[Propertalk] READINGS for the ELEVENTH SUNDAY after PENTECOST

[Charles Wohlers]

The following are the readings for the Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost 
(Proper 16), August 24, according to the Revised Common (RCL), Episcopal 
(ECUSA), Roman Catholic, Canadian BAS, and the Church of England (Common 
Worship) lectionaries. All readings are taken from the New Revised Standard 
Version (NRSV) of the Bible. Unless noted otherwise, the ECUSA, Canadian and 
C of E lectionaries are identical to the RCL for this day. Throughout 
Pentecost the alternate RCL Psalm would normally be used with the alternate 
RCL O. T. reading. Note also that the Canadian RCL does not have the 
alternative readings.



OLD TRESTAMENT: Exodus 1: 8 - 2: 10 (RCL)

Exod 1:8 (NRSV) Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 
He said to his people, "Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and 
more powerful than we. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, or they will 
increase and, in the event of war, join our enemies and fight against us and 
escape from the land." 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to 
oppress them with forced labor. They built supply cities, Pi'thom and 
Ram'eses, for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they 
multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites. 
13 The Egyptians became ruthless in imposing tasks on the Israelites, 14 and 
made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and brick and in every 
kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed 
on them.
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named 
Shiph'rah and the other Pu'ah, 16 "When you act as midwives to the Hebrew 
women, and see them on the birthstool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it 
is a girl, she shall live." 17 But the midwives feared God; they did not do 
as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. 18 So the 
king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done 
this, and allowed the boys to live?" 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, 
"Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are 
vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." 20 So God dealt 
well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21 
And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh 
commanded all his people, "Every boy that is born to the Hebrews you shall 
throw into the Nile, but you shall let every girl live." 2:1 Now a man from 
the house of Levi went and married a Le'vite woman. 2 The woman conceived 
and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three 
months. 3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for 
him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and 
placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river. 4 His sister stood at a 
distance, to see what would happen to him.
5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her 
attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and 
sent her maid to bring it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child. He was 
crying, and she took pity on him, "This must be one of the Hebrews' 
children," she said. 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I 
go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" 8 
Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes." So the girl went and called the 
child's mother. 9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse 
it for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and 
nursed it. 10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, 
and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, "because," she said, "I 
drew him out of the water."


Isaiah 51: 1 - 6 (alt. for RCL)

Isai 51:1 (NRSV) Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
you that seek the LORD.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
2 Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
but I blessed him and made him many.
3 For the LORD will comfort Zion;
he will comfort all her waste places,
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the LORD;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.
4 Listen to me, my people,
and give heed to me, my nation;
for a teaching will go out from me,
and my justice for a light to the peoples.
5 I will bring near my deliverance swiftly,
my salvation has gone out
and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
and for my arm they hope.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and those who live on it will die like gnats;
but my salvation will be forever,
and my deliverance will never be ended.


Isaiah 22: 15, 19 - 23 (Roman Catholic)

Isai 22:15 (NRSV) Thus says the Lord GOD of hosts: Come, go to this steward, 
to Sheb'na, who is master of the household, and say to him: 19 I will thrust 
you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your post.
20 On that day I will call my servant Eli'akim son of Hilki'ah, 21 and will 
clothe him with your robe and bind your sash on him. I will commit your 
authority to his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of 
Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. 22 I will place on his shoulder the key 
of the house of David; he shall open, and no one shall shut; he shall shut, 
and no one shall open. 23 I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, 
and he will become a throne of honor to his ancestral house.


PSALM 124 (RCL)

Psal 124:1 (NRSV) If it had not been the LORD who was on our side
--let Israel now say-- 
2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side,
when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away,
the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the LORD,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD,
who made heaven and earth.


Psalm 138 (alt. for RCL)
Psalm 138: 1 - 3, 6, 8 (Roman Catholic)

Psal 138:1 (NRSV) I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.
3 On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5 They shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
for great is the glory of the LORD.
6 For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand,
and your right hand delivers me.
8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.


NEW TESTAMENT: Romans 12: 1 - 8   (RCL)

Roma 12:1 (NRSV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the 
mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and 
acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to 
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you 
may discern what is the will of God--what is good and acceptable and 
perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of 
yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober 
judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 
For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the 
same function, 5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and 
individually we are members one of another. 6 We have gifts that differ 
according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; 7 
ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; 8 the exhorter, in 
exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the 
compassionate, in cheerfulness.


Romans 11: 33 - 36 (Roman Catholic)

Roma 11:33 (NRSV) O the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! 
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
34 "For who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"
35 "Or who has given a gift to him,
to receive a gift in return?"
36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the 
glory forever. Amen.


GOSPEL: Matthew 16: 13 - 20 (all)

Matt 16:13 (NRSV) Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a 
Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man 
is?" 14 And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, but others Eli'jah, and 
still others Jeremi'ah or one of the prophets." 15 He said to them, "But who 
do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the 
Son of the living God." 17 And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon 
son of Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my 
Father in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will 
build my church, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. 19 I 
will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on 
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be 
loosed in heaven." 20 Then he sternly ordered the disciples not to tell 
anyone that he was the Messiah.



Chad Wohlers
Woodbury, MA  USA
chadwohl at satucket.com
cwohlers at bridgew.edu