Sunday 29 July 2046

20The Lord said, “Because the cry of Sodomand Gomorrah is great,and because their sin is very grievous,21I will go down now,and see whether their deeds are as bad as the reportswhich have come to me.If not, I will know.”

22The men turned from there,and went toward Sodom,but Abraham stood yet before the Lord.23Abraham came near,and said, “Will you consume the righteous with the wicked?24What if there are fifty righteous within the city?Will you consumeand not spare the place for the fifty righteous who are in it?25May it be far from you to do things like that,to kill the righteous with the wicked,so that the righteous should be like the wicked.May that be far from you.Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?”

26The Lord said, “If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city,then I will spare the whole place for their sake.”27Abraham answered, “See now,I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord,although I am dust and ashes.28What if there will lack five of the fifty righteous?Will you destroy all the city for lack of five?”

He said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.”

29He spoke to him yet again,and said, “What if there are forty found there?”

He said, “I will not do it for the forty’s sake.”

30He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry, and I will speak.What if there are thirty found there?”

He said, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.”

31He said, “See now,I have taken it on myself to speak to the Lord.What if there are twenty found there?”

He said, “I will not destroy it for the twenty’s sake.”

32He said, “Oh don’t let the Lord be angry,and I will speak just once more.What if ten are found there?”

He said, “I will not destroy it for the ten’s sake.”

1I will give you thanks with my whole heart.Before the gods, I will sing praises to you.2I will bow down toward your holy temple,

2and give thanks to your Name for your loving kindness and for your truth;for you have exalted your Name and your Word above all.3In the day that I called, you answered me.You encouraged me with strength in my soul.

6For though the Lord is high, yet he looks after the lowly;but he knows the proud from afar.7Though I walk in the middle of trouble, you will revive me.You will stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies.

7Your right hand will save me.8The Lord will fulfill that which concerns me.Your loving kindness, Lord, endures forever.Don’t forsake the works of your own hands.

12having been buried with him in baptism,in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God,who raised him from the dead.13You were dead through your trespassesand the uncircumcision of your flesh.He made you alive together with him,having forgiven us all our trespasses,14wiping out the handwriting in ordinanceswhich was against us.He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

1When he finished praying in a certain place,one of his disciples said to him,“Lord, teach us to pray,just as John also taught his disciples.”

2He said to them, “When you pray, say,

‘Our Father in heaven,may your name be kept holy.May your Kingdom come.May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.3Give us day by day our daily bread.4Forgive us our sins,for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us.Bring us not into temptation,but deliver us from the evil one.’”

5He said to them, “Which of you,if you go to a friend at midnight and tell him,‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,6for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey,and I have nothing to set before him,’7and he from within will answer and say, ‘Don’t bother me.The door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed.I can’t get up and give it to you’?8I tell you, although he will not riseand give it to him because he is his friend,yet because of his persistence,he will get up and give him as many as he needs.

9“I tell you, keep asking, and it will be given you.Keep seeking, and you will find.Keep knocking, and it will be opened to you.10For everyone who asks receives.He who seeks finds.To him who knocks it will be opened.

11“Which of you fathers,if your son asks for bread,will give him a stone?Or if he asks for a fish,he won’t give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?12Or if he asks for an egg,he won’t give him a scorpion, will he?13If you then, being evil,know how to give good gifts to your children,how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”