Daily Readings for Thursday, 12 June 2014

Daily Readings for Thursday, 12 June 2014
1 Kings 18:41 Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42 So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees. 43 He said to his servant, “Go up now, and look toward the sea.”
He went up, and looked, and said, “There is nothing.”
He said, “Go again” seven times.
44 On the seventh time, he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.”
He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’”
45 In a little while, the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel. 46 Yahweh’s hand was on Elijah; and he tucked his cloak into his belt and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.
Psalms 65:10 You drench its furrows.
    You level its ridges.
    You soften it with showers.
    You bless it with a crop.
11 You crown the year with your bounty.
    Your carts overflow with abundance.
12 The wilderness grasslands overflow.
    The hills are clothed with gladness.
13 The pastures are covered with flocks.
    The valleys also are clothed with grain.
They shout for joy!
    They also sing.
Matthew 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
21 “You have heard that it was said to the ancient ones, ‘You shall not murder;’[a] and ‘Whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ 22 But I tell you, that everyone who is angry with his brother without a cause [b] will be in danger of the judgment; and whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’[c] will be in danger of the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of Gehenna. [d]
23 “If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 26 Most certainly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny.[e]
Footnotes:
a. Matthew 5:21 Exodus 20:13
b. Matthew 5:22 NU omits “without a cause”.
c. Matthew 5:22 “Raca” is an Aramaic insult, related to the word for “empty” and conveying the idea of empty-headedness.
d. Matthew 5:22 or, Hell

e. Matthew 5:26 literally, kodrantes. A kodrantes was a small copper coin worth about 2 lepta (widow’s mites)—not enough to buy very much of anything.
-------