Friday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Judges 2:16-23

Verse 16. Then the LORD raised up judges, who saved them from the hands of those who plundered them. Verse 17. Israel, however, did not listen to their judges. Instead, they prostituted themselves with other gods and bowed down to them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commandments; they did not do as their fathers had done. Verse 18. Whenever the LORD raised up a judge for the Israelites, He was with that judge and saved them from the hands of their enemies while the judge was still alive; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning under those who oppressed them and afflicted them. Verse 19. But when the judge died, the Israelites became even more corrupt than their fathers, going after other gods to serve them and bow down to them. They would not give up their evil practices and stubborn ways. Verse 20. So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice, Verse 21. I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. Verse 22. In this way I will test whether Israel will keep the way of the LORD by walking in it as their fathers did.” Verse 23. That is why the LORD had left those nations in place and had not driven them out immediately by delivering them into the hand of Joshua.

PSALM

Psalm 123

A song of ascents. I lift up my eyes to You, the One enthroned in heaven.

As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes are on the LORD our God until He shows us mercy.

Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy, for we have endured much contempt.

We have endured much scorn from the arrogant, much contempt from the proud.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Ezekiel 7:1-9

Verse 1. And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, Verse 2. “O son of man, this is what the Lord GOD says to the land of Israel: ‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. Verse 3. The end is now upon you, and I will unleash My anger against you. I will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your abominations. Verse 4. I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ Verse 5. This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Disaster! An unprecedented disaster — behold, it is coming! Verse 6. The end has come! The end has come! It has roused itself against you. Behold, it has come! Verse 7. Doom has come to you, O inhabitants of the land. The time has come; the day is near; there is panic on the mountains instead of shouts of joy. Verse 8. Very soon I will pour out My wrath upon you and vent My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and repay you for all your abominations. Verse 9. I will not look on you with pity, nor will I spare you, but I will punish you for your ways and for the abominations among you. Then you will know that it is I, the LORD, who strikes the blow.

PSALM

Psalm 90:1-8, 12

A prayer of Moses the man of God. Lord, You have been our dwelling place through all generations.

Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God.

You return man to dust, saying, “Return, O sons of mortals.”

For in Your sight a thousand years are but a day that passes, or a watch of the night.

You sweep them away in their sleep; they are like the new grass of the morning—

in the morning it springs up new, but by evening it fades and withers.

For we are consumed by Your anger and terrified by Your wrath.

You have set our iniquities before You, our secret sins in the light of Your presence.

So teach us to number our days, that we may present a heart of wisdom.

SECOND READING

Revelation 16:8-21

Verse 8. Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was given power to scorch the people with fire. Verse 9. And the people were scorched by intense heat, and they cursed the name of God, who had authority over these plagues. Yet they did not repent and give Him glory. Verse 10. And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness, and men began to gnaw their tongues in anguish Verse 11. and curse the God of heaven for their pains and sores. Yet they did not repent of their deeds. Verse 12. And the sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings of the East. Verse 13. And I saw three unclean spirits that looked like frogs coming out of the mouths of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. Verse 14. These are demonic spirits that perform signs and go out to all the kings of the earth, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. Verse 15. “Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who remains awake and clothed, so that he will not go naked and let his shame be exposed.” Verse 16. And they assembled the kings in the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Verse 17. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came from the throne in the temple, saying, “It is done!” Verse 18. And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake the likes of which had not occurred since men were upon the earth — so mighty was the great quake. Verse 19. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. And God remembered Babylon the great and gave her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. Verse 20. Then every island fled, and no mountain could be found. Verse 21. And great hailstones weighing almost a hundred pounds each rained down on them from above. And men cursed God for the plague of hail, because it was so horrendous.