Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Amos 5:10-17

Verse 10. There are those who hate the one who reproves in the gate and despise him who speaks with integrity. Verse 11. Therefore, because you trample on the poor and exact from him a tax of grain, you will never live in the stone houses you have built; you will never drink the wine from the lush vineyards you have planted. Verse 12. For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate. Verse 13. Therefore, the prudent keep silent in such times, for the days are evil. Verse 14. Seek good, not evil, so that you may live. And the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you have claimed. Verse 15. Hate evil and love good; establish justice in the gate. Perhaps the LORD, the God of Hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.” Verse 16. Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Hosts, the Lord, says: “There will be wailing in all the public squares and cries of ‘Alas! Alas!’ in all the streets. The farmer will be summoned to mourn, and the mourners to wail. Verse 17. There will be wailing in all the vineyards, for I will pass through your midst,”

PSALM

Psalm 52

For the choirmaster. A Maskil of David. After Doeg the Edomite went to Saul and told him, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The loving devotion of God endures all day long.

Your tongue devises destruction like a sharpened razor, O worker of deceit.

You love evil more than good, falsehood more than speaking truth.

You love every word that devours, O deceitful tongue.

Surely God will bring you down to everlasting ruin; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent; He will uproot you from the land of the living.

The righteous will see and fear; they will mock the evildoer, saying,

“Look at the man who did not make God his refuge, but trusted in the abundance of his wealth and strengthened himself by destruction.”

But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God; I trust in the loving devotion of God forever and ever.

I will praise You forever, because You have done it. I will wait on Your name — for it is good — in the presence of Your saints.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Genesis 12:10-20

Verse 10. Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe. Verse 11. As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “Look, I know that you are a beautiful woman, Verse 12. and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live. Verse 13. Please say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake, and on account of you my life will be spared.” Verse 14. So when Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful. Verse 15. When Pharaoh’s officials saw Sarai, they commended her to him, and she was taken into the palace of Pharaoh. Verse 16. He treated Abram well on her account, and Abram acquired sheep and cattle, male and female donkeys, menservants and maidservants, and camels. Verse 17. The LORD, however, afflicted Pharaoh and his household with severe plagues because of Abram’s wife Sarai. Verse 18. So Pharaoh summoned Abram and asked, “What have you done to me? Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Verse 19. Why did you say, ‘She is my sister,’ so that I took her as my wife? Now then, here is your wife. Take her and go!” Verse 20. Then Pharaoh gave his men orders concerning Abram, and they sent him away with his wife and all his possessions.

PSALM

Psalm 15

A Psalm of David. O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy mountain?

He who walks with integrity and practices righteousness, who speaks the truth from his heart,

who has no slander on his tongue, who does no harm to his neighbor, who casts no scorn on his friend,

who despises the vile but honors those who fear the LORD, who does not revise a costly oath,

who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

SECOND READING

Hebrews 5:1-6

Verse 1. Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. Verse 2. He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and misguided, since he himself is subject to weakness. Verse 3. That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. Verse 4. No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. Verse 5. So also Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the One who said to Him: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” Verse 6. And in another passage God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.”