Wednesday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

2 Samuel 13:20-36

Verse 20. Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has your brother Amnon been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister. He is your brother. Do not take this thing to heart.” So Tamar lived as a desolate woman in the house of her brother Absalom. Verse 21. When King David heard all this, he was furious. Verse 22. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad, because he hated Amnon for violating his sister Tamar. Verse 23. Two years later, when Absalom’s sheepshearers were at Baal-hazor near Ephraim, he invited all the sons of the king. Verse 24. And he went to the king and said, “Your servant has just hired shearers. Will the king and his servants please come with me?” Verse 25. “No, my son,” the king replied, “we should not all go, or we would be a burden to you.” Although Absalom urged him, he was not willing to go, but gave him his blessing. Verse 26. “If not,” said Absalom, “please let my brother Amnon go with us.” “Why should he go with you?” the king asked. Verse 27. But Absalom urged him, so the king sent Amnon and the rest of his sons. Verse 28. Now Absalom had ordered his young men, “Watch Amnon until his heart is merry with wine, and when I order you to strike Amnon down, you are to kill him. Do not be afraid. Have I not commanded you? Be courageous and valiant!” Verse 29. So Absalom’s young men did to Amnon just as Absalom had ordered. Then all the other sons of the king got up, and each one fled on his mule. Verse 30. While they were on the way, a report reached David: “Absalom has struck down all the sons of the king; not one of them is left!” Verse 31. Then the king stood up, tore his clothes, and lay down on the ground. And all his servants stood by with their clothes torn. Verse 32. But Jonadab, the son of David’s brother Shimeah, spoke up: “My lord must not think they have killed all the sons of the king, for only Amnon is dead. In fact, Absalom has planned this since the day Amnon violated his sister Tamar. Verse 33. So now, my lord the king, do not take to heart the report that all the sons of the king are dead. Only Amnon is dead.” Verse 34. Meanwhile, Absalom had fled. When the young man standing watch looked up, he saw many people coming down the road west of him, along the side of the hill. And the watchman went and reported to the king, “I see men coming from the direction of Horonaim, along the side of the hill.” Verse 35. So Jonadab said to the king, “Look, the sons of the king have arrived! It is just as your servant said.” Verse 36. And as he finished speaking, the sons of the king came in, wailing loudly. Then the king and all his servants also wept very bitterly.

PSALM

Psalm 50:16-23

To the wicked, however, God says, “What right have you to recite My statutes and to bear My covenant on your lips?

For you hate My instruction and cast My words behind you.

When you see a thief, you befriend him, and throw in your lot with adulterers.

You unleash your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit.

You sit and malign your brother; you slander your own mother’s son.

You have done these things, and I kept silent; you thought I was just like you. But now I rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:

He who sacrifices a thank offering honors Me, and to him who rightly orders his way, I will show the salvation of God.”

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Isaiah 55:1-9

Verse 1. “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you without money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost! Verse 2. Why spend money on that which is not bread, and your labor on that which does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of foods. Verse 3. Incline your ear and come to Me; listen, so that your soul may live. I will make with you an everlasting covenant — My loving devotion promised to David. Verse 4. Behold, I have made him a witness to the nations, a leader and commander of the peoples. Verse 5. Surely you will summon a nation you do not know, and nations who do not know you will run to you. For the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, has bestowed glory on you.” Verse 6. Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Verse 7. Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that He may have compassion, and to our God, for He will freely pardon. Verse 8. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” Verse 9. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

PSALM

Psalm 107:1-3, 33-43

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.

Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy

and gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

He turns rivers into deserts, springs of water into thirsty ground,

and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.

He turns a desert into pools of water and a dry land into flowing springs.

He causes the hungry to settle there, that they may establish a city in which to dwell.

They sow fields and plant vineyards that yield a fruitful harvest.

He blesses them, and they multiply greatly; He does not let their herds diminish.

When they are decreased and humbled by oppression, evil, and sorrow,

He pours out contempt on the nobles and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.

But He lifts the needy from affliction and increases their families like flocks.

The upright see and rejoice, and all iniquity shuts its mouth.

Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.

SECOND READING

Mark 8:1-10

Verse 1. In those days the crowd once again became very large, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called the disciples to Him and said, Verse 2. “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. Verse 3. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.” Verse 4. His disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread to feed all these people?” Verse 5. “How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. Verse 6. And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd. Verse 7. They also had a few small fish, and Jesus blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well. Verse 8. The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. Verse 9. And about four thousand men were present. And when Jesus had dismissed the crowd, Verse 10. He immediately got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.