Friday, 29 March

1.   Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 2.   "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘If a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days; as in the days of her customary impurity she shall be unclean. 3.   ‘And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. 4.   ‘She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty–three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled. 5.   ‘But if she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty–six days. 6.   ‘When the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 7.   ‘Then he shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female. 8.   ‘And if she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons––one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’"

1.   <> O God, why have You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture? 0.   2Remember Your congregation, which You have purchased of old, The tribe of Your inheritance, which You have redeemed––This Mount Zion where You have dwelt. 3.   Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary. 4.   Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs. 5.   They seem like men who lift up Axes among the thick trees. 6.   And now they break down its carved work, all at once, With axes and hammers. 7.   They have set fire to Your sanctuary; They have defiled the dwelling place of Your name to the ground. 8.   They said in their hearts, "Let us destroy them altogether." They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land. 9.   We do not see our signs; There is no longer any prophet; Nor is there any among us who knows how long. 10.   O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme Your name forever? 11.   Why do You withdraw Your hand, even Your right hand? Take it out of Your bosom and destroy them . 12.   For God is my King from of old, Working salvation in the midst of the earth. 13.   You divided the sea by Your strength; You broke the heads of the sea serpents in the waters. 14.   You broke the heads of Leviathan in pieces, And gave him as food to the people inhabiting the wilderness. 15.   You broke open the fountain and the flood; You dried up mighty rivers. 16.   The day is Yours, the night also is Yours; You have prepared the light and the sun. 17.   You have set all the borders of the earth; You have made summer and winter. 18.   Remember this, that the enemy has reproached, O LORD, And that a foolish people has blasphemed Your name. 19.   Oh, do not deliver the life of Your turtledove to the wild beast! Do not forget the life of Your poor forever. 20.   Have respect to the covenant; For the dark places of the earth are full of the haunts of cruelty. 21.   Oh, do not let the oppressed return ashamed! Let the poor and needy praise Your name. 22.   Arise, O God, plead Your own cause; Remember how the foolish man reproaches You daily. 23.   Do not forget the voice of Your enemies; The tumult of those who rise up against You increases continually.

1.   <> We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near. 2.   "When I choose the proper time, I will judge uprightly. 3.   The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved; I set up its pillars firmly. Selah 4.   ‘I said to the boastful, ‘Do not deal boastfully,’ And to the wicked, ‘Do not lift up the horn. 5.   Do not lift up your horn on high; Do not speak with a stiff neck.’" 6.   For exaltation comes neither from the east Nor from the west nor from the south. 7.   But God is the Judge: He puts down one, And exalts another. 8.   For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, And the wine is red; It is fully mixed, and He pours it out; Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth Drain and drink down. 9.   But I will declare forever, I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. 10.   ‘All the horns of the wicked I will also cut off, But the horns of the righteous shall be exalted."

1.   Now when Festus had come to the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem. 2.   Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul; and they petitioned him, 3.   asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem––while they lay in ambush along the road to kill him. 4.   But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was going there shortly. 5.   "Therefore," he said, "let those who have authority among you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in him." 6.   And when he had remained among them more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea. And the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought. 7.   When he had come, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood about and laid many serious complaints against Paul, which they could not prove, 8.   while he answered for himself, "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I offended in anything at all." 9.   But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?" 10.   So Paul said, "I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no wrong, as you very well know. 11.   "For if I am an offender, or have committed anything deserving of death, I do not object to dying; but if there is nothing in these things of which these men accuse me, no one can deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar." 12.   Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!" 13.   And after some days King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to greet Festus. 14.   When they had been there many days, Festus laid Paul’s case before the king, saying: "There is a certain man left a prisoner by Felix, 15.   "about whom the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me , when I was in Jerusalem, asking for a judgment against him. 16.   "To them I answered, ‘It is not the custom of the Romans to deliver any man to destruction before the accused meets the accusers face to face, and has opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge against him.’ 17.   "Therefore when they had come together, without any delay, the next day I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in. 18.   "When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, 19.   "but had some questions against him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, who had died, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20.   "And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked whether he was willing to go to Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters. 21.   "But when Paul appealed to be reserved for the decision of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar." 22.   Then Agrippa said to Festus, "I also would like to hear the man myself." "Tomorrow, " he said, "you shall hear him." 23.   So the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered the auditorium with the commanders and the prominent men of the city, at Festus’ command Paul was brought in. 24.   And Festus said: "King Agrippa and all the men who are here present with us, you see this man about whom the whole assembly of the Jews petitioned me, both at Jerusalem and here, crying out that he was not fit to live any longer. 25.   "But when I found that he had committed nothing deserving of death, and that he himself had appealed to Augustus, I decided to send him. 26.   "I have nothing certain to write to my lord concerning him. Therefore I have brought him out before you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after the examination has taken place I may have something to write. 27.   "For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the charges against him."