Thursday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

1 Samuel 16:14-23

Verse 14. Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him. Verse 15. Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you. Verse 16. Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.” Verse 17. And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.” Verse 18. One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.” Verse 19. So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” Verse 20. And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat and sent them to Saul with his son David. Verse 21. When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul loved him very much, and David became his armor-bearer. Verse 22. Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” Verse 23. And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play. Then Saul would find relief and feel better, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.

PSALM

Psalm 9:9-20

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.

Those who know Your name trust in You, for You, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek You.

Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; proclaim His deeds among the nations.

For the Avenger of bloodshed remembers; He does not ignore the cry of the afflicted.

Be merciful to me, O LORD; see how my enemies afflict me! Lift me up from the gates of death,

that I may declare all Your praises — that within the gates of Daughter Zion I may rejoice in Your salvation.

The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.

The wicked will return to Sheol— all the nations who forget God.

For the needy will not always be forgotten; nor the hope of the oppressed forever dashed.

Rise up, O LORD, do not let man prevail; let the nations be judged in Your presence.

Lay terror upon them, O LORD; let the nations know they are but men.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Job 29:1-20

Verse 1. And Job continued his discourse: Verse 2. “How I long for the months gone by, for the days when God watched over me, Verse 3. when His lamp shone above my head, and by His light I walked through the darkness, Verse 4. when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent, Verse 5. when the Almighty was still with me and my children were around me, Verse 6. when my steps were bathed in cream and the rock poured out for me streams of oil! Verse 7. When I went out to the city gate and took my seat in the public square, Verse 8. the young men saw me and withdrew, and the old men rose to their feet. Verse 9. The princes refrained from speaking and covered their mouths with their hands. Verse 10. The voices of the nobles were hushed, and their tongues stuck to the roofs of their mouths. Verse 11. For those who heard me called me blessed, and those who saw me commended me, Verse 12. because I rescued the poor who cried out and the fatherless who had no helper. Verse 13. The dying man blessed me, and I made the widow’s heart sing for joy. Verse 14. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; justice was my robe and my turban. Verse 15. I served as eyes to the blind and as feet to the lame. Verse 16. I was a father to the needy, and I took up the case of the stranger. Verse 17. I shattered the fangs of the unjust and snatched the prey from his teeth. Verse 18. So I thought: ‘I will die in my nest and multiply my days as the sand. Verse 19. My roots will spread out to the waters, and the dew will rest nightly on my branches. Verse 20. My glory is ever new within me, and my bow is renewed in my hand.’

PSALM

Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy

and gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

Others went out to sea in ships, conducting trade on the mighty waters.

They saw the works of the LORD, and His wonders in the deep.

For He spoke and raised a tempest that lifted the waves of the sea.

They mounted up to the heavens, then sunk to the depths; their courage melted in their anguish.

They reeled and staggered like drunkards, and all their skill was useless.

Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and He brought them out of their distress.

He calmed the storm to a whisper, and the waves of the sea were hushed.

They rejoiced in the silence, and He guided them to the harbor they desired.

Let them give thanks to the LORD for His loving devotion and His wonders to the sons of men.

Let them exalt Him in the assembly of the people and praise Him in the council of the elders.

SECOND READING

Acts 20:1-16

Verse 1. When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples. And after encouraging them, he said goodbye to them and left for Macedonia. Verse 2. After traveling through that area and speaking many words of encouragement, he arrived in Greece, Verse 3. where he stayed three months. And when the Jews formed a plot against him as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. Verse 4. Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. Verse 5. These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas. Verse 6. And after the Feast of Unleavened Bread, we sailed from Philippi, and five days later we rejoined them in Troas, where we stayed seven days. Verse 7. On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Since Paul was ready to leave the next day, he talked to them and kept on speaking until midnight. Verse 8. Now there were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. Verse 9. And a certain young man named Eutychus, seated in the window, was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell from the third story and was picked up dead. Verse 10. But Paul went down, threw himself on the young man, and embraced him. “Do not be alarmed!” he said. “He is still alive!” Verse 11. Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. And after speaking until daybreak, he departed. Verse 12. And the people were greatly relieved to take the boy home alive. Verse 13. We went on ahead to the ship and sailed to Assos, where we were to take Paul aboard. He had arranged this because he was going there on foot. Verse 14. And when he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. Verse 15. Sailing on from there, we arrived the next day opposite Chios. The day after that we arrived at Samos, and on the following day we came to Miletus. Verse 16. Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, because he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.