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Thursday, February 15th, 2024

Psalm 57:1–5, 8–10

1Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
till the storms of destruction pass by.
2I cry out to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
3He will send from heaven and save me;
he will put to shame him who tramples on me.
God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
4My soul is in the midst of lions;
I lie down amid fiery beasts—
the children of man, whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.
5Be exalted, O God, above the heavens!
Let your glory be over all the earth!

8Awake, my glory!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn!
9I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
10For your steadfast love is great to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.

Old Testament Reading Job 11

1Then Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:

2“Should a multitude of words go unanswered,
and a man full of talk be judged right?
3Should your babble silence men,
and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
4For you say, ‘My doctrine is pure,
and I am clean in God’s eyes.’
5But oh, that God would speak
and open his lips to you,
6and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
For he is manifold in understanding.
Know then that God exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.
7“Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
8It is higher than heaven—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
9Its measure is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea.
10If he passes through and imprisons
and summons the court, who can turn him back?
11For he knows worthless men;
when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
12But a stupid man will get understanding
when a wild donkey’s colt is born a man!
13“If you prepare your heart,
you will stretch out your hands toward him.
14If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
15Surely then you will lift up your face without blemish;
you will be secure and will not fear.
16You will forget your misery;
you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
17And your life will be brighter than the noonday;
its darkness will be like the morning.
18And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
you will look around and take your rest in security.
19You will lie down, and none will make you afraid;
many will court your favor.
20But the eyes of the wicked will fail;
all way of escape will be lost to them,
and their hope is to breathe their last.”

New Testament Reading John 5:19–29

19So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. 20For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel. 21For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. 22The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, 23that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

25“Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 26For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 27And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. 28Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.”