Day 141 reading

Wisdom·Psalm 82

¹God presides in the divine assembly; He renders judgment among the gods: ²“How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah ³Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. ⁴Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked. ⁵They do not know or understand; they wander in the darkness; all the foundations of the earth are shaken. ⁶I have said, ‘You are gods; you are all sons of the Most High.’ ⁷But like mortals you will die, and like rulers you will fall.” ⁸Arise, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are Your inheritance.

New Testament·John 4:45–5:13

⁴⁵Yet when He arrived, the Galileans welcomed Him. They had seen all the great things He had done in Jerusalem at the feast, for they had gone there as well. ⁴⁶So once again He came to Cana in Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. And there was a royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. ⁴⁷When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was about to die. ⁴⁸Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” ⁴⁹“Sir,” the official said, “come down before my child dies.” ⁵⁰“Go,” said Jesus. “Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at His word and departed. ⁵¹And while he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was alive. ⁵²So he inquired as to the hour when his son had recovered, and they told him, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” ⁵³Then the father realized that this was the very hour in which Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and all his household believed. ⁵⁴This was now the second sign that Jesus performed after coming from Judea into Galilee.

5Some time later there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ²Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool with five covered colonnades, which in Hebrew is called Bethesda. ³On these walkways lay a great number of the sick, the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed. ⁵One man there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. ⁶When Jesus saw him lying there and realized that he had spent a long time in this condition, He asked him, “Do you want to get well?” ⁷“Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am on my way, someone else goes in before me.” ⁸Then Jesus told him, “Get up, pick up your mat, and walk.” ⁹Immediately the man was made well, and he picked up his mat and began to walk. Now this happened on the Sabbath day, ¹⁰so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “This is the Sabbath! It is unlawful for you to carry your mat.” ¹¹But he answered, “The man who made me well told me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’” ¹²“Who is this man who told you to pick it up and walk?” they asked. ¹³But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while the crowd was there.

Old Testament·1 Samuel 16

¹Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem, for I have selected from his sons a king for Myself.” ²“How can I go?” Samuel asked. “Saul will hear of it and kill me!” The LORD answered, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ ³Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you are to do. You are to anoint for Me the one I indicate.” ⁴So Samuel did what the LORD had said and went to Bethlehem. When the elders of the town met him, they trembled and asked, “Do you come in peace?” ⁵“In peace,” he replied. “I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and said, “Surely here before the LORD is His anointed.” ⁷But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” ⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel, who said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” ⁹Next Jesse presented Shammah, but Samuel said, “The LORD has not chosen this one either.” ¹⁰Thus Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel told him, “The LORD has not chosen any of these.” ¹¹And Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?” “There is still the youngest,” Jesse replied, “but he is tending the sheep.” “Send for him,” Samuel replied. “For we will not sit down to eat until he arrives.” ¹²So Jesse sent for his youngest son and brought him in. He was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him, for he is the one.” ¹³So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah. ¹⁴After the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, a spirit of distress from the LORD began to torment him. ¹⁵Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you. ¹⁶Let our lord command your servants here to seek out someone who can skillfully play the harp. Whenever the spirit of distress from God is upon you, he is to play it, and you will be well.” ¹⁷And Saul commanded his servants, “Find me someone who plays well, and bring him to me.” ¹⁸One of the servants answered, “I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a mighty man of valor, a warrior, eloquent and handsome, and the LORD is with him.” ¹⁹So Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, “Send me your son David, who is with the sheep.” ²⁰And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and one young goat, and sent them to Saul with his son David. ²¹When David came to Saul and entered his service, Saul admired him greatly, and David became his armor-bearer. ²²Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for I am pleased with him.” ²³And whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would pick up his harp and play, and Saul would become well, and the spirit of distress would depart from him.