DAILY OFFICE

Daily scripture readings from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer

Saturday, September 24

Today's readings include passages from Psalms, Hosea, Acts and Luke.

Psalm 87

1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded; 2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion     more than all the dwelling places of Jacob. 3 Glorious things of you are spoken,     O city of God. Selah 4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon;     behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Cush—     “This one was born there,” they say. 5 And of Zion it shall be said,     “This one and that one were born in her”;     for the Most High himself will establish her. 6 The Lord records as he registers the peoples,     “This one was born there.” Selah 7 Singers and dancers alike say,     “All my springs are in you.”

 

Psalm 90

1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place     in all generations. 2 Before the mountains were brought forth,     or ever you had formed the earth and the world,     from everlasting to everlasting you are God. 3 You return man to dust     and say, “Return, O children of man!” 4 For a thousand years in your sight     are but as yesterday when it is past,     or as a watch in the night. 5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,     like grass that is renewed in the morning: 6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;     in the evening it fades and withers. 7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;     by your wrath we are dismayed. 8 You have set our iniquities before you,     our secret sins in the light of your presence. 9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;     we bring our years to an end like a sigh. 10 The years of our life are seventy,     or even by reason of strength eighty;     yet their span is but toil and trouble;     they are soon gone, and we fly away. 11 Who considers the power of your anger,     and your wrath according to the fear of you? 12 So teach us to number our days     that we may get a heart of wisdom. 13 Return, O Lord! How long?     Have pity on your servants! 14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,     that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. 15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,     and for as many years as we have seen evil. 16 Let your work be shown to your servants,     and your glorious power to their children. 17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,     and establish the work of our hands upon us;     yes, establish the work of our hands!

 

Psalm 136

1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,     for his steadfast love endures forever. 2 Give thanks to the God of gods,     for his steadfast love endures forever. 3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 4 to him who alone does great wonders,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 5 to him who by understanding made the heavens,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 6 to him who spread out the earth above the waters,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 7 to him who made the great lights,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 8 the sun to rule over the day,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 11 and brought Israel out from among them,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 13 to him who divided the Red Sea in two,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 16 to him who led his people through the wilderness,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 17 to him who struck down great kings,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 18 and killed mighty kings,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 20 and Og, king of Bashan,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 21 and gave their land as a heritage,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 22 a heritage to Israel his servant,     for his steadfast love endures forever. 23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 24 and rescued us from our foes,     for his steadfast love endures forever; 25 he who gives food to all flesh,     for his steadfast love endures forever. 26 Give thanks to the God of heaven,     for his steadfast love endures forever.

 

Hosea 1:1-2:1

1 The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 2 When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, “Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord.” 3 So he went and took Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. 4 And the Lord said to him, “Call his name Jezreel, for in just a little while I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. 5 And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezebel.” 6 She conceived again and bore a daughter. And the Lord said to him, “Call her name No Mercy, for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel, to forgive them at all. 7 But I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and I will save them by the Lord their God. I will not save them by bow or by sword or by war or by horses or by horsemen.” 8 When she had weaned No Mercy, she conceived and bore a son. 9 And the Lordsaid, “Call his name Not My People, for you are not my people, and I am not your God.” 10  Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. And in the place where it was said to them, “You are not my people,” it shall be said to them, “Children of the living God.” 11 And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint for themselves one head. And they shall go up from the land, for great shall be the day of Jezebel. 2:1  Say to your brothers, “You are my people,” and to your sisters, “You have received mercy.”

 

Acts 20:1-16

1 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3 There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days. 7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9 And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” 11 And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted. 13 But going ahead to the ship, we set sail for Assos, intending to take Paul aboard there, for so he had arranged, intending himself to go by land. 14 And when he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 And sailing from there we came the following day opposite Chios; the next day we touched at Samos; and the day after that we went to Miletus. 16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he might not have to spend time in Asia, for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.

 

Luke 4:38-44

38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. 42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

  English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.