The Daily Readings for TUESDAY, December 19, 2016

First Reading

Isaiah 11:1-9
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide by what his ears hear; but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the kid, the calf and the lion and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze, their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder's den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

Second Reading

Revelation 20:1-10
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be let out for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and those seated on them were given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus and for the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him a thousand years. When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, in order to gather them for battle; they are as numerous as the sands of the sea. They marched up over the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from heaven and consumed them. And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

The Holy Gospel

John 5:30-47
"I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is just, because I seek to do not my own will but the will of him who sent me. "If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. There is another who testifies on my behalf, and I know that his testimony to me is true. You sent messengers to John, and he testified to the truth. Not that I accept such human testimony, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But I have a testimony greater than John's. The works that the Father has given me to complete, the very works that I am doing, testify on my behalf that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself testified on my behalf. You have never heard his voice or seen his form, and you do not have his word abiding in you, because you do not believe him whom he has sent. "You search the scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf. Yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept glory from human beings. But I know that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; if another comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe when you accept glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the one who alone is God? Do not think that I will accuse you before the Father; your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. But if you do not believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?"

Morning Psalms

Psalm 61 Exaudi, Deus
1   Hear my cry, O God, and listen to my prayer.
2   I call upon you from the ends of the earth with heaviness in my heart; set me upon the rock that is higher than I.
3   For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
4   I will dwell in your house for ever; I will take refuge under the cover of your wings.
5   For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have granted me the heritage of those who fear your Name.
6   Add length of days to the king's life; let his years extend over many generations.
7   Let him sit enthroned before God for ever; bid love and faithfulness watch over him.
8   So will I always sing the praise of your Name, and day by day I will fulfill my vows.

Psalm 62 Nonne Deo?
1   For God alone my soul in silence waits; from him comes my salvation.
2   He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall not be greatly shaken.
3   How long will you assail me to crush me, all of you together, as if you were a leaning fence, a toppling wall?
4   They seek only to bring me down from my place of honor; lies are their chief delight.
5   They bless with their lips, but in their hearts they curse.
6   For God alone my soul in silence waits; truly, my hope is in him.
7   He alone is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold, so that I shall not be shaken.
8   In God is my safety and my honor; God is my strong rock and my refuge.
9   Put your trust in him always, O people, pour out your hearts before him, for God is our refuge.
10   Those of high degree are but a fleeting breath, even those of low estate cannot be trusted.
11   On the scales they are lighter than a breath, all of them together.
12   Put no trust in extortion; in robbery take no empty pride; though wealth increase, set not your heart upon it.
13   God has spoken once, twice have I heard it, that power belongs to God.
14   Steadfast love is yours, O Lord, for you repay everyone according to his deeds.

Evening Psalms

Psalm 112 Beatus vir
1   Hallelujah! Happy are they who fear the Lord and have great delight in his commandments!
2   Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3   Wealth and riches will be in their house, and their righteousness will last for ever.
4   Light shines in the darkness for the upright; the righteous are merciful and full of compassion.
5   It is good for them to be generous in lending and to manage their affairs with justice.
6   For they will never be shaken; the righteous will be kept in everlasting remembrance.
7   They will not be afraid of any evil rumors; their heart is right; they put their trust in the Lord.
8   Their heart is established and will not shrink, until they see their desire upon their enemies.
9   They have given freely to the poor, and their righteousness stands fast for ever; they will hold up their head with honor.
10   The wicked will see it and be angry; they will gnash their teeth and pine away; the desires of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 115 Non nobis, Domine
1   Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your Name give glory; because of your love and because of your faithfulness.
2   Why should the heathen say, "Where then is their God?"
3   Our God is in heaven; whatever he wills to do he does.
4   Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
5   They have mouths, but they cannot speak; eyes have they, but they cannot see;
6   They have ears but they cannot hear; noses, but they cannot smell;
7   They have hands, but they cannot feel; feet, but they cannot walk; they make no sound with their throat.
8   Those who make them are like them, and so are all who put their trust in them.
9   O Israel, trust in the LORD; he is their help and their shield.
10   O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD; he is their help and their shield.
11   You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD; he is their help and their shield.
12   The LORD has been mindful of us, and he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;
13   He will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great together.
14   May the LORD increase you more and more, you and your children after you.
15   May you be blessed by the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth.
16   The heaven of heavens is the LORD'S, but he entrusted the earth to its peoples.
17   The dead do not praise the LORD, nor all those who go down into silence;
18   But we will bless the LORD, from this time forth for evermore. Hallelujah!

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. The New Revised Standard Version Bible may be quoted and/or reprinted up to and inclusive of five hundred (500) verses without express written permission of the publisher, provided the verses quoted do not amount to a complete book of the Bible or account for fifty percent (50%) of the total work in which they are quoted.