Sunday 18 February 2024

8God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,9“As for me, behold,I establish my covenant with you,and with your offspring after you,10and with every living creature that is with you:the birds, the livestock,and every animal of the earth with you,of all that go out of the ship,even every animal of the earth.11I will establish my covenant with you:All flesh will not be cut off any more by the waters of the flood.There will never again be a flood to destroy the earth.”12God said, “This is the token of the covenantwhich I make between meand you and every living creature that is with you,for perpetual generations:13I set my rainbow in the cloud,and it will be a sign of a covenant between me and the earth.14When I bring a cloud over the earth,that the rainbow will be seen in the cloud,15I will remember my covenant,which is between me and youand every living creature of all flesh,and the waters will no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

4Show me your ways, Lord.Teach me your paths.5Guide me in your truth, and teach me,for you are the God of my salvation.I wait for you all day long.

6Lord, remember your tender mercies and your loving kindness,for they are from old times.7Don’t remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions.Remember me according to your loving kindness,for your goodness’ sake, Lord.

8Good and upright is the Lord,therefore he will instruct sinners in the way.9He will guide the humble in justice.He will teach the humble his way.

18Because Christ also suffered for sins once,the righteous for the unrighteous,that he might bring you to God,being put to death in the flesh,but made alive in the Spirit,19in whom he also wentand preached to the spirits in prison,20who before were disobedientwhen God waited patiently in the days of Noahwhile the ship was being built.In it, few, that is,eight souls, were saved through water.21This is a symbol of baptism, which now saves you—not the putting away of the filth of the flesh,but the answer of a good conscience toward God—through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,22who is at the right hand of God,having gone into heaven,angels and authoritiesand powers being made subject to him.

12Immediately the Spirit drove him out into the wilderness.13He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan.He was with the wild animals;and the angels were serving him.

14Now after John was taken into custody,Jesus came into Galilee,preaching the Good News of God’s Kingdom,15and saying, “The time is fulfilled,and God’s Kingdom is at hand!Repent, and believe in the Good News.”