Wednesday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Jeremiah 3:15-25

Verse 15. Then I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.” Verse 16. “In those days, when you multiply and increase in the land,” declares the LORD, “they will no longer discuss the ark of the covenant of the LORD. It will never come to mind, and no one will remember it or miss it, nor will another one be made. Verse 17. At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all the nations will be gathered in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. They will no longer follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts. Verse 18. In those days the house of Judah will walk with the house of Israel, and they will come together from the land of the north to the land that I gave to your fathers as an inheritance. Verse 19. Then I said, ‘How I long to make you My sons and give you a desirable land, the most beautiful inheritance of all the nations!’ I thought you would call Me ‘Father’ and never turn away from following Me. Verse 20. But as a woman may betray her husband, so you have betrayed Me, O house of Israel,” Verse 21. A voice is heard on the barren heights, the children of Israel weeping and begging for mercy, because they have perverted their ways and forgotten the LORD their God. Verse 22. “Return, O faithless children, and I will heal your faithlessness.” “Here we are. We come to You, for You are the LORD our God. Verse 23. Surely deception comes from the hills, and commotion from the mountains. Surely the salvation of Israel is in the LORD our God. Verse 24. From our youth, that shameful god has consumed what our fathers have worked for— their flocks and herds, their sons and daughters. Verse 25. Let us lie down in our shame; let our disgrace cover us. We have sinned against the LORD our God, both we and our fathers; from our youth even to this day we have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God.”

PSALM

Psalm 58

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “Do Not Destroy.” A Miktam of David. Do you indeed speak justly, O rulers? Do you judge uprightly, O sons of men?

No, in your hearts you devise injustice; with your hands you mete out violence on the earth.

The wicked are estranged from the womb; the liars go astray from birth.

Their venom is like the venom of a snake, like a cobra that shuts its ears,

refusing to hear the tune of the charmer who skillfully weaves his spell.

O God, shatter their teeth in their mouths; O LORD, tear out the fangs of the lions.

May they vanish like water that runs off; when they draw the bow, may their arrows be blunted.

Like a slug that dissolves in its slime, like a woman’s stillborn child, may they never see the sun.

Before your pots can feel the burning thorns— whether green or dry— He will sweep them away.

The righteous will rejoice when they see they are avenged; they will wash their feet in the blood of the wicked.

Then men will say, “There is surely a reward for the righteous! There is surely a God who judges the earth!”

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Isaiah 57:14-21

Verse 14. And it will be said, “Build it up, build it up, prepare the way, take every obstacle out of the way of My people.” Verse 15. For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite. Verse 16. For I will not accuse you forever, nor will I always be angry; for then the spirit of man would grow weak before Me— the breath of life I have made. Verse 17. I was enraged by his sinful greed, so I struck him and hid My face in anger; yet he kept turning back to the desires of his heart. Verse 18. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him and his mourners, Verse 19. bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to those far and near,” says the LORD, “and I will heal them.” Verse 20. But the wicked are like the storm-tossed sea, for it cannot be still, and its waves churn up mire and muck. Verse 21. “There is no peace,” says my God, “for the wicked.”

PSALM

Psalm 119:65-72

You are good to Your servant, O LORD, according to Your word.

Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe in Your commandments.

Before I was afflicted, I went astray; but now I keep Your word.

You are good, and You do what is good; teach me Your statutes.

Though the arrogant have smeared me with lies, I keep Your precepts with all my heart.

Their hearts are callous and insensitive, but I delight in Your law.

It was good for me to be afflicted, that I might learn Your statutes.

The law from Your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of gold and silver.

SECOND READING

Luke 14:15-24

Verse 15. When one of those reclining with Him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is everyone who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Verse 16. But Jesus replied, “A certain man prepared a great banquet and invited many guests. Verse 17. When it was time for the banquet, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ Verse 18. But one after another they all began to make excuses. The first one said, ‘I have bought a field, and I need to go see it. Please excuse me.’ Verse 19. Another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out. Please excuse me.’ Verse 20. Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, so I cannot come.’ Verse 21. The servant returned and reported all this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.’ Verse 22. ‘Sir,’ the servant replied, ‘what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.’ Verse 23. So the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full. Verse 24. For I tell you, not one of those men who were invited will taste my banquet.’”