Wednesday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Exodus 2:15b-22

Verse 15. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well. Verse 16. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. Verse 17. And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock. Verse 18. When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?” Verse 19. “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.” Verse 20. “So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.” Verse 21. Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. Verse 22. And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

PSALM

Psalm 8

For the choirmaster. According to Gittith. A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens.

From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise on account of Your adversaries, to silence the enemy and avenger.

When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place —

what is man that You are mindful of him, or the son of man that You care for him?

You made him a little lower than the angels; You crowned him with glory and honor.

You made him ruler of the works of Your hands; You have placed everything under his feet:

all sheep and oxen, and even the beasts of the field,

the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Isaiah 28:14-22

Verse 14. Therefore hear the word of the LORD, O scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. Verse 15. For you said, “We have made a covenant with death; we have fashioned an agreement with Sheol. When the overwhelming scourge passes through it will not touch us, because we have made lies our refuge and falsehood our hiding place.” Verse 16. So this is what the Lord GOD says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; the one who believes will never be shaken. Verse 17. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place. Verse 18. Your covenant with death will be dissolved, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge passes through, you will be trampled by it. Verse 19. As often as it passes through, it will carry you away; it will sweep through morning after morning, by day and by night.” The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror. Verse 20. Indeed, the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket too small to wrap around you. Verse 21. For the LORD will rise up as at Mount Perazim. He will rouse Himself as in the Valley of Gibeon, to do His work, His strange work, and to perform His task, His disturbing task. Verse 22. So now, do not mock, or your shackles will become heavier. Indeed, I have heard from the Lord GOD of Hosts a decree of destruction against the whole land.

PSALM

Psalm 18:1-3, 20-32

For the choirmaster. Of David the servant of the LORD, who sang this song to the LORD on the day the LORD had delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: I love You, O LORD, my strength.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands.

For I have kept the ways of the LORD and have not wickedly departed from my God.

For all His ordinances are before me; I have not disregarded His statutes.

And I have been blameless before Him and kept myself from iniquity.

So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His sight.

To the faithful You show Yourself faithful, to the blameless You show Yourself blameless;

to the pure You show Yourself pure, but to the crooked You show Yourself shrewd.

For You save an afflicted people, but You humble those with haughty eyes.

For You, O LORD, light my lamp; my God lights up my darkness.

For in You I can charge an army, and with my God I can scale a wall.

As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.

For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God?

It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way clear.

SECOND READING

Matthew 26:6-13

Verse 6. While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, Verse 7. a woman came to Him with an alabaster jar of expensive perfume, which she poured on His head as He reclined at the table. Verse 8. When the disciples saw this, they were indignant and asked, “Why this waste? Verse 9. This perfume could have been sold at a high price, and the money given to the poor.” Verse 10. Aware of this, Jesus asked, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful deed to Me. Verse 11. The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have Me. Verse 12. By pouring this perfume on Me, she has prepared My body for burial. Verse 13. Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached in all the world, what she has done will also be told in memory of her.”