Psalm 108:1-5

[1]   My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;   
         I will sing and make melody.   
         Awake, my soul!   
[2]   Awake, O harp and lyre!   
         I will awake the dawn.   
[3]   I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples,   
         and I will sing praises to you among the nations.   
[4]   For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,   
         and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

[5]   Be exalted, O God,above the heavens,   
         and let your glory be over all the earth.   

Luke 4:38-44

[38]After leaving the synagogue he entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked him about her. [39]Then he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.

[40]As the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various kinds of diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on each of them and cured them. [41]Demons also came out of many, shouting, "You are the Son of God!" But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Messiah.

[42]At daybreak he departed and went into a deserted place. And the crowds were looking for him; and when they reached him, they wanted to prevent him from leaving them. [43]But he said to them, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose." [44]So he continued proclaiming the message in the synagogues of Judea.

Psalm 6

[1]   O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger,  
         or discipline me in your wrath.  
[2]   Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am languishing;  
         O LORD, heal me, for my bones are shaking with terror.  
[3]   My soul also is struck with terror,  
         while you, O LORD -- how long?

[4]   Turn, O LORD, save my life;  
         deliver me for the sake of your steadfast love.  
[5]   For in death there is no remembrance of you;  
         in Sheol who can give you praise?

[6]   I am weary with my moaning;  
         every night I flood my bed with tears;  
         I drench my couch with my weeping.  
[7]   My eyes waste away because of grief;  
         they grow weak because of all my foes.

[8]   Depart from me, all you workers of evil,  
         for the LORD has heard the sound of my weeping.  
[9]   The LORD has heard my supplication;  
         the LORD accepts my prayer.  
[10]  All my enemies shall be ashamed and struck with terror;  
         they shall turn back, and in a moment be put to shame.

  

Luke 4:16-20

[16]When (Jesus) came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, [17]and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: [18]"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, [19]to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." [20]And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. [21]Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." 

Psalm 65

[1]   Praise is due to you,  

          O God, in Zion;  

     and to you shall vows be performed,  

[2]        O you who answer prayer!  

     To you all flesh shall come.  

[3]   When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us,  

          you forgive our transgressions.  

[4]   Happy are those whom you choose and bring near  

          to live in your courts.  

     We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,  

          your holy temple.

[5]   By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance,  

          O God of our salvation;  

     you are the hope of all the ends of the earth  

          and of the farthest seas.  

[6]   By your strength you established the mountains;  

          you are girded with might.  

[7]   You silence the roaring of the seas,  

          the roaring of their waves,  

          the tumult of the peoples.  

[8]   Those who live at earth's farthest bounds are awed by your signs;  

          you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.

[9]   You visit the earth and water it,   

          you greatly enrich it;  

     the river of God is full of water;  

          you provide the people with grain,  

          for so you have prepared it.  

[10]  You water its furrows abundantly,  

          settling its ridges,  

     softening it with showers,  

          and blessing its growth.  

[11]  You crown the year with your bounty;  

          your wagon tracks overflow with richness.  

[12]  The pastures of the wilderness overflow,  

          the hills gird themselves with joy,  

[13]  the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,  

          the valleys deck themselves with grain,  

          they shout and sing together for joy.

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!

  

Esther 4:4-17

[4]When Esther's maids and her eunuchs came and told her, the queen was deeply distressed; she sent garments to clothe Mordecai, so that he might take off his sackcloth; but he would not accept them. [5]Then Esther called for Hathach, one of the king's eunuchs, who had been appointed to attend her, and ordered him to go to Mordecai to learn what was happening and why. [6]Hathach went out to Mordecai in the open square of the city in front of the king's gate, [7]and Mordecai told him all that had happened to him, and the exact sum of money that Haman had promised to pay into the king's treasuries for the destruction of the Jews. [8]Mordecai also gave him a copy of the written decree issued in Susa for their destruction, that he might show it to Esther, explain it to her, and charge her to go to the king to make supplication to him and entreat him for her people. 

[9]Hathach went and told Esther what Mordecai had said. [10]Then Esther spoke to Hathach and gave him a message for Mordecai, saying, [11]"All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that if any man or woman goes to the king inside the inner court without being called, there is but one law - all alike are to be put to death. Only if the king holds out the golden scepter to someone, may that person live. I myself have not been called to come in to the king for thirty days." [12]When they told Mordecai what Esther had said, [13]Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, "Do not think that in the king's palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. [14]For if you keep silence at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another quarter, but you and your father's family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for just such a time as this." [15]Then Esther said in reply to Mordecai, [16]"Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. I and my maids will also fast as you do. After that I will go to the king, though it is against the law; and if I perish, I perish." [17]Mordecai then went away and did everything as Esther had ordered him.