Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

1 Samuel 19:18-24

Verse 18. So David ran away and escaped. And he went to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. Then he and Samuel went to Naioth and stayed there. Verse 19. When Saul was told that David was at Naioth in Ramah, Verse 20. he sent messengers to seize him. But when they saw the group of prophets prophesying, with Samuel leading them, the Spirit of God came upon them, and Saul’s messengers also began to prophesy. Verse 21. When this was reported to Saul, he sent more messengers, but they began to prophesy as well. So Saul tried again and sent messengers a third time, and even they began to prophesy. Verse 22. Finally, Saul himself left for Ramah and came to the large cistern at Secu, where he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” “At Naioth in Ramah,” he was told. Verse 23. So Saul went to Naioth in Ramah. But the Spirit of God came upon even Saul, and he walked along prophesying until he came to Naioth in Ramah. Verse 24. Then Saul stripped off his robes and also prophesied before Samuel. And he collapsed and lay naked all that day and night. That is why it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

PSALM

Psalm 130

A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!

O Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.

If You, O LORD, kept track of iniquities, then who, O Lord, could stand?

But with You there is forgiveness, so that You may be feared.

I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.

My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning— more than watchmen wait for the morning.

O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is loving devotion, and with Him is redemption in abundance.

And He will redeem Israel from all iniquity.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Lamentations 1:16-22

Verse 16. For these things I weep; my eyes flow with tears. For there is no one nearby to comfort me, no one to revive my soul. My children are destitute because the enemy has prevailed. Verse 17. Zion stretches out her hands, but there is no one to comfort her. The LORD has decreed against Jacob that his neighbors become his foes. Jerusalem has become an unclean thing among them. Verse 18. The LORD is righteous, yet I rebelled against His command. Listen, all you people; look upon my suffering. My young men and maidens have gone into captivity. Verse 19. I called out to my lovers, but they have betrayed me. My priests and elders perished in the city while they searched for food to keep themselves alive. Verse 20. See, O LORD, how distressed I am! I am churning within; my heart is pounding within me, for I have been most rebellious. Outside, the sword bereaves; inside, there is death. Verse 21. People have heard my groaning, but there is no one to comfort me. All my enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that You have caused it. May You bring the day You have announced, so that they may become like me. Verse 22. Let all their wickedness come before You, and deal with them as You have dealt with me because of all my transgressions. For my groans are many, and my heart is faint.

PSALM

Psalm 30

A Psalm. A song for the dedication of the temple. Of David. I will exalt You, O LORD, for You have lifted me up and have not allowed my foes to rejoice over me.

O LORD my God, I cried to You for help, and You healed me.

O LORD, You pulled me up from Sheol; You spared me from descending into the Pit.

Sing to the LORD, O you His saints, and praise His holy name.

For His anger is fleeting, but His favor lasts a lifetime. Weeping may stay the night, but joy comes in the morning.

In prosperity I said, “I will never be shaken.”

O LORD, You favored me; You made my mountain stand strong. When You hid Your face, I was dismayed.

To You, O LORD, I called, and I begged my Lord for mercy:

“What gain is there in my bloodshed, in my descent to the Pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it proclaim Your faithfulness?

Hear me, O LORD, and have mercy; O LORD, be my helper.”

You turned my mourning into dancing; You peeled off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing Your praises and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks forever.

SECOND READING

2 Corinthians 7:2-16

Verse 2. Make room for us in your hearts. We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have exploited no one. Verse 3. I do not say this to condemn you. I have said before that you so occupy our hearts that we live and die together with you. Verse 4. Great is my confidence in you; great is my pride in you; I am filled with encouragement; in all our troubles my joy overflows. Verse 5. For when we arrived in Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were pressed from every direction — conflicts on the outside, fears within. Verse 6. But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the arrival of Titus, Verse 7. and not only by his arrival, but also by the comfort he had received from you. He told us about your longing, your mourning, and your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced all the more. Verse 8. Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Although I did regret it— for I see that my letter caused you sorrow, but only for a short time— Verse 9. yet now I rejoice, not because you were made sorrowful, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you felt the sorrow that God had intended, and so were not harmed in any way by us. Verse 10. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. Verse 11. Consider what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what vindication! In every way you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter. Verse 12. So even though I wrote to you, it was not on account of the one who did wrong or the one who was harmed, but rather that your earnestness on our behalf would be made clear to you in the sight of God. Verse 13. On account of this, we are encouraged. In addition to our own encouragement, we were even more delighted by the joy of Titus. For his spirit has been refreshed by all of you. Verse 14. Indeed, I was not embarrassed by anything I had boasted to him about you. But just as everything we said to you was true, so our boasting to Titus has proved to be true as well. Verse 15. And his affection for you is even greater when he remembers that you were all obedient as you welcomed him with fear and trembling. Verse 16. I rejoice that I can have complete confidence in you.