Wednesday 24 May 2034

9The Lord God called to the man,and said to him, “Where are you?”

10The man said, “I heard your voice in the garden,and I was afraid, because I was naked;so I hid myself.”

11God said, “Who told you that you were naked?Have you eaten from the treethat I commanded you not to eat from?”

12The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me,she gave me fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

13The Lord God said to the woman, “What have you done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

14The Lord God said to the serpent,

“Because you have done this,you are cursed above all livestock,and above every animal of the field.You shall go on your bellyand you shall eat dust all the days of your life.15I will put hostility between you and the woman,and between your offspring and her offspring.He will bruise your head,and you will bruise his heel.”

· · · verses 16–19 are not read20The man called his wife Evebecause she would be the mother of all the living.

1Praise the Lord, my soul!All that is within me, praise his holy name!2Praise the Lord, my soul,and don’t forget all his benefits,

3who forgives all your sins,who heals all your diseases,4who redeems your life from destruction,who crowns you with loving kindness and tender mercies,

8The Lord is merciful and gracious,slow to anger, and abundant in loving kindness.9He will not always accuse;neither will he stay angry forever.

11For as the heavens are high above the earth,so great is his loving kindness toward those who fear him.12As far as the east is from the west,so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

14For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,15from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named,16that he would grant you,according to the riches of his glory,that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,17that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith,to the end that you,being rooted and grounded in love,18may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the widthand length and height and depth,19and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge,that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

19His mother and brothers came to him,and they could not come near him for the crowd.20Some people told him,“Your mother and your brothers stand outside,desiring to see you.”

21But he answered them,“My mother and my brothers are thesewho hear the word of God and do it.”