Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

2 Samuel 6:6-12a

Verse 6. When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen had stumbled. Verse 7. And the anger of the LORD burned against Uzzah, and God struck him down on the spot for his irreverence, and he died there beside the ark of God. Verse 8. Then David became angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah. So he named that place Perez-uzzah, as it is called to this day. Verse 9. That day David feared the LORD and asked, “How can the ark of the LORD ever come to me?” Verse 10. So he was unwilling to move the ark of the LORD to the City of David; instead, he took it aside to the house of Obed-edom the Gittite. Verse 11. Thus the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed him and all his household. Verse 12. Now it was reported to King David, “The LORD has blessed the house of Obed-edom and all that belongs to him, because of the ark of God.” So David went and had the ark of God brought up from the house of Obed-edom into the City of David with rejoicing.

PSALM

Psalm 68:24-35

They have seen Your procession, O God — the march of my God and King into the sanctuary.

The singers lead the way, the musicians follow after, among the maidens playing tambourines.

Bless God in the great congregation; bless the LORD from the fountain of Israel.

There is Benjamin, the youngest, ruling them, the princes of Judah in their company, the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali.

Summon Your power, O God; show Your strength, O God, which You have exerted on our behalf.

Because of Your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring You gifts.

Rebuke the beast in the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations, until it submits, bringing bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war.

Envoys will arrive from Egypt; Cush will stretch out her hands to God.

Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord—

to Him who rides upon the highest heavens of old; behold, His mighty voice resounds.

Ascribe the power to God, whose majesty is over Israel, whose strength is in the skies.

O God, You are awesome in Your sanctuary; the God of Israel Himself gives strength and power to His people. Blessed be God!

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Amos 5:1-9

Verse 1. Hear this word, O house of Israel, this lamentation I take up against you: Verse 2. “Fallen is Virgin Israel, never to rise again. She lies abandoned on her land, with no one to raise her up.” Verse 3. This is what the Lord GOD says: “The city that marches out a thousand strong will have but a hundred left, and the one that marches out a hundred strong will have but ten left in the house of Israel.” Verse 4. For this is what the LORD says to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live! Verse 5. Do not seek Bethel or go to Gilgal; do not journey to Beersheba, for Gilgal will surely go into exile, and Bethel will come to nothing. Verse 6. Seek the LORD and live, or He will sweep like fire through the house of Joseph; it will devour everything, with no one at Bethel to extinguish it. Verse 7. There are those who turn justice into wormwood and cast righteousness to the ground. Verse 8. He who made the Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night, who summons the waters of the sea and pours them over the face of the earth — the LORD is His name — Verse 9. He flashes destruction on the strong, so that fury comes upon the stronghold.

PSALM

Psalm 142

A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer. I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy.

I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble to Him.

Although my spirit grows faint within me, You know my way. Along the path I travel they have hidden a snare for me.

Look to my right and see; no one attends to me. There is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.

I cry to You, O LORD: “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

Listen to my cry, for I am brought quite low. Rescue me from my pursuers, for they are too strong for me.

Free my soul from prison, that I may praise Your name. The righteous will gather around me because of Your goodness to me.

SECOND READING

Acts 21:27-39

Verse 27. When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, Verse 28. crying out, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and against our law and against this place. Furthermore, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” Verse 29. For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple. Verse 30. The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut. Verse 31. While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman regiment received a report that all Jerusalem was in turmoil. Verse 32. Immediately he took some soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When the people saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. Verse 33. The commander came up and arrested Paul, ordering that he be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. Verse 34. Some in the crowd were shouting one thing, and some another. And since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be brought into the barracks. Verse 35. When Paul reached the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob. Verse 36. For the crowd that followed him kept shouting, “Away with him!” Verse 37. As they were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. Verse 38. “Aren’t you the Egyptian who incited a rebellion some time ago and led four thousand members of the Assassins into the wilderness?” Verse 39. But Paul answered, “I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Now I beg you to allow me to speak to the people.”