Wednesday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Nehemiah 9:1-8

Verse 1. On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads. Verse 2. Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. Verse 3. While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God. Verse 4. And the Levites — Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani — stood on the raised platform and cried out in a loud voice to the LORD their God. Verse 5. Then the Levites— Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah— said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. Verse 6. You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You. Verse 7. You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. Verse 8. You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites— to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.

PSALM

Psalm 126

A song of ascents. When the LORD restored the captives of Zion, we were like dreamers.

Then our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with shouts of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”

The LORD has done great things for us; we are filled with joy.

Restore our captives, O LORD, like streams in the Negev.

Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy.

He who goes out weeping, bearing a trail of seed, will surely return with shouts of joy, carrying sheaves of grain.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Proverbs 4:10-27

Verse 10. Listen, my son, and receive my words, and the years of your life will be many. Verse 11. I will guide you in the way of wisdom; I will lead you on straight paths. Verse 12. When you walk, your steps will not be impeded; when you run, you will not stumble. Verse 13. Hold on to instruction; do not let go. Guard it, for it is your life. Verse 14. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. Verse 15. Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by. Verse 16. For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall. Verse 17. For they eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. Verse 18. The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining brighter and brighter until midday. Verse 19. But the way of the wicked is like the darkest gloom; they do not know what makes them stumble. Verse 20. My son, pay attention to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Verse 21. Do not lose sight of them; keep them within your heart. Verse 22. For they are life to those who find them, and health to the whole body. Verse 23. Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life. Verse 24. Put away deception from your mouth; keep your lips from perverse speech. Verse 25. Let your eyes look forward; fix your gaze straight ahead. Verse 26. Make a level path for your feet, and all your ways will be sure. Verse 27. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.

PSALM

Psalm 105:1-11, 37-45

Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the nations.

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wonders.

Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

Seek out the LORD and His strength; seek His face always.

Remember the wonders He has done, His marvels, and the judgments He has pronounced,

O offspring of His servant Abraham, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones.

He is the LORD our God; His judgments carry throughout the earth.

He remembers His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations—

the covenant He made with Abraham, and the oath He swore to Isaac.

He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree, to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

“I will give you the land of Canaan as the portion of your inheritance.”

He brought Israel out with silver and gold, and none among His tribes stumbled.

Egypt was glad when they departed, for the dread of Israel had fallen on them.

He spread a cloud as a covering and a fire to light up the night.

They asked, and He brought quail and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

He opened a rock, and water gushed out; it flowed like a river in the desert.

For He remembered His holy promise to Abraham His servant.

He brought forth His people with rejoicing, His chosen with shouts of joy.

He gave them the lands of the nations, that they might inherit the fruit of others’ labor,

that they might keep His statutes and obey His laws. Hallelujah!

SECOND READING

Luke 6:12-19

Verse 12. In those days Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and He spent the night in prayer to God. Verse 13. When daylight came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also designated as apostles: Verse 14. Simon, whom He named Peter, and his brother Andrew; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Verse 15. Matthew and Thomas; James son of Alphaeus and Simon called the Zealot; Verse 16. Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. Verse 17. Then Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of His disciples was there, along with a great number of people from all over Judea, Jerusalem, and the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. Verse 18. They had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases, and those troubled by unclean spirits were healed. Verse 19. The entire crowd was trying to touch Him, because power was coming from Him and healing them all.