Monday 5 October 1987

1Now the Lord’s word came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying,2“Arise, go to Nineveh,that great city, and preach against it,for their wickedness has come up before me.”

3But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.He went down to Joppa, and found a ship going to Tarshish;so he paid its fare,and went down into it,to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord.

4But the Lord sent out a great wind on the sea,and there was a mighty storm on the sea,so that the ship was likely to break up.5Then the mariners were afraid,and every man cried to his god.They threw the cargothat was in the ship into the sea to lighten the ship.But Jonah had gone down into the innermost parts of the shipand he was laying down,and was fast asleep.6So the ship master came to him,and said to him, “What do you mean, sleeper?Arise, call on your God!Maybe your God will notice us, so that we won’t perish.”

7They all said to each other, “Come!Let’s cast lots, that we may knowwho is responsible for this evil that is on us.”So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah.8Then they asked him,“Tell us, please, for whose cause this evil is on us.What is your occupation?Where do you come from?What is your country?Of what people are you?”

9He said to them, “I am a Hebrew,and I fear the Lord,the God of heaven,who has made the sea and the dry land.”

10Then the men were exceedingly afraid,and said to him, “What have you done?”For the men knewthat he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord,because he had told them.11Then they said to him,“What shall we do to you,that the sea may be calm to us?”For the sea grew more and more stormy.

12He said to them, “Take me up, and throw me into the sea.Then the sea will be calm for you;for I know that because of me this great storm is on you.”

13Nevertheless the men rowed hard to get them back to the land;but they could not,for the sea grew more and more stormy against them.14Therefore they cried to the Lord,and said, “We beg you,Lord, we beg you, don’t let us die for this man’s life,and don’t lay on us innocent blood;for you, Lord, have done as it pleased you.”15So they took up Jonah and threw him into the sea;and the sea ceased its raging.16Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly;and they offered a sacrifice to the Lord and made vows.

1The Lord prepared a huge fish to swallow up Jonah,and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

2Then Jonah prayed to the Lord,his God, out of the fish’s belly.

· · · verses 3–10 are not read11Then the Lord spoke to the fish,and it vomited out Jonah on the dry land.

3He said,

“I called because of my affliction to the Lord.He answered me.Out of the belly of Sheol I cried.You heard my voice.

4For you threw me into the depths,in the heart of the seas.The flood was all around me.All your waves and your billows passed over me.

5I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight;yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’

8“When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the Lord.My prayer came in to you, into your holy temple.

25Behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested him,saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

26He said to him, “What is written in the law?How do you read it?”

27He answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,with all your soul,with all your strength,and with all your mind;and your neighbor as yourself.”

28He said to him, “You have answered correctly.Do this, and you will live.”

29But he, desiring to justify himself,asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”

30Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho,and he fell among robbers,who both stripped him and beat him,and departed, leaving him half dead.31By chance a certain priest was going down that way.When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.32In the same way a Levite also,when he came to the place and saw him,passed by on the other side.33But a certain Samaritan,as he traveled, came where he was.When he saw him, he was moved with compassion,34came to him, and bound up his wounds,pouring on oil and wine.He set him on his own animal,brought him to an inn,and took care of him.35On the next day, when he departed,he took out two denarii,gave them to the host,and said to him, ‘Take care of him.Whatever you spend beyond that,I will repay you when I return.’36Now which of these three do you think seemed to be a neighbor to himwho fell among the robbers?”

37He said, “He who showed mercy on him.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do likewise.”