Evening Prayer Readings
Thursday after Trinity 17

The First Lesson
The Second Lesson
The Collect
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An Independent Traditional 1928 BCP Ministry

The Psalter


Psalm 31


The Thirty-First Psalm

In te, Domine, speravi.


IN thee, O LORD, have I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion; * deliver me in thy righteousness.
 
Bow down thine ear to me; * make haste to deliver me.
 
And be thou my strong rock, and house of defence, * that thou mayest save me.
 
For thou art my strong rock, and my castle: * be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy Name's sake.
 
Draw me out of the net that they have laid privily for me; * for thou art my strength.
 
Into thy hands I commend my spirit; * for thou hast redeemed me, O LORD, thou God of truth.
 

 
vs 7 I have hated them that hold of lying vanities, * and my trust hath been in the LORD.
 
I will be glad and rejoice in thy mercy; * for thou hast considered my trouble, and hast known my soul in adversities.
 
Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; * but hast set my feet in a large room.
 
Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble, * and mine eye is consumed for very heaviness; yea, my soul and my body.
 
For my life is waxen old with heaviness, * and my years with mourning.
 
My strength faileth me, because of mine iniquity, * and my bones are consumed.
 
I became a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbours; * and they of mine acquaintance were afraid of me; and they that did see me without, conveyed themselves from me.
 
I am clean forgotten as a dead man out of mind; * I am become like a broken vessel.
 
For I have heard the blasphemy of the multitude, and fear is on every side; * while they conspire together against me, and take their counsel to take away my life.
 
But my hope hath been in thee, O LORD; * I have said, Thou art my God.
 
My times are in thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, * and from them that persecute me.
 
Show thy servant the light of thy countenance, * and save me for thy mercy's sake.
 
Let me not be confounded, O LORD, for I have called upon thee; * let the ungodly be put to confusion, and be put to silence in the grave.
 
Let the lying lips be put to silence, * which cruelly, disdainfully, and despitefully speak against the righteous.
 
O how plentiful is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, * and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee, even before the sons of men!
 
Thou shalt hide them in the covert of thine own presence from the plottings of men: * thou shalt keep them secretly in thy tabernacle from the strife of tongues.
 
Thanks be to the LORD; * for he hath showed me marvellous great kindness in a strong city.
 
But in my haste I said, * I am cast out of the sight of thine eyes.
 
Nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my prayer, * when I cried unto thee.
 
O love the LORD, all ye his saints; * for the LORD preserveth them that are faithful, and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer.
 
Be strong, and he shall establish your heart, * all ye that put your trust in the LORD.



 

The First Lesson


Job 10:1-9, 12-18


My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul. I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me. Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked? Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth? Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days, That thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin? Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand. Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again? Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit. And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee. If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity. If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction; For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me. Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me. Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!



 

The Second Lesson

St. Matthew 13:1-23

The same day went Jesus out of the house, and sat by the sea side. And great multitudes were gathered together unto him, so that he went into a ship, and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore. And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow; And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up: Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them: But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive: For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them. Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower. When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.



 

The Collect

Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

LORD, we pray thee that thy grace may always prevent and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.



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