Proper 13 (18) — Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:13a

Text not available in the Berean Standard Bible.

PSALM

Psalm 51:1-12

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. When Nathan the prophet came to him after his adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion, blot out my transgressions.

Wash me clean of my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You may be proved right when You speak and blameless when You judge.

Surely I was brought forth in iniquity; I was sinful when my mother conceived me.

Surely You desire truth in the inmost being; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.

Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from Your presence; take not Your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15

Verse 2. And there in the desert the whole congregation of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron. Verse 3. “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in the land of Egypt!” they said. “There we sat by pots of meat and ate our fill of bread, but you have brought us into this desert to starve this whole assembly to death!” Verse 4. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test whether or not they will follow My instructions. Verse 9. Then Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole congregation of Israel, ‘Come before the LORD, for He has heard your grumbling.’” Verse 10. And as Aaron was speaking to the whole congregation of Israel, they looked toward the desert, and there in a cloud the glory of the LORD appeared. Verse 11. Then the LORD said to Moses, Verse 12. “I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’” Verse 13. That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. Verse 14. When the layer of dew had evaporated, there were thin flakes on the desert floor, as fine as frost on the ground. Verse 15. When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat.

PSALM

Psalm 78:23-29

Yet He commanded the clouds above and opened the doors of the heavens.

He rained down manna for them to eat; He gave them grain from heaven.

Man ate the bread of angels; He sent them food in abundance.

He stirred the east wind from the heavens and drove the south wind by His might.

He rained meat on them like dust, and winged birds like the sand of the sea.

He felled them in the midst of their camp, all around their dwellings.

So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them what they craved.

SECOND READING

Ephesians 4:1-16

Verse 1. As a prisoner in the Lord, then, I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling you have received: Verse 2. with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, Verse 3. and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Verse 4. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; Verse 5. one Lord, one faith, one baptism; Verse 6. one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. Verse 7. Now to each one of us grace has been given according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Verse 8. This is why it says: “When He ascended on high, He led captives away, and gave gifts to men.” Verse 9. What does “He ascended” mean, except that He also descended to the lower parts of the earth? Verse 10. He who descended is the very One who ascended above all the heavens, in order to fill all things. Verse 11. And it was He who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, Verse 12. to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ, Verse 13. until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ. Verse 14. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed about by the waves and carried around by every wind of teaching and by the clever cunning of men in their deceitful scheming. Verse 15. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Christ Himself, who is the head. Verse 16. From Him the whole body, fitted and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love through the work of each individual part.

GOSPEL

John 6:24-35

Verse 24. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor His disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum to look for Him. Verse 25. When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” Verse 26. Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Verse 27. Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.” Verse 28. Then they inquired, “What must we do to perform the works of God?” Verse 29. Jesus replied, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” Verse 30. So they asked Him, “What sign then will You perform, so that we may see it and believe You? What will You do? Verse 31. Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” Verse 32. Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. Verse 33. For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” Verse 34. “Sir,” they said, “give us this bread at all times.” Verse 35. Jesus answered, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to Me will never hunger, and whoever believes in Me will never thirst.