Daily Readings for Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Morning Psalm 33

1   Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous.
          Praise befits the upright.
2   Praise the LORD with the lyre;
          make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.
3   Sing to him a new song;
          play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4   For the word of the LORD is upright,
          and all his work is done in faithfulness.
5   He loves righteousness and justice;
          the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

6   By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
          and all their host by the breath of his mouth.
7   He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;
          he put the deeps in storehouses.

8   Let all the earth fear the LORD;
          let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
9   For he spoke, and it came to be;
          he commanded, and it stood firm.

10  The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
          he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
11  The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
          the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
12   Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD,
          the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.

13  The LORD looks down from heaven;
          he sees all humankind.
14  From where he sits enthroned he watches
          all the inhabitants of the earth —
15  he who fashions the hearts of them all,
          and observes all their deeds.
16  A king is not saved by his great army;
          a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
17  The war horse is a vain hope for victory,
          and by its great might it cannot save.

18  Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,
          on those who hope in his steadfast love,
19  to deliver their soul from death,
          and to keep them alive in famine.

20  Our soul waits for the LORD;
          he is our help and shield.
21  Our heart is glad in him,
          because we trust in his holy name.
22  Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
          even as we hope in you.

Morning Psalm 146

1   Praise the LORD!
    Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2   I will praise the LORD as long as I live;
          I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

3   Do not put your trust in princes,
          in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4   When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
          on that very day their plans perish.

5   Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
          whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6   who made heaven and earth,
          the sea, and all that is in them;
    who keeps faith forever;
7        who executes justice for the oppressed;
          who gives food to the hungry.

     The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8        the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
    The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;
          the LORD loves the righteous.
9   The LORD watches over the strangers;
          he upholds the orphan and the widow,
          but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10  The LORD will reign forever,
          your God, O Zion, for all generations.
    Praise the LORD!

2The people who walked in darkness

     have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness —

     on them light has shined.

3You have multiplied the nation,

     you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

     as with joy at the harvest,

     as people exult when dividing plunder.

4For the yoke of their burden,

     and the bar across their shoulders,

     the rod of their oppressor,

     you have broken as on the day of Midian.

5For all the boots of the tramping warriors

     and all the garments rolled in blood

     shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

6For a child has been born for us,

     a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

     and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7His authority shall grow continually,

     and there shall be endless peace

for the throne of David and his kingdom.

     He will establish and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

     from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this. 

12Therefore I intend to keep on reminding you of these things, though you know them already and are established in the truth that has come to you. 13I think it right, as long as I am in this body, to refresh your memory, 14since I know that my death will come soon, as indeed our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

16For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, my Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." 18We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

19So we have the prophetic message more fully confirmed. You will do well to be attentive to this as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20First of all you must understand this, that no prophecy of scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, 21because no prophecy ever came by human will, but men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

54Then they seized him and led him away, bringing him into the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance. 55When they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. 56Then a servant-girl, seeing him in the firelight, stared at him and said, "This man also was with him." 57But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him." 58A little later someone else, on seeing him, said, "You also are one of them." But Peter said, "Man, I am not!" 59Then about an hour later still another kept insisting, "Surely this man also was with him; for he is a Galilean." 60But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!" At that moment, while he was still speaking, the cock crowed. 61The Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said to him, "Before the cock crows today, you will deny me three times." 62And he went out and wept bitterly.

63Now the men who were holding Jesus began to mock him and beat him; 64they also blindfolded him and kept asking him, "Prophesy! Who is it that struck you?" 65They kept heaping many other insults on him.

66When day came, the assembly of the elders of the people, both chief priests and scribes, gathered together, and they brought him to their council. 67They said, "If you are the Messiah, tell us." He replied, "If I tell you, you will not believe; 68and if I question you, you will not answer. 69But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God."

Evening Psalm 85

1   LORD, you were favorable to your land;
          you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2   You forgave the iniquity of your people;
          you pardoned all their sin. Selah
3   You withdrew all your wrath;
          you turned from your hot anger.

4   Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
          and put away your indignation toward us.
5   Will you be angry with us forever?
          Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6   Will you not revive us again,
          so that your people may rejoice in you?
7   Show us your steadfast love, O LORD,
          and grant us your salvation.

8   Let me hear what God the LORD will speak,
          for he will speak peace to his people,
          to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9   Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
          that his glory may dwell in our land.

10  Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
          righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11  Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
          and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12  The LORD will give what is good,
          and our land will yield its increase.
13  Righteousness will go before him,
          and will make a path for his steps.

Evening Psalm 94

1O LORD, you God of vengeance,

you God of vengeance, shine forth!

2Rise up, O judge of the earth;

give to the proud what they deserve!

3O LORD, how long shall the wicked,

how long shall the wicked exult?

4They pour out their arrogant words;

all the evildoers boast.

5They crush your people, O LORD,

and afflict your heritage.

6They kill the widow and the stranger,

they murder the orphan,

7and they say, "The LORD does not see;

the God of Jacob does not perceive."

8Understand, O dullest of the people;

fools, when will you be wise?

9He who planted the ear, does he not hear?

He who formed the eye, does he not see?

10He who disciplines the nations,

he who teaches knowledge to humankind,

does he not chastise?

11The LORD knows our thoughts,

that they are but an empty breath.

12Happy are those whom you discipline, O LORD,

and whom you teach out of your law,

13giving them respite from days of trouble,

until a pit is dug for the wicked.

14For the LORD will not forsake his people;

he will not abandon his heritage;

15for justice will return to the righteous,

and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16Who rises up for me against the wicked?

Who stands up for me against evildoers?

17If the LORD had not been my help,

my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.

18When I thought, "My foot is slipping,"

your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.

19When the cares of my heart are many,

your consolations cheer my soul.

20Can wicked rulers be allied with you,

those who contrive mischief by statute?

21They band together against the life of the righteous,

and condemn the innocent to death.

22But the LORD has become my stronghold,

and my God the rock of my refuge.

23He will repay them for their iniquity

and wipe them out for their wickedness;

the LORD our God will wipe them out.