Common Prayer - Readings From Today

The Psalter

Psalm 132

LORD, remember David,  and all his trouble:
How he sware unto the LORD,  and vowed a vow unto the Almighty God of Jacob:
I will not come within the tabernacle of mine house,  nor climb up into my bed;
I will not suffer mine eyes to sleep, nor mine eyelids to slumber;  neither the temples of my head to take any rest;
Until I find out a place for the temple of the LORD;  an habitation for the Mighty God of Jacob.
Lo, we heard of the same at Ephratah,  and found it in the wood.
We will go into his tabernacle,  and fall low on our knees before his footstool.
Arise, O LORD, into thy resting-place;  thou, and the ark of thy strength.
Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and let thy saints sing with joyfulness.
For thy servant David's sake,  turn not away the face of thine anointed.
The LORD hath made a faithful oath unto David,  and he shall not shrink from it:
Of the fruit of thy body shall I set upon thy throne.
If thy children will keep my covenant, and my testimonies that I shall teach them;  their children also shall sit upon thy throne for evermore.
For the LORD hath chosen Sion to be an habitation for himself;  he hath longed for her.
This shall be my rest for ever:  here will I dwell, for I have a delight therein.
I will bless her victuals with increase,  and will satisfy her poor with bread.
I will deck her priests with health,  and her saints shall rejoice and sing.
There shall I make the horn of David to flourish:  I have ordained a lantern for mine anointed.
As for his enemies, I shall clothe them with shame;  but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

The First Lesson

Numbers 13:17-26, 30-33

And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain: And see the land, what it is; and the people that dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many; And what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad; and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents, or in strong holds; And what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein, or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of the firstripe grapes. So they went up, and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath. And they ascended by the south, and came unto Hebron; where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs. The place was called the brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence. And they returned from searching of the land after forty days. And they went and came to Moses, and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh; and brought back word unto them, and unto all the congregation, and shewed them the fruit of the land. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

The Second Lesson

Hebrews 13:1-8

Let brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge. Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me. Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

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