Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

2 Samuel 3:1-12

Verse 1. Now the war between the house of Saul and the house of David was protracted. And David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. Verse 2. And sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon, by Ahinoam of Jezreel; Verse 3. his second was Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel; his third was Absalom, the son of Maacah daughter of King Talmai of Geshur; Verse 4. his fourth was Adonijah, the son of Haggith; his fifth was Shephatiah, the son of Abital; Verse 5. and his sixth was Ithream, by David’s wife Eglah. These sons were born to David in Hebron. Verse 6. During the war between the house of Saul and the house of David, Abner had continued to strengthen his position in the house of Saul. Verse 7. Now Saul had a concubine named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. So Ish-bosheth questioned Abner, “Why did you sleep with my father’s concubine?” Verse 8. Abner was furious over Ish-bosheth’s accusation. “Am I the head of a dog that belongs to Judah?” he asked. “All this time I have been loyal to the house of your father Saul, to his brothers, and to his friends. I have not delivered you into the hand of David, but now you accuse me of wrongdoing with this woman! Verse 9. May God punish Abner, and ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the LORD has sworn to him: Verse 10. to transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and to establish the throne of David over Israel and Judah, from Dan to Beersheba.” Verse 11. And for fear of Abner, Ish-bosheth did not dare to say another word to him. Verse 12. Then Abner sent messengers on his behalf to say to David, “To whom does the land belong? Make your covenant with me, and surely my hand will be with you to bring all Israel over to you.”

PSALM

Psalm 48

A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, His holy mountain.

Beautiful in loftiness, the joy of all the earth, like the peaks of Zaphon is Mount Zion, the city of the great King.

God is in her citadels; He has shown Himself to be a fortress.

For behold, the kings assembled; they all advanced together.

They saw and were astounded; they fled in terror.

Trembling seized them there, anguish like a woman in labor.

With a wind from the east You wrecked the ships of Tarshish.

As we have heard, so we have seen in the city of the LORD of Hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish her forever.

Within Your temple, O God, we contemplate Your loving devotion.

Your name, O God, like Your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.

Mount Zion is glad, the daughters of Judah rejoice, on account of Your judgments.

March around Zion, encircle her, count her towers,

consider her ramparts, tour her citadels, that you may tell the next generation.

For this God is our God forever and ever; He will be our guide even till death.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Jeremiah 7:16-26

Verse 16. As for you, do not pray for these people, do not offer a plea or petition on their behalf, and do not beg Me, for I will not listen to you. Verse 17. Do you not see what they are doing in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? Verse 18. The sons gather wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the Queen of Heaven; they pour out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. Verse 19. But am I the One they are provoking? declares the LORD. Is it not themselves they spite, to their own shame? Verse 20. Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: Behold, My anger and My fury will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the produce of the land, and it will burn and not be extinguished. Verse 21. This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Add your burnt offerings to your other sacrifices and eat the meat yourselves! Verse 22. For when I brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt, I did not merely command them about burnt offerings and sacrifices, Verse 23. but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you. Verse 24. Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts. They went backward and not forward. Verse 25. From the day your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent you all My servants the prophets again and again. Verse 26. Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.

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.

SECOND READING

2 Corinthians 10:7-11

Verse 7. You are looking at outward appearances. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should remind himself that we belong to Christ just as much as he does. Verse 8. For even if I boast somewhat excessively about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than tearing you down, I will not be ashamed. Verse 9. I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you by my letters. Verse 10. For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but his physical presence is unimpressive, and his speaking is of no account.” Verse 11. Such people should consider that what we are in our letters when absent, we will be in our actions when present.