
And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from
the wine press, as high as a horse’s bridle, for a distance of about
two hundred miles.*
Then I saw another portent in heaven, great and amazing: seven angels
with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God
is ended.

 And I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire, and
those who had conquered the beast and its image and the number of its
name standing beside the sea of glass with harps of God in their
hands. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant* of God, and the
song of the Lamb:
‘Great and amazing are your deeds,
   Lord God the Almighty!
Just and true are your ways,
   King of the nations!* 
Lord, who will not fear
   and glorify your name?
For you alone are holy.
   All nations will come
   and worship before you,
for your judgements have been revealed.’ 

 After this I looked, and the temple of the tent* of witness in
heaven was opened, and out of the temple came the seven angels with
the seven plagues, robed in pure bright linen,* with golden sashes
across their chests. Then one of the four living creatures gave the
seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God, who lives
for ever and ever; and the temple was filled with smoke from the glory
of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the
seven plagues of the seven angels were ended.
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Luke 13:1-9

At that very time there were some present who told him about the
Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. He
asked them, ‘Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in
this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans? No, I tell
you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did. Or those
eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them—do
you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in
Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish
just as they did.’
 Then he told this parable: ‘A man had a fig tree planted in his
vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none. So he
said to the gardener, “See here! For three years I have come looking
for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why
should it be wasting the soil?” He replied, “Sir, let it alone for
one more year, until I dig round it and put manure on it. If it bears
fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.”
’
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 61, 62

Psalm 61

Hear my cry, O God;
   listen to my prayer. 
>From the end of the earth I call to you,
   when my heart is faint. 

Lead me to the rock
   that is higher than I; 
for you are my refuge,
   a strong tower against the enemy. 

Let me abide in your tent for ever,
   find refuge under the shelter of your wings.
          Selah 
For you, O God, have heard my vows;
   you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name. 

Prolong the life of the king;
   may his years endure to all generations! 
May he be enthroned for ever before God;
   appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him! 

So I will always sing praises to your name,
   as I pay my vows day after day.

Psalm 62

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
   from him comes my salvation. 
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
   my fortress; I shall never be shaken. 

How long will you assail a person,
   will you batter your victim, all of you,
   as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence? 
Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
   They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,
   but inwardly they curse.
          Selah 

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
   for my hope is from him. 
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
   my fortress; I shall not be shaken. 
On God rests my deliverance and my honour;
   my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. 

Trust in him at all times, O people;
   pour out your heart before him;
   God is a refuge for us.
          Selah 

Those of low estate are but a breath,
   those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
   they are together lighter than a breath. 
Put no confidence in extortion,
   and set no vain hopes on robbery;
   if riches increase, do not set your heart on them. 

Once God has spoken;
   twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God, 
   and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
   according to their work.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 68:1-36

Psalm 68:1-36

Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered;
   let those who hate him flee before him. 
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
   as wax melts before the fire,
   let the wicked perish before God. 
But let the righteous be joyful;
   let them exult before God;
   let them be jubilant with joy. 

Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
   lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds*—
his name is the Lord—
   be exultant before him. 

Father of orphans and protector of widows
   is God in his holy habitation. 
God gives the desolate a home to live in;
   he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
   but the rebellious live in a parched land. 

O God, when you went out before your people,
   when you marched through the wilderness,
          Selah 
the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain
   at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,
   at the presence of God, the God of Israel. 
Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad;
   you restored your heritage when it languished; 
your flock found a dwelling in it;
   in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy. 

The Lord gives the command;
   great is the company of those* who bore the tidings: 
   ‘The kings of the armies, they flee, they flee!’
The women at home divide the spoil, 
   though they stay among the sheepfolds—
the wings of a dove covered with silver,
   its pinions with green gold. 
When the Almighty* scattered kings there,
   snow fell on Zalmon. 

O mighty mountain, mountain of Bashan;
   O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan! 
Why do you look with envy, O many-peaked mountain,
   at the mount that God desired for his abode,
   where the Lord will reside for ever? 

With mighty chariotry, twice ten thousand,
   thousands upon thousands,
   the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.* 
You ascended the high mount,
   leading captives in your train
   and receiving gifts from people,
even from those who rebel against the Lord God’s abiding there. 
Blessed be the Lord,
   who daily bears us up;
   God is our salvation.
          Selah 
Our God is a God of salvation,
   and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death. 

But God will shatter the heads of his enemies,
   the hairy crown of those who walk in their guilty ways. 
The Lord said,
   ‘I will bring them back from Bashan,
I will bring them back from the depths of the sea, 
so that you may bathe* your feet in blood,
   so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from the
foe.’ 

Your solemn processions are seen,* O God,
   the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary— 
the singers in front, the musicians last,
   between them girls playing tambourines: 
‘Bless God in the great congregation,
   the Lord, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!’ 
There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
   the princes of Judah in a body,
   the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali. 

Summon your might, O God;
   show your strength, O God, as you have done for us before. 
Because of your temple at Jerusalem
   kings bear gifts to you. 
Rebuke the wild animals that live among the reeds,
   the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
Trample* under foot those who lust after tribute;
   scatter the peoples who delight in war.* 
Let bronze be brought from Egypt;
   let Ethiopia* hasten to stretch out its hands to God. 

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
   sing praises to the Lord,
          Selah 
O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
   listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice. 
Ascribe power to God,
   whose majesty is over Israel;
   and whose power is in the skies. 
Awesome is God in his* sanctuary,
   the God of Israel;
   he gives power and strength to his people. 

Blessed be God!
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