6.19.2012

Today's Bible story

June 19, 2012

Tuesday of the Eleventh Week in Ordinary Time

We hope that today is a good day.

Today's Bible story based on the calendar of the Catholic Church.
http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/calendar.php

Most of these contents are things of The World English Bible.
http://ebible.org/web/

We hope that everyone in the peace of the Lord.

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+ Saints:
The Immaculate Heart of Mary
St. Romuald

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+ First Reading: 1 Kings 21:17-29

17 Yahweh's word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

18 "Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who dwells in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone down to take possession of it.

19 You shall speak to him, saying, 'Yahweh says, "Have you killed and also taken possession?"' You shall speak to him, saying, 'Yahweh says, "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours."'"

20 Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?"
He answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in the sight of Yahweh.

21 Behold, I will bring evil on you, and will utterly sweep you away and will cut off from Ahab everyone who urinates against a wall,* and him who is shut up and him who is left at large in Israel.

22 I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah for the provocation with which you have provoked me to anger, and have made Israel to sin."

23 Yahweh also spoke of Jezebel, saying, "The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the rampart of Jezreel.

24 The dogs will eat he who dies of Ahab in the city; and the birds of the sky will eat he who dies in the field."

25 But there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

26 He did very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites did, whom Yahweh cast out before the children of Israel.

27 When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes, and put sackcloth on his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly.

28 Yahweh's word came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

29 "See how Ahab humbles himself before me? Because he humbles himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil on his house."

*21:21: or, male

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+ Psalm: Psalms 51:1-4ab, 9 and 14

1 Have mercy on me, God, according to your loving kindness.
According to the multitude of your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity.
Cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions.
My sin is constantly before me.

4ab Against you, and you only, have I sinned,
and done that which is evil in your sight.

9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all of my iniquities.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation.
My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

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+ Gospel: Matthew 5:43-48

43 "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, ‡‡‡ and hate your enemy.'§§§

44 But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

45 that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust.

46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same?

47 If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors* do the same?

48 Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.

‡‡‡5:43: Leviticus 19:18

§§§5:43: not in the Bible, but see Qumran Manual of Discipline Ix, 21-26

*5:47: NU reads "Gentiles" instead of "tax collectors".

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+ Today's Reading: Ezra 4:1-5、24-5:5

4:1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel;

2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers' households, and said to them, "Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here."

3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' households of Israel, said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us."

4 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,

5 and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.

24 Then ceased the work of God's house which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.

5:1 Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel they prophesied to them.

2 Then rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build God's house which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, helping them.

3 At the same time came to them Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and their companions, and said thus to them, "Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?"

4 Then we told them in this way, what the names of the men were who were making this building.

5 But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease, until the matter should come to Darius, and then answer should be returned by letter concerning it.

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