Thursday, August 18, 2016

The Daily Readings for August 18, 2016

Job 1:1-22
There was once a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. That man was blameless and upright, one who feared God and turned away from evil. There were born to him seven sons and three daughters. He had seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred donkeys, and very many servants; so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the east. His sons used to go and hold feasts in one another's houses in turn; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them. And when the feast days had run their course, Job would send and sanctify them, and he would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It may be that my children have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts." This is what Job always did. One day the heavenly beings came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them. The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it." The LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil." Then Satan answered the LORD, "Does Job fear God for nothing? Have you not put a fence around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand now, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, all that he has is in your power; only do not stretch out your hand against him!" So Satan went out from the presence of the LORD. One day when his sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in the eldest brother's house, a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were feeding beside them, and the Sabeans fell on them and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another came and said, "The fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three columns, made a raid on the camels and carried them off, and killed the servants with the edge of the sword; I alone have escaped to tell you." While he was still speaking, another came and said, "Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house, and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you." Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return there; the LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD." In all this Job did not sin or charge God with wrongdoing.

Acts 8:26-40
Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go toward the south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a wilderness road.) So he got up and went. Now there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of the Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship and was returning home; seated in his chariot, he was reading the prophet Isaiah. Then the Spirit said to Philip, "Go over to this chariot and join it." So Philip ran up to it and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah. He asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" He replied, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" And he invited Philip to get in and sit beside him. Now the passage of the scripture that he was reading was this: "Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter, and like a lamb silent before its shearer, so he does not open his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth." The eunuch asked Philip, "About whom, may I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?" Then Philip began to speak, and starting with this scripture, he proclaimed to him the good news about Jesus. As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water! What is to prevent me from being baptized?" He commanded the chariot to stop, and both of them, Philip and the eunuch, went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing. But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he was passing through the region, he proclaimed the good news to all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

John 6:16-27
When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them. The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, "It is I; do not be afraid." Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going. The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal."

Morning Psalms

Psalm 131 Domine, non est
1   O LORD, I am not proud; I have no haughty looks.
2   I do not occupy myself with great matters, or with things that are too hard for me.
3   But I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother's breast; my soul is quieted within me.
4   O Israel, wait upon the LORD, from this time forth for evermore.


Psalm 132 Memento, Domine
1   LORD, remember David, and all the hardships he endured;
2   How he swore an oath to the LORD and vowed a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:
3   I will not come under the roof of my house, nor climb up into my bed;
4   I will not allow my eyes to sleep, nor let my eyelids slumber;
5   Until I find a place for the LORD, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob."
6   The ark! We heard it was in Ephratah; we found it in the fields of Jearim.
7   Let us go to God's dwelling place; let us fall upon our knees before his footstool."
8   Arise, O LORD, into your resting-place, you and the ark of your strength.
9   Let your priests be clothed with righteousness; let your faithful people sing with joy.
10   For your servant David's sake, do not turn away the face of your Anointed.
11   The LORD has sworn an oath to David; in truth, he will not break it:
12   A son, the fruit of your body will I set upon your throne.
13   If your children keep my covenant and my testimonies that I shall teach them, their children will sit upon your throne for evermore."
14   For the LORD has chosen Zion; he has desired her for his habitation:
15   This shall be my resting-place for ever; here will I dwell, for I delight in her.
16   I will surely bless her provisions, and satisfy her poor with bread.
17   I will clothe her priests with salvation, and her faithful people will rejoice and sing.
18   There will I make the horn of David flourish; I have prepared a lamp for my Anointed.
19   As for his enemies, I will clothe them with shame; but as for him, his crown will shine."


Psalm 133 Ecce, quam bonum!
1   Oh, how good and pleasant it is, when brethren live together in unity!
2   It is like fine oil upon the head that runs down upon the beard,
3   Upon the beard of Aaron, and runs down upon the collar of his robe.
4   It is like the dew of Hermon that falls upon the hills of Zion.
5   For there the LORD has ordained the blessing: life for evermore.


Evening Psalms

Psalm 134 Ecce nunc
1   Behold now, bless the LORD, all you servants of the LORD, you that stand by night in the house of the LORD.
2   Lift up your hands in the holy place and bless the LORD; the LORD who made heaven and earth bless you out of Zion.


Psalm 135 Laudate nomen
1   Hallelujah! Praise the Name of the LORD; give praise, you servants of the LORD.
2   You who stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
3   Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praises to his Name, for it is lovely.
4   For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself and Israel for his own possession.
5   For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.
6   The LORD does whatever pleases him, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all the deeps.
7   He brings up rain clouds from the ends of the earth; he sends out lightning with the rain, and brings the winds out of his storehouse.
8   It was he who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, the firstborn both of man and beast.
9   He sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10   He overthrew many nations and put mighty kings to death:
11   Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan, and all the kings of Canaan.
12   He gave their land to be an inheritance, an inheritance for Israel his people.
13   O LORD, your Name is everlasting; your renown, O LORD, endures from age to age.
14   For the LORD gives his people justice and shows compassion to his servants.
15   The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16   They have mouths, but they cannot speak; eyes have they, but they cannot see.
17   They have ears, but they cannot hear; neither is there any breath in their mouth.
18   Those who make them are like them, and so are all who put their trust in them.
19   Bless the LORD, O house of Israel; O house of Aaron, bless the LORD.
20   Bless the LORD, O house of Levi; you who fear the LORD, bless the LORD.
21   Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem. Hallelujah!

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