Morning Prayer Readings
Thursday after Lent 4

The First Lesson
The Second Lesson
The Collect
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The Psalter


Psalm 104


The One Hundred Fourth Psalm

Benedic, anima mea.


PRAISE the LORD, O my soul: * O LORD my God, thou art become exceeding glorious; thou art clothed with majesty and honour.
 
Thou deckest thyself with light as it were with a garment, * and spreadest out the heavens like a curtain.
 
Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, * and maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind.
 
He maketh his angels winds, * and his ministers a flaming fire.
 
He laid the foundations of the earth, * that it never should move at any time.
 
Thou coveredst it with the deep like as with a garment; * the waters stand above the hills.
 
At thy rebuke they flee; * at the voice of thy thunder they haste away.
 
They go up as high as the hills, and down to the valleys beneath; * even unto the place which thou hast appointed for them.
 
Thou hast set them their bounds, which they shall not pass, * neither turn again to cover the earth.
 
He sendeth the springs into the rivers, * which run among the hills.
 
All beasts of the field drink thereof, * and the wild asses quench their thirst.
 
Beside them shall the fowls of the air have their habitation, * and sing among the branches.
 
He watereth the hills from above; * the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.
 
He bringeth forth grass for the cattle, * and green herb for the service of men;
 
That he may bring food out of the earth, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man; * and oil to make him a cheerful countenance, and bread to strengthen man's heart.
 
The trees of the LORD also are full of sap; * even the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted;
 
Wherein the birds make their nests; * and the firtrees are a dwelling for the stork.
 
The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; * and so are the stony rocks for the conies.
 
He appointed the moon for certain seasons, * and the sun knoweth his going down.
 
Thou makest darkness that it may be night; * wherein all the beasts of the forest do move.
 
The lions, roaring after their prey, * do seek their meat from God.
 
The sun ariseth, and they get them away together, * and lay them down in their dens.
 
Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour, * until the evening.
 
O LORD, how manifold are thy works! * in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches.
 
So is the great and wide sea also; * wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
 
There go the ships, and there is that leviathan, * whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein.
 
These wait all upon thee, * that thou mayest give them meat in due season.
 
When thou givest it them, they gather it; * and when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good.
 
When thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: * when thou takest away their breath, they die, and are turned again to their dust.
 
When thou lettest thy breath go forth, they shall be made; * and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
 
The glorious majesty of the LORD shall endure for ever; * the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
 
The earth shall tremble at the look of him; * if he do but touch the hills, they shall smoke.
 
I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live; * I will praise my God while I have my being.
 
And so shall my words please him: * my joy shall be in the LORD.
 
As for sinners, they shall be consumed out of the earth, * and the ungodly shall come to an end.
 
Praise thou the LORD, O my soul. * Praise the LORD.



 

The First Lesson


Genesis 49:33-50:26


And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people. And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father: and the physicians embalmed Israel. And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are fulfilled the days of those which are embalmed: and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days. And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spake unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying, My father made me swear, saying, Lo, I die: in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again. And Pharaoh said, Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear. And Joseph went up to bury his father: and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt. And all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house: only their little ones, and their flocks, and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen: and it was a very great company. And they came to the threshingfloor of Atad, which is beyond Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation; and he made a mourning for his father seven days. And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning in the floor of Atad, they said, This is a grievous mourning to the Egyptians: wherefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim, which is beyond Jordan. And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them: For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession of a buryingplace of Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre. And Joseph returned into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father. And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, Joseph will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we be thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spake kindly unto them. And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house: and Joseph lived an hundred and ten years. And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation: the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I die: and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which he sware to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence. So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.



 

The Second Lesson

I Corinthians 14:13-25

Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. Else when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged of all: And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.



 

The Collect

Fourth Sunday in Lent

GRANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Ash Wednesday

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent; Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



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