Monday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

1 Samuel 18:6-30

Verse 6. As the troops were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs, and with tambourines and other instruments. Verse 7. And as the women danced, they sang out: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Verse 8. And Saul was furious and resented this song. “They have ascribed tens of thousands to David,” he said, “but only thousands to me. What more can he have but the kingdom?” Verse 9. And from that day forward Saul kept a jealous eye on David. Verse 10. The next day a spirit of distress sent from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied inside the house while David played the harp as usual. Now Saul was holding a spear, Verse 11. and he hurled it, thinking, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David eluded him twice. Verse 12. So Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. Verse 13. Therefore Saul sent David away and gave him command of a thousand men. David led the troops out to battle and back, Verse 14. and he continued to prosper in all his ways, because the LORD was with him. Verse 15. When Saul saw that David was very successful, he was afraid of him. Verse 16. But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he was leading them out to battle and back. Verse 17. Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab. I will give her to you in marriage. Only be valiant for me and fight the LORD’s battles.” But Saul was thinking, “I need not raise my hand against him; let the hand of the Philistines be against him.” Verse 18. And David said to Saul, “Who am I, and what is my family or my father’s clan in Israel, that I should become the son-in-law of the king?” Verse 19. So when it was time to give Saul’s daughter Merab to David, she was given in marriage to Adriel of Meholah. Verse 20. Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David, and when this was reported to Saul, it pleased him. Verse 21. “I will give her to David,” Saul thought, “so that she may be a snare to him, and the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” So Saul said to David, “For a second time now you can be my son-in-law.” Verse 22. Then Saul ordered his servants, “Speak to David privately and tell him, ‘Behold, the king is pleased with you, and all his servants love you. Now therefore, become his son-in-law.’” Verse 23. But when Saul’s servants relayed these words to David, he replied, “Does it seem trivial in your sight to be the son-in-law of the king? I am a poor man and lightly esteemed.” Verse 24. And the servants told Saul what David had said. Verse 25. Saul replied, “Say to David, ‘The king desires no other dowry but a hundred Philistine foreskins as revenge on his enemies.’” But Saul intended to cause David’s death at the hands of the Philistines. Verse 26. When the servants reported these terms to David, he was pleased to become the king’s son-in-law. Before the wedding day arrived, Verse 27. David and his men went out and killed two hundred Philistines. He brought their foreskins and presented them as payment in full to become the king’s son-in-law. Then Saul gave his daughter Michal to David in marriage. Verse 28. When Saul realized that the LORD was with David and that his daughter Michal loved David, Verse 29. he grew even more afraid of David. So from then on Saul was David’s enemy. Verse 30. Every time the Philistine commanders came out for battle, David was more successful than all of Saul’s officers, so that his name was highly esteemed.

PSALM

Psalm 119:113-128

The double-minded I despise, but Your law I love.

You are my hiding place and my shield; I put my hope in Your word.

Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may obey the commandments of my God.

Sustain me as You promised, that I may live; let me not be ashamed of my hope.

Uphold me, and I will be saved, that I may always regard Your statutes.

You reject all who stray from Your statutes, for their deceitfulness is in vain.

All the wicked on earth You discard like dross; therefore I love Your testimonies.

My flesh trembles in awe of You; I stand in fear of Your judgments.

I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors.

Ensure Your servant’s well-being; do not let the arrogant oppress me.

My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.

Deal with Your servant according to Your loving devotion, and teach me Your statutes.

I am Your servant; give me understanding, that I may know Your testimonies.

It is time for the LORD to act, for they have broken Your law.

Therefore I love Your commandments more than gold, even the purest gold.

Therefore I admire all Your precepts and hate every false way.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Exodus 7:14-24

Verse 14. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. Verse 15. Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. Verse 16. Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. Verse 17. This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood. Verse 18. The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’” Verse 19. And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt— over their rivers and canals and ponds and all the reservoirs— that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.” Verse 20. Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood. Verse 21. The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt. Verse 22. But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. Verse 23. Instead, Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and did not take any of this to heart. Verse 24. So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.

PSALM

Psalm 65

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A song. Praise awaits You, O God, in Zion; to You our vows will be fulfilled.

O You who listen to prayer, all people will come to You.

When iniquities prevail against me, You atone for our transgressions.

Blessed is the one You choose and bring near to dwell in Your courts! We are filled with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple.

With awesome deeds of righteousness You answer us, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.

You formed the mountains by Your power, having girded Yourself with might.

You stilled the roaring of the seas, the pounding of their waves, and the tumult of the nations.

Those who live far away fear Your wonders; You make the dawn and sunset shout for joy.

You attend to the earth and water it; with abundance You enrich it. The streams of God are full of water, for You prepare our grain by providing for the earth.

You soak its furrows and level its ridges; You soften it with showers and bless its growth.

You crown the year with Your bounty, and Your paths overflow with plenty.

The pastures of the wilderness overflow; the hills are robed with joy.

The pastures are clothed with flocks, and the valleys are decked with grain. They shout in triumph; indeed, they sing.

SECOND READING

Acts 27:13-38

Verse 13. When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had their opportunity. So they weighed anchor and sailed along, hugging the coast of Crete. Verse 14. But it was not long before a cyclone called the Northeaster swept down across the island. Verse 15. Unable to head into the wind, the ship was caught up. So we gave way and let ourselves be driven along. Verse 16. Passing to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we barely managed to secure the lifeboat. Verse 17. After hoisting it up, the crew used ropes to undergird the ship. And fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and were driven along. Verse 18. We were tossed so violently that the next day the men began to jettison the cargo. Verse 19. On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. Verse 20. When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the great storm continued to batter us, we abandoned all hope of being saved. Verse 21. After the men had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice not to sail from Crete. Then you would have averted this disaster and loss. Verse 22. But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because you will not experience any loss of life, but only of the ship. Verse 23. For just last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me Verse 24. and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And look, God has granted you the lives of all who sail with you.’ Verse 25. So take courage, men, for I believe God that it will happen just as He told me. Verse 26. However, we must run aground on some island.” Verse 27. On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea. About midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. Verse 28. They took soundings and found that the water was twenty fathoms deep. Going a little farther, they took another set of soundings that read fifteen fathoms. Verse 29. Fearing that we would run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daybreak. Verse 30. Meanwhile, the sailors attempted to escape from the ship. Pretending to lower anchors from the bow, they let the lifeboat down into the sea. Verse 31. But Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men remain with the ship, you cannot be saved.” Verse 32. So the soldiers cut the ropes to the lifeboat and set it adrift. Verse 33. Right up to daybreak, Paul kept urging them all to eat: “Today is your fourteenth day in constant suspense, without taking any food. Verse 34. So for your own preservation, I urge you to eat something, because not a single hair of your head will be lost.” Verse 35. After he had said this, Paul took bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. Verse 36. They were all encouraged and took some food themselves. Verse 37. In all, there were 276 of us on board. Verse 38. After the men had eaten their fill, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.