Sunday 22 September 2024 DAILY LECTIONARY

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Sun Sep 22 02:00:03 EDT 2024


Sunday 22 September 2024  
DAILY LECTIONARY

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Esther 3:1-4:3

After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman son of Hammedatha the
Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the officials who
were with him. And all the king’s servants who were at the king’s
gate bowed down and did obeisance to Haman; for the king had so
commanded concerning him. But Mordecai did not bow down or do
obeisance. Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate
said to Mordecai, ‘Why do you disobey the king’s command?’ When
they spoke to him day after day and he would not listen to them, they
told Haman, in order to see whether Mordecai’s words would avail;
for he had told them that he was a Jew. When Haman saw that Mordecai
did not bow down or do obeisance to him, Haman was infuriated. But he
thought it beneath him to lay hands on Mordecai alone. So, having been
told who Mordecai’s people were, Haman plotted to destroy all the
Jews, the people of Mordecai, throughout the whole kingdom of
Ahasuerus.

 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year
of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur—which means ‘the lot’—before
Haman for the day and for the month, and the lot fell on the
thirteenth day* of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. Then
Haman said to King Ahasuerus, ‘There is a certain people scattered
and separated among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom;
their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do
not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not appropriate for the king
to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued for
their destruction, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into
the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, so that
they may put it into the king’s treasuries.’ So the king took his
signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman son of Hammedatha the
Agagite, the enemy of the Jews. The king said to Haman, ‘The money
is given to you, and the people as well, to do with them as it seems
good to you.’

 Then the king’s secretaries were summoned on the thirteenth day of
the first month, and an edict, according to all that Haman commanded,
was written to the king’s satraps and to the governors over all the
provinces and to the officials of all the peoples, to every province
in its own script and every people in its own language; it was written
in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s ring.
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces, giving
orders to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate all Jews, young and old,
women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth
month, which is the month of Adar, and to plunder their goods. A copy
of the document was to be issued as a decree in every province by
proclamation, calling on all the peoples to be ready for that day. The
couriers went quickly by order of the king, and the decree was issued
in the citadel of Susa. The king and Haman sat down to drink; but the
city of Susa was thrown into confusion.
When Mordecai learned all that had been done, Mordecai tore his
clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes, and went through the city,
wailing with a loud and bitter cry; he went up to the entrance of the
king’s gate, for no one might enter the king’s gate clothed with
sackcloth. In every province, wherever the king’s command and his
decree came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and
weeping and lamenting, and most of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.
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James 1:19-27

You must understand this, my beloved:* let everyone be quick to
listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce
God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and
rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted
word that has the power to save your souls.

 But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive
themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are
like those who look at themselves* in a mirror; for they look at
themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like.
But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and
persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will
be blessed in their doing.

 If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but
deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is
pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for
orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by
the world. 
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Matthew 6:1-6,16-18

‘Beware of practising your piety before others in order to be seen
by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.

 ‘So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as
the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they
may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their
reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what
your right hand is doing, so that your alms may be done in secret; and
your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
 ‘And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they
love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so
that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received
their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the
door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who
sees in secret will reward you.*
 ‘And whenever you fast, do not look dismal, like the hypocrites,
for they disfigure their faces so as to show others that they are
fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But when
you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that your
fasting may be seen not by others but by your Father who is in secret;
and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.*
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Morning Psalms:  Psalm 93, 96

Psalm 93

The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty;
   the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength.
He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 
   your throne is established from of old;
   you are from everlasting. 

The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
   the floods have lifted up their voice;
   the floods lift up their roaring. 
More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters,
   more majestic than the waves* of the sea,
   majestic on high is the Lord! 

Your decrees are very sure;
   holiness befits your house,
   O Lord, for evermore.

Psalm 96

O sing to the Lord a new song;
   sing to the Lord, all the earth. 
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
   tell of his salvation from day to day. 
Declare his glory among the nations,
   his marvellous works among all the peoples. 
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
   he is to be revered above all gods. 
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
   but the Lord made the heavens. 
Honour and majesty are before him;
   strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
   bring an offering, and come into his courts. 
Worship the Lord in holy splendour;
   tremble before him, all the earth. 

Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king!
   The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
   He will judge the peoples with equity.’ 
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
   let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 
   let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 
   before the Lord; for he is coming,
   for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
   and the peoples with his truth.
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Evening Psalms:  Psalm 34

Psalm 34

I will bless the Lord at all times;
   his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
   let the humble hear and be glad. 
O magnify the Lord with me,
   and let us exalt his name together. 

I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
   and delivered me from all my fears. 
Look to him, and be radiant;
   so your* faces shall never be ashamed. 
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
   and was saved from every trouble. 
The angel of the Lord encamps
   around those who fear him, and delivers them. 
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
   happy are those who take refuge in him. 
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
   for those who fear him have no want. 
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
   but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing. 

Come, O children, listen to me;
   I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 
Which of you desires life,
   and covets many days to enjoy good? 
Keep your tongue from evil,
   and your lips from speaking deceit. 
Depart from evil, and do good;
   seek peace, and pursue it. 

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
   and his ears are open to their cry. 
The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
   to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
   and rescues them from all their troubles. 
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
   and saves the crushed in spirit. 

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
   but the Lord rescues them from them all. 
He keeps all their bones;
   not one of them will be broken. 
Evil brings death to the wicked,
   and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
   none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
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