DAILY OFFICE

Daily scripture readings from the 1979 Book of Common Prayer

Wednesday, March 13

Today's readings include passages from Psalms, Genesis, 1 Corinthians and Mark.

Psalm 101

1 I will sing of steadfast love and justice;     to you, O Lord, I will make music. 2 I will ponder the way that is blameless.     Oh when will you come to me?     I will walk with integrity of heart     within my house; 3 I will not set before my eyes     anything that is worthless.     I hate the work of those who fall away;     it shall not cling to me. 4 A perverse heart shall be far from me;     I will know nothing of evil. 5 Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly     I will destroy.     Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart     I will not endure. 6 I will look with favor on the faithful in the land,     that they may dwell with me;     he who walks in the way that is blameless     shall minister to me. 7 No one who practices deceit     shall dwell in my house;     no one who utters lies     shall continue before my eyes. 8 Morning by morning I will destroy     all the wicked in the land,     cutting off all the evildoers     from the city of the Lord.

Psalm 109

1 Be not silent, O God of my praise! 2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me,     speaking against me with lying tongues. 3 They encircle me with words of hate,     and attack me without cause. 4 In return for my love they accuse me,     but I give myself to prayer. 5 So they reward me evil for good,     and hatred for my love. 6 Appoint a wicked man against him;     let an accuser stand at his right hand. 7 When he is tried, let him come forth guilty;     let his prayer be counted as sin! 8 May his days be few;     may another take his office! 9 May his children be fatherless     and his wife a widow! 10 May his children wander about and beg,     seeking food far from the ruins they inhabit! 11 May the creditor seize all that he has;     may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil! 12 Let there be none to extend kindness to him,     nor any to pity his fatherless children! 13 May his posterity be cut off;     may his name be blotted out in the second generation! 14 May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord,     and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out! 15 Let them be before the Lord continually,     that he may cut off the memory of them from the earth! 16 For he did not remember to show kindness,     but pursued the poor and needy     and the brokenhearted, to put them to death. 17 He loved to curse; let curses come upon him!     He did not delight in blessing; may it be far from him! 18 He clothed himself with cursing as his coat;     may it soak into his body like water,     like oil into his bones! 19 May it be like a garment that he wraps around him,     like a belt that he puts on every day! 20 May this be the reward of my accusers from the Lord,     of those who speak evil against my life! 21 But you, O God my Lord,     deal on my behalf for your name's sake;     because your steadfast love is good, deliver me! 22 For I am poor and needy,     and my heart is stricken within me. 23 I am gone like a shadow at evening;     I am shaken off like a locust. 24 My knees are weak through fasting;     my body has become gaunt, with no fat. 25 I am an object of scorn to my accusers;     when they see me, they wag their heads. 26 Help me, O Lord my God!     Save me according to your steadfast love! 27 Let them know that this is your hand;     you, O Lord, have done it! 28 Let them curse, but you will bless!     They arise and are put to shame, but your servant will be glad! 29 May my accusers be clothed with dishonor;     may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a cloak! 30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord;     I will praise him in the midst of the throng. 31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy one,     to save him from those who condemn his soul to death.

Psalm 119:121-144

121 I have done what is just and right;     do not leave me to my oppressors. 122 Give your servant a pledge of good;     let not the insolent oppress me. 123 My eyes long for your salvation     and for the fulfillment of your righteous promise. 124 Deal with your servant according to your steadfast love,     and teach me your statutes. 125 I am your servant; give me understanding,     that I may know your testimonies! 126 It is time for the Lord to act,     for your law has been broken. 127 Therefore I love your commandments     above gold, above fine gold. 128 Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right;     I hate every false way. 129 Your testimonies are wonderful;     therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light;     it imparts understanding to the simple. 131 I open my mouth and pant,     because I long for your commandments. 132 Turn to me and be gracious to me,     as is your way with those who love your name. 133 Keep steady my steps according to your promise,     and let no iniquity get dominion over me. 134 Redeem me from man's oppression,     that I may keep your precepts. 135 Make your face shine upon your servant,     and teach me your statutes. 136 My eyes shed streams of tears,     because people do not keep your law. 137 Righteous are you, O Lord,     and right are your rules. 138 You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness     and in all faithfulness. 139 My zeal consumes me,     because my foes forget your words. 140 Your promise is well tried,     and your servant loves it. 141 I am small and despised,     yet I do not forget your precepts. 142 Your righteousness is righteous forever,     and your law is true. 143 Trouble and anguish have found me out,     but your commandments are my delight. 144 Your testimonies are righteous forever;     give me understanding that I may live.

Genesis 50:15-26

15 When Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: 17 ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. 21 So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. 22 So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father's house. Joseph lived 110 years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph's own. 24 And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 25 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” 26 So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be uninformed.You know that when you were pagans you were led astray to mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking in the Spirit of God ever says “Jesus is accursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except in the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Mark 8:11-26

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. 14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?” 22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” 25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”

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