And did those feet in ancient time
walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
on England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
among those dark Satanic Mills?
+++
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant Land.
+++
Sunday, 12 May 2024
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
(Sunday after Ascension Day)
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us,
and clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
Morning 23 mins reading
2 Kings 6 nrsv (33) 2 readers
The Miracle of the Ax Head
6 Now the company of prophets said to Elisha, “As you see, the place where we live under your charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, and let us collect logs there, one for each of us, and build a place there for us to live.” He answered, “Do so.” 3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” And he answered, “I will.” 4 So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out, “Alas, master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 He said, “Pick it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
The Aramean Attack Is Thwarted
8 Once when the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he took counsel with his officers. He said, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Take care not to pass this place, for the Arameans are going down there.” 10 The king of Israel sent word to the place of which the man of God spoke. More than once or twice he warned a place[a] so that it was on the alert.
11 The mind of the king of Aram was greatly perturbed because of this; he called his officers and said to them, “Now tell me: Who among us is betraying us to[b] the king of Israel?” 12 Then one of his officers said, “No one, my lord king. It is Elisha, the prophet in Israel, who tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedchamber.” 13 He said, “Go and find where he is; I will send and seize him.” He was told, “He is in Dothan.”14 So he sent horses and chariots there and a great army; they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. His servant said, “Alas, master! What shall we do?” 16 He replied, “Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.”
Second reader
17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lordopened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 When the Arameans[c] came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Strike this people, please, with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.19 Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men so that they may see.” The Lord opened their eyes, and they saw that they were inside Samaria. 21 When the king of Israel saw them he said to Elisha, “Father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?” 22 He answered, “No! Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink, and let them go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast; after they ate and drank, he sent them on their way, and they went to their master. And the Arameans no longer came raiding into the land of Israel.
Ben-hadad’s Siege of Samaria
24 Some time later King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army; he marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. 25 As the siege continued, famine in Samaria became so great that a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver and one-fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now as the king of Israel was walking on the city wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help, my lord king!” 27 He said, “If the Lord does not help you, where would my help come from? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” 28 But then the king asked her, “What is your complaint?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son; we will eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman he tore his clothes—now since he was walking on the city wall, the people could see that he had sackcloth on his body underneath— 31 and he said, “So may God do to me and more, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat stays on his shoulders today.” 32 So he dispatched a man from his presence.
Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Are you aware that this murderer has sent someone to take off my head? When the messenger comes, see that you shut the door and hold it closed against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”33 While he was still speaking with them, the king[d] came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I hope in the Lord any longer?”
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
+++
Mathew 10 nrsv (42) 2 readers
The Twelve Apostles
10 Then Jesus[a] summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus;[b] 4 Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
The Mission of the Twelve
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’[c] 8 Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 9 Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for laborers deserve their food. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Coming Persecutions
16 “I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the gentiles. 19 When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you at that time, 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Sibling will betray sibling to death and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Second reader
23 When they persecute you in this town, flee to the next, for truly I tell you, you will not have finished going through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not above the teacher nor a slave above the master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
Whom to Fear
26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing secret that will not become known.27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[d] 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 And even the hairs of your head are all counted.31 So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32 “Everyone, therefore, who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword.
35
For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
36
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
+++
Psalm 62 (12)
Song of Trust in God Alone
To the leader: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
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.
+++
Psalm 63 (11)
Comfort and Assurance in God’s Presence
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.
1
O God, you are my God; I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4
So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5
My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,[a]
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6
when I think of you on my bed
and meditate on you in the watches of the night,
7
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9
But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10
they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be prey for jackals.
11
But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
+++
Psalm 64 (10)
Prayer for Protection from Enemies
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1
Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
preserve my life from the dread enemy.
2
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
from the scheming of evildoers,
3
who whet their tongues like swords,
who aim bitter words like arrows,
4
shooting from ambush at the blameless;
they shoot suddenly and without fear.
5
They hold fast to their evil purpose;
they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see us?[a]
6
Who can search out our crimes?[b]
We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot.”
For the human heart and mind are deep.
7
But God will shoot his arrow at them;
they will be wounded suddenly.
8
Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin;[c]
all who see them will shake with horror.
9
Then everyone will fear;
they will tell what God has brought about
and ponder what he has done.
10
Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him.
Let all the upright in heart glory.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
+++
Let us pray.
God the Father,
have mercy upon us.
God the Son,
have mercy upon us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy upon us.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
have mercy upon us.
(Leader prays a short prayer)
+++
The Collect of the day is said
O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: we beseech you, leave us not comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The Lord’s Prayer is said
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
The Conclusion
May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
+++
Evening 10 mins reading
2 Kings 7 nrsv (20)
1 But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a measure of choice meal shall be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” 2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “Even if the Lordwere to make windows in the sky, could such a thing happen?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat from it.”
The Arameans Flee
3 Now there were four men with a defiling skin disease outside the city gate who said to one another, “Why should we sit here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there, but if we sit here, we shall also die. Therefore, let us desert to the Aramean camp; if they spare our lives, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die.” 5 So they arose at twilight to go to the Aramean camp, but when they came to the edge of the Aramean camp there was no one there at all. 6 For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to fight against us.” 7 So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp just as it was, and fled for their lives. 8 When these diseased men had come to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent, ate and drank, carried off silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. Then they came back, entered another tent, carried off things from it and went and hid them.
9 Then they said to one another, “What we are doing is wrong. This is a day of good news; if we are silent and wait until the morning light, we will be found guilty; therefore let us go and tell the king’s household.” 10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, “We went to the Aramean camp, but there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied, the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.” 11 Then the gatekeepers called out and proclaimed it to the king’s household. 12 The king got up in the night and said to his servants, “I will tell you what the Arameans have prepared against us. They know that we are starving, so they left the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.’ ” 13 One of his servants said, “Let some men take five of the remaining horses, since those left here will suffer the fate of the whole multitude of Israel that have perished already;[a] let us send and find out.” 14 So they took two mounted men, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and find out.” 15 So they went after them as far as the Jordan; the whole way was littered with garments and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king.
16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a measure of choice meal was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. 17 Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; the people trampled him to death in the gate, just as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. 18 For when the man of God had said to the king, “Two measures of barley shall be sold for a shekel and a measure of choice meal for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” 19 the captain had answered the man of God, “Even if the Lord were to make windows in the sky, could such a thing happen?” And he had answered, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat from it.” 20 It did indeed happen to him; the people trampled him to death in the gate.
+++
Romans 11 nrsv (36)
Israel’s Rejection Is Not Final
11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So, too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.[a]
7 What then? Israel has not achieved what it was pursuing. The elect have achieved it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,
“God gave them a sluggish spirit,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”
9 And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10
let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and keep their backs forever bent.”
The Salvation of the Gentiles
11 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling[b]salvation has come to the gentiles, so as to make Israel[c] jealous. 12 Now if their stumbling[d] means riches for the world and if their loss means riches for gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
13 Now I am speaking to you gentiles. Inasmuch as I am an apostle to the gentiles, I celebrate my ministry 14 in order to make my own people[e] jealous and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted among the others to share the rich root[f] of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off on account of unbelief,[g] but you stand on account of belief.[h] So do not become arrogant, but be afraid.21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.[i] 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you, if you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And even those of Israel,[j] if they do not continue in unbelief,[k] will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.24 For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.
All Israel Will Be Saved
25 I want you to understand this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not claim to be wiser than you are: a hardening has come upon part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.”
27
“And this is my covenant with them,
when I take away their sins.”
28 As regards the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their ancestors, 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so also they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they also may now[l] receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.
33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34
“For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35
“Or who has given a gift to him,
to receive a gift in return?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
+++
Psalm 65 (13)
Thanksgiving for Earth’s Bounty
To the leader. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1
Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed,
2
O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
3
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
4
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
5
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
6
By your[a] strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
7
You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
8
Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9
You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12
The pastures of the wilderness overflow;
the hills gird themselves with joy;
13
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks;
the valleys deck themselves with grain;
they shout and sing together for joy.
+++
Psalm 66 (20)
Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel
To the leader. A Song. A Psalm.
1
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise.
3
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
4
All the earth worships you;
they sing praises to you,
sing praises to your name.” Selah
5
Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
6
He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There we rejoiced in him,
7
who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations--
let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
8
Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9
who has kept us among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10
For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11
You brought us into the net;
you laid burdens on our backs;
12
you let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.[a]
13
I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay you my vows,
14
those that my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15
I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatted calves,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for me.
17
I cried aloud to him,
and he was extolled with my tongue.
18
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19
But truly God has listened;
he has heard the words of my prayer.
20
Blessed be God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me.
+++
Psalm 67 (7)
The Nations Called to Praise God
To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
1
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2
that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
4
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
6
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
7
May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere him.
walk upon England's mountains green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
on England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
among those dark Satanic Mills?
+++
Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant Land.
+++
Sunday, 12 May 2024
The Seventh Sunday of Easter
(Sunday after Ascension Day)
Preparation
O Lord, open our lips
and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Send your Holy Spirit upon us,
and clothe us with power from on high. Alleluia.
The night has passed, and the day lies open before us; let us pray with one heart and mind.
Silence is kept.
As we rejoice in the gift of this new day, so may the light of your presence, O God, set our hearts on fire with love for you; now and for ever.
Amen.
+++
Morning 23 mins reading
2 Kings 6 nrsv (33) 2 readers
The Miracle of the Ax Head
6 Now the company of prophets said to Elisha, “As you see, the place where we live under your charge is too small for us. 2 Let us go to the Jordan, and let us collect logs there, one for each of us, and build a place there for us to live.” He answered, “Do so.” 3 Then one of them said, “Please come with your servants.” And he answered, “I will.” 4 So he went with them. When they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. 5 But as one was felling a log, his ax head fell into the water; he cried out, “Alas, master! It was borrowed.” 6 Then the man of God said, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, he cut off a stick and threw it in there and made the iron float. 7 He said, “Pick it up.” So he reached out his hand and took it.
The Aramean Attack Is Thwarted
8 Once when the king of Aram was at war with Israel, he took counsel with his officers. He said, “At such and such a place shall be my camp.” 9 But the man of God sent word to the king of Israel, “Take care not to pass this place, for the Arameans are going down there.” 10 The king of Israel sent word to the place of which the man of God spoke. More than once or twice he warned a place[a] so that it was on the alert.
11 The mind of the king of Aram was greatly perturbed because of this; he called his officers and said to them, “Now tell me: Who among us is betraying us to[b] the king of Israel?” 12 Then one of his officers said, “No one, my lord king. It is Elisha, the prophet in Israel, who tells the king of Israel the words that you speak in your bedchamber.” 13 He said, “Go and find where he is; I will send and seize him.” He was told, “He is in Dothan.”14 So he sent horses and chariots there and a great army; they came by night and surrounded the city.
15 When an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. His servant said, “Alas, master! What shall we do?” 16 He replied, “Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.”
Second reader
17 Then Elisha prayed, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lordopened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 18 When the Arameans[c] came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Strike this people, please, with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness as Elisha had asked.19 Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city; follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.
20 As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men so that they may see.” The Lord opened their eyes, and they saw that they were inside Samaria. 21 When the king of Israel saw them he said to Elisha, “Father, shall I strike them? Shall I strike them?” 22 He answered, “No! Would you strike those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink, and let them go to their master.” 23 So he prepared for them a great feast; after they ate and drank, he sent them on their way, and they went to their master. And the Arameans no longer came raiding into the land of Israel.
Ben-hadad’s Siege of Samaria
24 Some time later King Ben-hadad of Aram mustered his entire army; he marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. 25 As the siege continued, famine in Samaria became so great that a donkey’s head was sold for eighty shekels of silver and one-fourth of a kab of dove’s dung for five shekels of silver. 26 Now as the king of Israel was walking on the city wall, a woman cried out to him, “Help, my lord king!” 27 He said, “If the Lord does not help you, where would my help come from? From the threshing floor or from the winepress?” 28 But then the king asked her, “What is your complaint?” She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son; we will eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.’ 29 So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son, and we will eat him.’ But she has hidden her son.” 30 When the king heard the words of the woman he tore his clothes—now since he was walking on the city wall, the people could see that he had sackcloth on his body underneath— 31 and he said, “So may God do to me and more, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat stays on his shoulders today.” 32 So he dispatched a man from his presence.
Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the elders were sitting with him. Before the messenger arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Are you aware that this murderer has sent someone to take off my head? When the messenger comes, see that you shut the door and hold it closed against him. Is not the sound of his master’s feet behind him?”33 While he was still speaking with them, the king[d] came down to him and said, “This trouble is from the Lord! Why should I hope in the Lord any longer?”
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
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Mathew 10 nrsv (42) 2 readers
The Twelve Apostles
10 Then Jesus[a] summoned his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness. 2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus;[b] 4 Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot, the one who betrayed him.
The Mission of the Twelve
5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim the good news, ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’[c] 8 Cure the sick; raise the dead; cleanse those with a skin disease; cast out demons. You received without payment; give without payment. 9 Take no gold, or silver, or copper in your belts, 10 no bag for your journey, or two tunics, or sandals, or a staff, for laborers deserve their food. 11 Whatever town or village you enter, find out who in it is worthy, and stay there until you leave. 12 As you enter the house, greet it. 13 If the house is worthy, let your peace come upon it, but if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. 14 If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake off the dust from your feet as you leave that house or town. 15 Truly I tell you, it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
Coming Persecutions
16 “I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the gentiles. 19 When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you at that time, 20 for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Sibling will betray sibling to death and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Second reader
23 When they persecute you in this town, flee to the next, for truly I tell you, you will not have finished going through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
24 “A disciple is not above the teacher nor a slave above the master; 25 it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!
Whom to Fear
26 “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered and nothing secret that will not become known.27 What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. 28 Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.[d] 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30 And even the hairs of your head are all counted.31 So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.
32 “Everyone, therefore, who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven, 33 but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
Not Peace, but a Sword
34 “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace but a sword.
35
For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
36
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me, 38 and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.39 Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
Rewards
40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
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Psalm 62 (12)
Song of Trust in God Alone
To the leader: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
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.
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Psalm 63 (11)
Comfort and Assurance in God’s Presence
A Psalm of David, when he was in the Wilderness of Judah.
1
O God, you are my God; I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2
So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
beholding your power and glory.
3
Because your steadfast love is better than life,
my lips will praise you.
4
So I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands and call on your name.
5
My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast,[a]
and my mouth praises you with joyful lips
6
when I think of you on my bed
and meditate on you in the watches of the night,
7
for you have been my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy.
8
My soul clings to you;
your right hand upholds me.
9
But those who seek to destroy my life
shall go down into the depths of the earth;
10
they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
they shall be prey for jackals.
11
But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by him shall exult,
for the mouths of liars will be stopped.
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Psalm 64 (10)
Prayer for Protection from Enemies
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1
Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
preserve my life from the dread enemy.
2
Hide me from the secret plots of the wicked,
from the scheming of evildoers,
3
who whet their tongues like swords,
who aim bitter words like arrows,
4
shooting from ambush at the blameless;
they shoot suddenly and without fear.
5
They hold fast to their evil purpose;
they talk of laying snares secretly,
thinking, “Who can see us?[a]
6
Who can search out our crimes?[b]
We have thought out a cunningly conceived plot.”
For the human heart and mind are deep.
7
But God will shoot his arrow at them;
they will be wounded suddenly.
8
Because of their tongue he will bring them to ruin;[c]
all who see them will shake with horror.
9
Then everyone will fear;
they will tell what God has brought about
and ponder what he has done.
10
Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in him.
Let all the upright in heart glory.
Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.
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Let us pray.
God the Father,
have mercy upon us.
God the Son,
have mercy upon us.
God the Holy Spirit,
have mercy upon us.
Holy, blessed and glorious Trinity,
have mercy upon us.
(Leader prays a short prayer)
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The Collect of the day is said
O God the King of glory,
you have exalted your only Son Jesus Christ
with great triumph to your kingdom in heaven: we beseech you, leave us not comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us and exalt us to the place where our Saviour Christ is gone before, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
Amen.
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The Lord’s Prayer is said
Rejoicing in the presence of God here among us, as our Saviour taught us, so we pray
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power,
and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Amen.
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The Conclusion
May the Spirit kindle in us the fire of God’s love.
Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.
Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia.
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Evening 10 mins reading
2 Kings 7 nrsv (20)
1 But Elisha said, “Hear the word of the Lord: Thus says the Lord: Tomorrow about this time a measure of choice meal shall be sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” 2 Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned said to the man of God, “Even if the Lordwere to make windows in the sky, could such a thing happen?” But he said, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat from it.”
The Arameans Flee
3 Now there were four men with a defiling skin disease outside the city gate who said to one another, “Why should we sit here until we die? 4 If we say, ‘Let us enter the city,’ the famine is in the city, and we shall die there, but if we sit here, we shall also die. Therefore, let us desert to the Aramean camp; if they spare our lives, we shall live, and if they kill us, we shall but die.” 5 So they arose at twilight to go to the Aramean camp, but when they came to the edge of the Aramean camp there was no one there at all. 6 For the Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots and of horses, the sound of a great army, so that they said to one another, “The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Egypt to fight against us.” 7 So they fled away in the twilight and abandoned their tents, their horses, and their donkeys, leaving the camp just as it was, and fled for their lives. 8 When these diseased men had come to the edge of the camp, they went into a tent, ate and drank, carried off silver, gold, and clothing, and went and hid them. Then they came back, entered another tent, carried off things from it and went and hid them.
9 Then they said to one another, “What we are doing is wrong. This is a day of good news; if we are silent and wait until the morning light, we will be found guilty; therefore let us go and tell the king’s household.” 10 So they came and called to the gatekeepers of the city and told them, “We went to the Aramean camp, but there was no one to be seen or heard there, nothing but the horses tied, the donkeys tied, and the tents as they were.” 11 Then the gatekeepers called out and proclaimed it to the king’s household. 12 The king got up in the night and said to his servants, “I will tell you what the Arameans have prepared against us. They know that we are starving, so they left the camp to hide themselves in the open country, thinking, ‘When they come out of the city, we shall take them alive and get into the city.’ ” 13 One of his servants said, “Let some men take five of the remaining horses, since those left here will suffer the fate of the whole multitude of Israel that have perished already;[a] let us send and find out.” 14 So they took two mounted men, and the king sent them after the Aramean army, saying, “Go and find out.” 15 So they went after them as far as the Jordan; the whole way was littered with garments and equipment that the Arameans had thrown away in their haste. So the messengers returned and told the king.
16 Then the people went out and plundered the camp of the Arameans. So a measure of choice meal was sold for a shekel and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the Lord. 17 Now the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have charge of the gate; the people trampled him to death in the gate, just as the man of God had said when the king came down to him. 18 For when the man of God had said to the king, “Two measures of barley shall be sold for a shekel and a measure of choice meal for a shekel, about this time tomorrow in the gate of Samaria,” 19 the captain had answered the man of God, “Even if the Lord were to make windows in the sky, could such a thing happen?” And he had answered, “You shall see it with your own eyes, but you shall not eat from it.” 20 It did indeed happen to him; the people trampled him to death in the gate.
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Romans 11 nrsv (36)
Israel’s Rejection Is Not Final
11 I ask, then, has God rejected his people? By no means! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, a member of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected his people whom he foreknew. Do you not know what the scripture says of Elijah, how he pleads with God against Israel? 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have demolished your altars; I alone am left, and they are seeking my life.” 4 But what is the divine reply to him? “I have kept for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So, too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace would no longer be grace.[a]
7 What then? Israel has not achieved what it was pursuing. The elect have achieved it, but the rest were hardened, 8 as it is written,
“God gave them a sluggish spirit,
eyes that would not see
and ears that would not hear,
down to this very day.”
9 And David says,
“Let their table become a snare and a trap,
a stumbling block and a retribution for them;
10
let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,
and keep their backs forever bent.”
The Salvation of the Gentiles
11 So I ask, have they stumbled so as to fall? By no means! But through their stumbling[b]salvation has come to the gentiles, so as to make Israel[c] jealous. 12 Now if their stumbling[d] means riches for the world and if their loss means riches for gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean!
13 Now I am speaking to you gentiles. Inasmuch as I am an apostle to the gentiles, I celebrate my ministry 14 in order to make my own people[e] jealous and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as first fruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; and if the root is holy, then the branches also are holy.
17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, a wild olive shoot, were grafted among the others to share the rich root[f] of the olive tree, 18 do not boast over the branches. If you do boast, remember: you do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off on account of unbelief,[g] but you stand on account of belief.[h] So do not become arrogant, but be afraid.21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you.[i] 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you, if you continue in his kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And even those of Israel,[j] if they do not continue in unbelief,[k] will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.24 For if you have been cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these natural branches be grafted back into their own olive tree.
All Israel Will Be Saved
25 I want you to understand this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not claim to be wiser than you are: a hardening has come upon part of Israel until the full number of the gentiles has come in. 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written,
“Out of Zion will come the Deliverer;
he will banish ungodliness from Jacob.”
27
“And this is my covenant with them,
when I take away their sins.”
28 As regards the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but as regards election they are beloved for the sake of their ancestors, 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 Just as you were once disobedient to God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so also they have now been disobedient in order that, by the mercy shown to you, they also may now[l] receive mercy. 32 For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may be merciful to all.
33 O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34
“For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
35
“Or who has given a gift to him,
to receive a gift in return?”
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.
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Psalm 65 (13)
Thanksgiving for Earth’s Bounty
To the leader. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1
Praise is due to you,
O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed,
2
O you who answer prayer!
To you all flesh shall come.
3
When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,
you forgive our transgressions.
4
Happy are those whom you choose and bring near
to live in your courts.
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
your holy temple.
5
By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,
O God of our salvation;
you are the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas.
6
By your[a] strength you established the mountains;
you are girded with might.
7
You silence the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples.
8
Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs;
you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9
You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide the people with grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10
You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11
You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12
The pastures of the wilderness overflow;
the hills gird themselves with joy;
13
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks;
the valleys deck themselves with grain;
they shout and sing together for joy.
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Psalm 66 (20)
Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel
To the leader. A Song. A Psalm.
1
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise.
3
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
4
All the earth worships you;
they sing praises to you,
sing praises to your name.” Selah
5
Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
6
He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
There we rejoiced in him,
7
who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations--
let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
8
Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
9
who has kept us among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
10
For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
11
You brought us into the net;
you laid burdens on our backs;
12
you let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.[a]
13
I will come into your house with burnt offerings;
I will pay you my vows,
14
those that my lips uttered
and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15
I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatted calves,
with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;
I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16
Come and hear, all you who fear God,
and I will tell what he has done for me.
17
I cried aloud to him,
and he was extolled with my tongue.
18
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
19
But truly God has listened;
he has heard the words of my prayer.
20
Blessed be God,
who has not rejected my prayer
or removed his steadfast love from me.
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Psalm 67 (7)
The Nations Called to Praise God
To the leader: with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.
1
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2
that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
3
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
4
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
6
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
7
May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere him.