Saturday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Exodus 11:1-10

Verse 1. Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will bring upon Pharaoh and Egypt one more plague. After that, he will allow you to leave this place. And when he lets you go, he will drive you out completely. Verse 2. Now announce to the people that men and women alike should ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” Verse 3. And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people. Verse 4. So Moses declared, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt, Verse 5. and every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the servant girl behind the hand mill, as well as the firstborn of all the cattle. Verse 6. Then a great cry will go out over all the land of Egypt. Such an outcry has never been heard before and will never be heard again. Verse 7. But among all the Israelites, not even a dog will snarl at man or beast.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Verse 8. And all these officials of yours will come and bow before me, saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will depart.” And hot with anger, Moses left Pharaoh’s presence. Verse 9. The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” Verse 10. Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.

PSALM

Psalm 149

Hallelujah! Sing to the LORD a new song — His praise in the assembly of the godly.

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.

Let them praise His name with dancing, and make music to Him with tambourine and harp.

For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He adorns the afflicted with salvation.

Let the saints exult in glory; let them shout for joy upon their beds.

May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a double-edged sword in their hands,

to inflict vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,

to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with shackles of iron,

to execute the judgment written against them. This honor is for all His saints. Hallelujah!

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Ezekiel 33:1-6

Verse 1. Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Verse 2. “Son of man, speak to your people and tell them: ‘Suppose I bring the sword against a land, and the people of that land choose a man from among them, appointing him as their watchman, Verse 3. and he sees the sword coming against that land and blows the ram’s horn to warn the people. Verse 4. Then if anyone hears the sound of the horn but fails to heed the warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. Verse 5. Since he heard the sound of the horn but failed to heed the warning, his blood will be on his own head. If he had heeded the warning, he would have saved his life. Verse 6. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and fails to blow the horn to warn the people, and the sword comes and takes away a life, then that one will be taken away in his iniquity, but I will hold the watchman accountable for his blood.’

PSALM

Psalm 119:33-40

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I will keep them to the end.

Give me understanding that I may obey Your law, and follow it with all my heart.

Direct me in the path of Your commandments, for there I find delight.

Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not to covetous gain.

Turn my eyes away from worthless things; revive me with Your word.

Establish Your word to Your servant, to produce reverence for You.

Turn away the disgrace I dread, for Your judgments are good.

How I long for Your precepts! Revive me in Your righteousness.

SECOND READING

Matthew 23:29-36

Verse 29. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous. Verse 30. And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ Verse 31. So you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the prophets. Verse 32. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your fathers. Verse 33. You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape the sentence of hell? Verse 34. Because of this, I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and others you will flog in your synagogues and persecute from town to town. Verse 35. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Verse 36. Truly I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation.