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Evening Prayer Readings
Friday after Ash Wednesday

The First Lesson
The Second Lesson
The Collect
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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

Jeremiah 2:1-9, 13

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, Thus saith the Lord; I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown. Israel was holiness unto the Lord, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the Lord. Hear ye the word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel: Thus saith the Lord, What iniquity have your fathers found in me, that they are gone far from me, and have walked after vanity, and are become vain? Neither said they, Where is the Lord that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought, and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through, and where no man dwelt? And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled my land, and made mine heritage an abomination. The priests said not, Where is the Lord? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit. Wherefore I will yet plead with you, saith the Lord, and with your children's children will I plead. For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water.



 

The Second Lesson

St. John 8:12-20, 31-36

Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. The Pharisees therefore said unto him, Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true. Jesus answered and said unto them, Though I bear record of myself, yet my record is true: for I know whence I came, and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come, and whither I go. Ye judge after the flesh; I judge no man. And yet if I judge, my judgment is true: for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent me. It is also written in your law, that the testimony of two men is true. I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. Then said they unto him, Where is thy Father? Jesus answered, Ye neither know me, nor my Father: if ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also. These words spake Jesus in the treasury, as he taught in the temple: and no man laid hands on him; for his hour was not yet come. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.



 

The Collect

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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