Daily Readings

8th February

Exodus 16

1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.2 And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:3 And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.6 And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:7 And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?8 And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.9 And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.10 And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.11 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,12 I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.13 And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.14 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.15 And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.16 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.17 And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.18 And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.19 And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.20 Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.21 And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.22 And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.23 And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.24 And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.27 And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.30 So the people rested on the seventh day.31 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.32 And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.33 And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.34 As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.35 And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.36 Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.

Psalms 70,71

1 MAKE HASTE, O GOD, TO DELIVER ME; MAKE HASTE TO HELP ME, O LORD.2 Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul: let them be turned backward, and put to confusion, that desire my hurt.3 Let them be turned back for a reward of their shame that say, Aha, aha.4 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.5 But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.

1 In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.2 Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.3 Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.4 Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.5 For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.6 By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.7 I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.8 Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.10 For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,11 Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.12 O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.13 Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.14 But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.15 My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.16 I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.17 O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.18 Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.19 Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!20 Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.21 Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.22 I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.23 My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.24 My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

Mark 4

1 And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.2 And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,3 Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:4 And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.5 And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:6 But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.8 And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.9 And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.10 And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:12 That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.13 And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?14 The sower soweth the word.15 And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;17 And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.18 And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,19 And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.20 And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.21 And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?22 For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.23 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.24 And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.30 And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:32 But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.33 And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.35 And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?