Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

Daily Meditation
³² but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

Today’s Reading

The Gospel According To
ST. Luke
Chapter Twenty-two
Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover. ² And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill him; for they feared the people.

³ Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve. ⁴ And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. ⁵ And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. ⁶ And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

⁷ Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed. ⁸ And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat. ⁹ And they said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare? ¹⁰ And he said unto them, Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he entereth in. ¹¹ And ye shall say unto the goodman of the house, The Master saith unto thee, Where is the guestchamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? ¹² And he shall shew you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. ¹³ And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover.

¹⁴ And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. ¹⁵ And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer: ¹⁶ for I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God. ¹⁷ And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among yourselves: ¹⁸ for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the kingdom of God shall come.

¹⁹ And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. ²⁰ Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

²¹ But, behold, the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table. ²² And truly the Son of man goeth, as it was determined: but woe unto that man by whom he is betrayed! ²³ And they began to enquire among themselves, which of them it was that should do this thing.

²⁴ And there was also a strife among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest. ²⁵ And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. ²⁶ But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. ²⁷ For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth. ²⁸ Ye are they which have continued with me in my temptations. ²⁹ And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; ³⁰ that ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

³¹ And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: ³² but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. ³³ And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death. ³⁴ And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me.

³⁵ And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing. ³⁶ Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. ³⁷ For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end. ³⁸ And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.

³⁹ And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him. ⁴⁰ And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. ⁴¹ And he was withdrawn from them about a stone’s cast, and kneeled down, and prayed, ⁴² saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done. ⁴³ And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. ⁴⁴ And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground. ⁴⁵ And when he rose up from prayer, and was come to his disciples, he found them sleeping for sorrow, ⁴⁶ and said unto them, Why sleep ye? rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

⁴⁷ And while he yet spake, behold a multitude, and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them, and drew near unto Jesus to kiss him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus said unto him, Judas, betrayest thou the Son of man with a kiss? ⁴⁹ When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword? ⁵⁰ And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. ⁵¹ And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. ⁵² Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? ⁵³ When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

⁵⁴ Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. ⁵⁵ And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. ⁵⁶ But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. ⁵⁷ And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. ⁵⁸ And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. ⁵⁹ And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilæan. ⁶⁰ And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. ⁶² And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.

⁶³ And the men that held Jesus mocked him, and smote him. ⁶⁴ And when they had blindfolded him, they struck him on the face, and asked him, saying, Prophesy, who is it that smote thee? ⁶⁵ And many other things blasphemously spake they against him.

⁶⁶ And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led him into their council, saying, ⁶⁷ Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe: ⁶⁸ and if I also ask you, ye will not answer me, nor let me go. ⁶⁹ Hereafter shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God. ⁷⁰ Then said they all, Art thou then the Son of God? And he said unto them, Ye say that I am. ⁷¹ And they said, What need we any further witness? for we ourselves have heard of his own mouth.

The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

Daily Meditation
¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

Today’s Reading

The Gospel According To
ST. Matthew
Chapter Thirteen
The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side.

1 The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. ² And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. ³ And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; ⁴ and when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: ⁵ some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: ⁶ and when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: ⁸ but other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. ⁹ Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁰ And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? ¹¹ He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. ¹² For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. ¹³ Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. ¹⁴ And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: ¹⁵ for this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. ¹⁶ But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. ¹⁷ For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

¹⁸ Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. ¹⁹ When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. ²⁰ But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; ²¹ yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. ²² He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. ²³ But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

²⁴ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: ²⁵ but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. ²⁶ But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. ²⁷ So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares? ²⁸ He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? ²⁹ But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

³¹ Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: ³² which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.

³³ Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

³⁴ All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: ³⁵ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.

³⁶ Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field. ³⁷ He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; ³⁸ the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; ³⁹ the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. ⁴¹ The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; ⁴² and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

⁴⁴ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

⁴⁵ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: ⁴⁶ who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

⁴⁷ Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: ⁴⁸ which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. ⁴⁹ So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, ⁵⁰ and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

⁵¹ Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. ⁵² Then said he unto them, Therefore every scribe which is instructed unto the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old.

⁵³ And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence. ⁵⁴ And when he was come into his own country, he taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished, and said, Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works? ⁵⁵ Is not this the carpenter’s son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶ And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things? ⁵⁷ And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house. ⁵⁸ And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear;

Daily Meditation
² Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;

Today’s Reading

Isaiah
Chapter 54
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear;

1 Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear;
break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child:
for more are the children of the desolate
than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord.
² Enlarge the place of thy tent,
and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations:
spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes;
³ for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left;
and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles,
and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.
⁴ Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed:
neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame:
for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth,
and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.
⁵ For thy Maker is thine husband;
the Lord of hosts is his name;
and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel;
The God of the whole earth shall he be called.
⁶ For the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God.
⁷ For a small moment have I forsaken thee;
but with great mercies will I gather thee.
⁸ In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment;
but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee,
saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
⁹ For this is as the waters of Noah unto me:
for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth;
so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee.
¹⁰ For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed;
but my kindness shall not depart from thee,
neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,
saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.

¹¹ O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted,
behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours,
and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
¹² And I will make thy windows of agates,
and thy gates of carbuncles,
and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
¹³ And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord;
and great shall be the peace of thy children.
¹⁴ In righteousness shalt thou be established:
thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear:
and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.
¹⁵ Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by me:
whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.
¹⁶ Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire,
and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work;
and I have created the waster to destroy.
¹⁷ No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;
and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.

The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble;

Daily Meditation
1 The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

Today’s Reading

Psalm
Chapter 20
The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble;

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.

1 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble;

the name of the God of Jacob defend thee;

2 send thee help from the sanctuary,

and strengthen thee out of Zion;

3 remember all thy offerings,

and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.

4 Grant thee according to thine own heart,

and fulfil all thy counsel.

5 We will rejoice in thy salvation,

and in the name of our God we will set up our banners:

the Lord fulfil all thy petitions.

 

6 Now know I that the Lord saveth his anointed;

he will hear him from his holy heaven

with the saving strength of his right hand.

7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses:

but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

8 They are brought down and fallen:

but we are risen, and stand upright.

9 Save, Lord: let the king hear us when we call.

Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian…

Daily Meditation
⁹ For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

Today’s Reading

Nehemiah
Chapter 6
Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian…

1 Now it came to pass, when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had builded the wall, and that there was no breach left therein; (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates;) ² that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono. But they thought to do me mischief. ³ And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease, whilst I leave it, and come down to you? ⁴ Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner. ⁵ Then sent Sanballat his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand; ⁶ wherein was written, It is reported among the heathen, and Gashmu saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel: for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king, according to these words. ⁷ And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, There is a king in Judah: and now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together. ⁸ Then I sent unto him, saying, There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart. ⁹ For they all made us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done. Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

¹⁰ Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple: for they will come to slay thee; yea, in the night will they come to slay thee. ¹¹ And I said, Should such a man as I flee? and who is there, that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in. ¹² And, lo, I perceived that God had not sent him; but that he pronounced this prophecy against me: for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³ Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have matter for an evil report, that they might reproach me. ¹⁴ My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the prophets, that would have put me in fear.

¹⁵ So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty and two days. ¹⁶ And it came to pass, that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen that were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes: for they perceived that this work was wrought of our God.

¹⁷ Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them. ¹⁸ For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son in law of Shechaniah the son of Arah; and his son Johanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah. ¹⁹ Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

Daily Meditation
¹⁹ Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. 

Today’s Reading

Romans
Chapter 14
Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.

1 Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations. ² For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. ³ Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him. ⁴ Who art thou that judgest another man’s servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. ⁵ One man esteemeth one day above another: another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind. ⁶ He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not the day, to the Lord he doth not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not, and giveth God thanks. ⁷ For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. ⁸ For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s. ⁹ For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. ¹⁰ But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. ¹¹ For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. ¹² So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

¹³ Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother’s way. ¹⁴ I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean. ¹⁵ But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died. ¹⁶ Let not then your good be evil spoken of: ¹⁷ for the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. ¹⁸ For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.

¹⁹ Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another. ²⁰ For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence. ²¹ It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak. ²² Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. ²³ And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness:

Daily Meditation
5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

Today’s Reading

Psalm
Chapter 4
Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness:

To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm of David.

1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness:

thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress;

have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

2 O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame?

how long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.

3 But know that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself:

the Lord will hear when I call unto him.

4 Stand in awe, and sin not:

commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,

and put your trust in the Lord.

6 There be many that say, Who will shew us any good?

Lord, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

7 Thou hast put gladness in my heart,

more than in the time that their corn and their wine increased.

8 I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep:

for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

Daily Meditation
⁵ The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

Today’s Reading

Psalm
Chapter 121
I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

A Song of degrees.

¹ I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
² My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth.
³ He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
⁴ Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord is thy keeper:
the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
⁶ The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.
⁷ The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
⁸ The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.

At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn;

Daily Meditation
¹⁹ He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

Today’s Reading

The Gospel According To
St. Matthew
Chapter Twelve
At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn;

1 At that time Jesus went on the sabbath day through the corn; and his disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. ² But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto him, Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the sabbath day. ³ But he said unto them, Have ye not read what David did, when he was an hungred, and they that were with him; ⁴ how he entered into the house of God, and did eat the shewbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for them which were with him, but only for the priests? ⁵ Or have ye not read in the law, how that on the sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the sabbath, and are blameless? ⁶ But I say unto you, That in this place is one greater than the temple. ⁷ But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. ⁸ For the Son of man is Lord even of the sabbath day.

⁹ And when he was departed thence, he went into their synagogue: ¹⁰ and, behold, there was a man which had his hand withered. And they asked him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath days? that they might accuse him. ¹¹ And he said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the sabbath day, will he not lay hold on it, and lift it out? ¹² How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days. ¹³ Then saith he to the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it forth; and it was restored whole, like as the other.

¹⁴ Then the Pharisees went out, and held a council against him, how they might destroy him. ¹⁵ But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; ¹⁶ and charged them that they should not make him known: ¹⁷ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, ¹⁸ Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. ²⁰ A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. ²¹ And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.

²² Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. ²³ And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? ²⁴ But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils. ²⁵ And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: ²⁶ and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? ²⁷ And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. ²⁸ But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. ²⁹ Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. ³⁰ He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

³¹ Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men. ³² And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come. ³³ Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. ³⁴ O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. ³⁵ A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things. ³⁶ But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. ³⁷ For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

³⁸ Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee. ³⁹ But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas: ⁴⁰ for as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. ⁴¹ The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. ⁴² The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

⁴³ When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none. ⁴⁴ Then he saith, I will return into my house from whence I came out; and when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished. ⁴⁵ Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation.

⁴⁶ While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. ⁴⁷ Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. ⁴⁸ But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? ⁴⁹ And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! ⁵⁰ For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

Daily Meditation
¹⁹ And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety.

Today’s Reading

Leviticus
Chapter 25
And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying,

1 And the Lord spake unto Moses in mount Sinai, saying, ² Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the Lord. ³ Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the fruit thereof; ⁴ but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the Lord: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. ⁵ That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed: for it is a year of rest unto the land. ⁶ And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you; for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger that sojourneth with thee, ⁷ and for thy cattle, and for the beast that are in thy land, shall all the increase thereof be meat.

⁸ And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. ⁹ Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubile to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. ¹⁰ And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family. ¹¹ A jubile shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow, neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed. ¹² For it is the jubile; it shall be holy unto you: ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. ¹³ In the year of this jubile ye shall return every man unto his possession. ¹⁴ And if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour’s hand, ye shall not oppress one another: ¹⁵ according to the number of years after the jubile thou shalt buy of thy neighbour, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee: ¹⁶ according to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it: for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee. ¹⁷ Ye shall not therefore oppress one another; but thou shalt fear thy God: for I am the Lord your God.

¹⁸ Wherefore ye shall do my statutes, and keep my judgments, and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety. ¹⁹ And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill, and dwell therein in safety. ²⁰ And if ye shall say, What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we shall not sow, nor gather in our increase: ²¹ then I will command my blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years. ²² And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.

²³ The land shall not be sold for ever: for the land is mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with me. ²⁴ And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.

²⁵ If thy brother be waxen poor, and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold. ²⁶ And if the man have none to redeem it, and himself be able to redeem it; ²⁷ then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it; that he may return unto his possession. ²⁸ But if he be not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the year of jubile: and in the jubile it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

²⁹ And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it. ³⁰ And if it be not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations: it shall not go out in the jubile. ³¹ But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile. ³² Notwithstanding the cities of the Levites, and the houses of the cities of their possession, may the Levites redeem at any time. ³³ And if a man purchase of the Levites, then the house that was sold, and the city of his possession, shall go out in the year of jubile: for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel. ³⁴ But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold; for it is their perpetual possession.

³⁵ And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee. ³⁶ Take thou no usury of him, or increase: but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee. ³⁷ Thou shalt not give him thy money upon usury, nor lend him thy victuals for increase. ³⁸ I am the Lord your God, which brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan, and to be your God.

³⁹ And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: ⁴⁰ but as an hired servant, and as a sojourner, he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the year of jubile: ⁴¹ and then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. ⁴² For they are my servants, which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: they shall not be sold as bondmen. ⁴³ Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God. ⁴⁴ Both thy bondmen, and thy bondmaids, which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you; of them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids. ⁴⁵ Moreover of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land: and they shall be your possession. ⁴⁶ And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession; they shall be your bondmen for ever: but over your brethren the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigour.

⁴⁷ And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother that dwelleth by him wax poor, and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger’s family: ⁴⁸ after that he is sold he may be redeemed again; one of his brethren may redeem him: ⁴⁹ either his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he be able, he may redeem himself. ⁵⁰ And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the year of jubile: and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of an hired servant shall it be with him. ⁵¹ If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for. ⁵² And if there remain but few years unto the year of jubile, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption. ⁵³ And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him: and the other shall not rule with rigour over him in thy sight. ⁵⁴ And if he be not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the year of jubile, both he, and his children with him. ⁵⁵ For unto me the children of Israel are servants; they are my servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

Daily Meditation
¹¹ Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

Today’s Reading

Psalm
Chapter 22
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

To the chief Musician upon Aijeleth Shahar, A Psalm of David. ¹ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? ² O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. ³ But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. ⁴ Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. ⁵ They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. ⁶ But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. ⁷ All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, ⁸ He trusted on the Lord that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.

⁹ But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. ¹⁰ I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. ¹¹ Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. ¹² Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. ¹³ They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. ¹⁴ I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. ¹⁵ My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. ¹⁶ For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. ¹⁷ I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. ¹⁸ They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

¹⁹ But be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, haste thee to help me. ²⁰ Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. ²¹ Save me from the lion’s mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns.

²² I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee. ²³ Ye that fear the Lord, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel. ²⁴ For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard. ²⁵ My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him. ²⁶ The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the Lord that seek him: your heart shall live for ever. ²⁷ All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee. ²⁸ For the kingdom is the Lord’s: and he is the governor among the nations. ²⁹ All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul. ³⁰ A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. ³¹ They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse:

Daily Meditation
¹⁶ His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Today’s Reading

Song of Solomon
Chapter 5
I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse:

1 I am come into my garden, my sister, my spouse: I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk: eat, O friends; drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved.

² I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. ³ I have put off my coat; how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet; how shall I defile them? ⁴ My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him. ⁵ I rose up to open to my beloved; and my hands dropped with myrrh, and my fingers with sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock. ⁶ I opened to my beloved; but my beloved had withdrawn himself, and was gone: my soul failed when he spake: I sought him, but I could not find him; I called him, but he gave me no answer. ⁷ The watchmen that went about the city found me, they smote me, they wounded me; the keepers of the walls took away my veil from me. ⁸ I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I am sick of love.

⁹ What is thy beloved more than another beloved, O thou fairest among women? what is thy beloved more than another beloved, that thou dost so charge us?

¹⁰ My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefest among ten thousand. ¹¹ His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven. ¹² His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set. ¹³ His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh. ¹⁴ His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires. ¹⁵ His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars. ¹⁶ His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

Daily Meditation
⁹ Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

Today’s Reading

Proverbs
Chapter 27
Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

1 Boast not thyself of to morrow;
for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

² Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth;
a stranger, and not thine own lips.

³ A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty;
but a fool’s wrath is heavier than them both.

⁴ Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous;
but who is able to stand before envy?

⁵ Open rebuke is better than secret love.

⁶ Faithful are the wounds of a friend;
but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

⁷ The full soul loatheth an honeycomb;
but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸ As a bird that wandereth from her nest,
so is a man that wandereth from his place.

⁹ Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart:
so doth the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.

¹⁰ Thine own friend, and thy father’s friend, forsake not;
neither go into thy brother’s house in the day of thy calamity:
for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.

¹¹ My son, be wise, and make my heart glad,
that I may answer him that reproacheth me.

¹² A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself;
but the simple pass on, and are punished.

¹³ Take his garment that is surety for a stranger,
and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

¹⁴ He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning,
it shall be counted a curse to him.

¹⁵ A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike. ¹⁶ Whosoever hideth her hideth the wind, and the ointment of his right hand, which bewrayeth itself.

¹⁷ Iron sharpeneth iron;
so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

¹⁸ Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof:
so he that waiteth on his master shall be honoured.

¹⁹ As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.

²⁰ Hell and destruction are never full;
so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

²¹ As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold;
so is a man to his praise.

²² Though thou shouldest bray a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle,
yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

²³ Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds. ²⁴ For riches are not for ever: and doth the crown endure to every generation? ²⁵ The hay appeareth, and the tender grass sheweth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered. ²⁶ The lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats are the price of the field. ²⁷ And thou shalt have goats’ milk enough for thy food, for the food of thy household, and for the maintenance for thy maidens.