Readings

30th March 2003
Lent 4

Responsive Reading
Psalm 34: 1-18

By David; when he pretended to be insane before Abimelech, who drove him away, and he departed.^*

34:1 I will bless Yahweh at all times.: His praise will always be in my mouth.
34:2 My soul shall boast in Yahweh.: The humble shall hear of it, and be glad.
34:3 Oh magnify Yahweh with me.: Let us exalt his name together.
34:4 I sought Yahweh, and he answered me,: and delivered me from all my fears.
34:5 They looked to him, and were radiant.: Their faces shall never be covered with shame.
34:6 This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him,: and saved him out of all his troubles.
34:7 The angel of Yahweh encamps round about those who fear him,: and delivers them.
34:8 Oh taste and see that Yahweh is good.: Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.
34:9 Oh fear Yahweh, you his saints,: for there is no lack with those who fear him.
34:10 The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger,: but those who seek Yahweh shall not lack any good thing.

34:11 Come, you children, listen to me.: I will teach you the fear of Yahweh.
34:12 Who is someone who desires life,: and loves many days, that he may see good?
34:13 Keep your tongue from evil,: and your lips from speaking lies.
34:14 Depart from evil, and do good.: seek peace, and pursue it.
34:15 Yahweh's eyes are toward the righteous.: His ears listen to their cry.
34:16 Yahweh's face is against those who do evil,: to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
34:17 The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears,: and delivers them out of all their troubles.
34:18 Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart,: and saves those who have a crushed spirit.

* Psalm 34 is an acrostic poem, with each verse starting with a letter of the alphabet (ordered from Alef to Tav).

Jewish Scriptures
Numbers 21: 4-9

21:4 They traveled from Mount Hor by the way to the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom: and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. 21:5 The people spoke against God, and against Moses, Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, and there is no water; and our soul loathes this light bread. 21:6 Yahweh sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. 21:7 The people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, because we have spoken against Yahweh, and against you; pray to Yahweh, that he take away the serpents from us. Moses prayed for the people. 21:8 Yahweh said to Moses, Make you a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard: and it shall happen, that everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live. 21:9 Moses made a serpent of brass, and set it on the standard: and it happened, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he looked to the serpent of brass, he lived.

Epistle
Ephesians 2: 4-10

2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 2:5 even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 2:6 and raised us up with him, and made us to sit with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 2:7 that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus; 2:8 for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 2:9 not of works, that no one would boast. 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

Gospel
John 3: 14-21

3:14 "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 3:15 that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 3:17 For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. 3:18 He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. 3:19 This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. 3:20 For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. 3:21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God."

The Scripture quotations contained herein are from the World English Bible, which is public domain.

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Readings

30th March 2003 Lent 4

30th March 2003
Lent 4