Daily Readings For February 9

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Daily Readings Sunday/Festival Readings

Daily Readings for Thursday, February 9, 2023


Morning Psalm 97

1   The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice;
          let the many coastlands be glad!
2   Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
          righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3   Fire goes before him,
          and consumes his adversaries on every side.
4   His lightnings light up the world;
          the earth sees and trembles.
5   The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
          before the Lord of all the earth.


6   The heavens proclaim his righteousness;
          and all the peoples behold his glory.
7   All worshipers of images are put to shame,
          those who make their boast in worthless idols;
          all gods bow down before him.
8   Zion hears and is glad,
          and the towns of Judah rejoice,
          because of your judgments, O God.
9   For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth;
          you are exalted far above all gods.


10  The LORD loves those who hate evil;
          he guards the lives of his faithful;
          he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11  Light dawns for the righteous,
          and joy for the upright in heart.
12  Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous,
          and give thanks to his holy name!

Morning Psalm 147:12-20

12  Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
          Praise your God, O Zion!
13  For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
          he blesses your children within you.
14  He grants peace within your borders;
          he fills you with the finest of wheat.
15  He sends out his command to the earth;
          his word runs swiftly.
16  He gives snow like wool;
          he scatters frost like ashes.
17  He hurls down hail like crumbs —
          who can stand before his cold?
18  He sends out his word, and melts them;
          he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19  He declares his word to Jacob,
          his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20  He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
          they do not know his ordinances.
     Praise the Lord!

First Reading Isaiah 60:1-22

1   Arise, shine; for your light has come,
          and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.
2   For darkness shall cover the earth,
          and thick darkness the peoples;
     but the LORD will arise upon you,
          and his glory will appear over you.
3   Nations shall come to your light,
          and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

4   Lift up your eyes and look around;
          they all gather together, they come to you;
     your sons shall come from far away,
          and your daughters shall be carried on their nurses’ arms.
5   Then you shall see and be radiant;
          your heart shall thrill and rejoice,
     because the abundance of the sea shall be brought to you,
          the wealth of the nations shall come to you.
6   A multitude of camels shall cover you,
          the young camels of Midian and Ephah;
          all those from Sheba shall come.
     They shall bring gold and frankincense,
          and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.
7   All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you,
          the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you;
     they shall be acceptable on my altar,
          and I will glorify my glorious house.

8   Who are these that fly like a cloud,
          and like doves to their windows?
9   For the coastlands shall wait for me,
          the ships of Tarshish first,
     to bring your children from far away,
          their silver and gold with them,
     for the name of the LORD your God,
          and for the Holy One of Israel,
          because he has glorified you.
10  Foreigners shall build up your walls,
          and their kings shall minister to you;
     for in my wrath I struck you down,
          but in my favor I have had mercy on you.
11  Your gates shall always be open;
          day and night they shall not be shut,
     so that nations shall bring you their wealth,
          with their kings led in procession.
12  For the nation and kingdom
          that will not serve you shall perish;
          those nations shall be utterly laid waste.
13  The glory of Lebanon shall come to you,
          the cypress, the plane, and the pine,
     to beautify the place of my sanctuary;
          and I will glorify where my feet rest.
14  The descendants of those who oppressed you
          shall come bending low to you,
     and all who despised you
          shall bow down at your feet;
     they shall call you the City of the LORD,
          the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
15  Whereas you have been forsaken and hated,
          with no one passing through,
     I will make you majestic forever,
          a joy from age to age.
16  You shall suck the milk of nations,
          you shall suck the breasts of kings;
     and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior
          and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

17  Instead of bronze I will bring gold,
          instead of iron I will bring silver;
     instead of wood, bronze,
          instead of stones, iron.
     I will appoint Peace as your overseer
          and Righteousness as your taskmaster.
18  Violence shall no more be heard in your land,
          devastation or destruction within your borders;
     you shall call your walls Salvation,
          and your gates Praise.

19  The sun shall no longer be
          your light by day,
     nor for brightness shall the moon
          give light to you by night;
     but the LORD will be your everlasting light,
          and your God will be your glory.
20  Your sun shall no more go down,
          or your moon withdraw itself;
     for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
          and your days of mourning shall be ended.
21  Your people shall all be righteous;
          they shall possess the land forever.
     They are the shoot that I planted, the work of my hands,
          so that I might be glorified.
22  The least of them shall become a clan,
          and the smallest one a mighty nation;
     I am the LORD;
          in its time I will accomplish it quickly.

Second Reading 2 Timothy 2:14-26

14Remind them of this, and warn them before God that they are to avoid wrangling over words, which does no good but only ruins those who are listening. 15Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved by him, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly explaining the word of truth. 16Avoid profane chatter, for it will lead people into more and more impiety, 17and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, 18who have swerved from the truth by claiming that the resurrection has already taken place. They are upsetting the faith of some. 19But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.”

20In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for special use, some for ordinary. 21All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned will become special utensils, dedicated and useful to the owner of the house, ready for every good work. 22Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. 24And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient, 25correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth, 26and that they may escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Gospel Reading Mark 10:17-31

17As he was setting out on a journey, a man ran up and knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 18Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone. 19You know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder; You shall not commit adultery; You shall not steal; You shall not bear false witness; You shall not defraud; Honor your father and mother.’” 20He said to him, “Teacher, I have kept all these since my youth.” 21Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said, “You lack one thing; go, sell what you own, and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.” 22When he heard this, he was shocked and went away grieving, for he had many possessions.

23Then Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it will be for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God!” 24And the disciples were perplexed at these words. But Jesus said to them again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” 26They were greatly astounded and said to one another, “Then who can be saved?” 27Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but not for God; for God all things are possible.”

28Peter began to say to him, “Look, we have left everything and followed you.” 29Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields, for my sake and for the sake of the good news, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this age — houses, brothers and sisters, mothers and children, and fields with persecutions — and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Evening Psalm 16

1   Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2   I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
          I have no good apart from you.”


3   As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble,
          in whom is all my delight.


4   Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows;
          their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
          or take their names upon my lips.


5   The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
          you hold my lot.
6   The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
          I have a goodly heritage.


7   I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
          in the night also my heart instructs me.
8   I keep the LORD always before me;
          because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.


9   Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices;
          my body also rests secure.
10  For you do not give me up to Sheol,
          or let your faithful one see the Pit.


11  You show me the path of life.
          In your presence there is fullness of joy;
          in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Evening Psalm 62

1   For God alone my soul waits in silence;
          from him comes my salvation.
2   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
          my fortress; I shall never be shaken.


3   How long will you assail a person,
          will you batter your victim, all of you,
          as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4   Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
          They take pleasure in falsehood;
     they bless with their mouths,
          but inwardly they curse. Selah


5   For God alone my soul waits in silence,
          for my hope is from him.
6   He alone is my rock and my salvation,
          my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7   On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
          my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.


8   Trust in him at all times, O people;
          pour out your heart before him;
          God is a refuge for us. Selah


9   Those of low estate are but a breath,
          those of high estate are a delusion;
     in the balances they go up;
          they are together lighter than a breath.
10  Put no confidence in extortion,
          and set no vain hopes on robbery;
          if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.


11  Once God has spoken;
          twice have I heard this:
     that power belongs to God,
12       and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
     For you repay to all
          according to their work.