FIRST READING:
1 Kings 21:
17 - 29
17
Then the word of the LORD came to Eli'jah the Tishbite, saying,
18
"Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Sama'ria;
behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take
possession.
19
And you shall say to him, `Thus says the LORD, "Have you killed,
and also taken possession?"' And you shall say to him, `Thus
says the LORD: "In the place where dogs licked up the blood of
Naboth shall dogs lick your own blood."'"
20
Ahab said to Eli'jah, "Have you found me, O my enemy?" He
answered, "I have found you, because you have sold yourself to
do what is evil in the sight of the LORD.
21
Behold, I will bring evil upon you; I will utterly sweep you away,
and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel;
22
and I will make your house like the house of Jerobo'am the son of
Nebat, and like the house of Ba'asha the son of Ahi'jah, for the
anger to which you have provoked me, and because you have made Israel
to sin.
23
And of Jez'ebel the LORD also said, `The dogs shall eat Jez'ebel
within the bounds of Jezreel.'
24
Any one belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat;
and any one of his who dies in the open country the birds of the air
shall eat."
25
(There was none who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of
the LORD like Ahab, whom Jez'ebel his wife incited.
26
He did very abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had
done, whom the LORD cast out before the people of Israel.)
27
And when Ahab heard those words, he rent his clothes, and put
sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went
about dejectedly.
28
And the word of the LORD came to Eli'jah the Tishbite, saying,
29
"Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because
he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his
days; but in his son's days I will bring the evil upon his house."
PSALM:
Psalms 51: 3 - 6, 11, 16
3
For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil
in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and
blameless in thy judgment.
5
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother
conceive me.
6
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me
wisdom in my secret heart.
11
Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from
me.
16
For thou hast no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt
offering, thou wouldst not be pleased.
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 say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you,
45
so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for he makes
his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just
and on the unjust.
46
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even
the tax collectors do the same?
47
And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing than
others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?
48
You, therefore, must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
