Evening Prayer Is Updated Everyday Apart From Sunday    

Numbers 22.36 – 23.12    

36 When Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him at Ir-moab, on the boundary formed by the Arnon, at the farthest point of the boundary. 37Balak said to Balaam, ‘Did I not send to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Am I not able to honour you?’ 38Balaam said to Balak, ‘I have come to you now, but do I have power to say just anything? The word God puts in my mouth, that is what I must say.’ 39Then Balaam went with Balak, and they came to Kiriath-huzoth. 40Balak sacrificed oxen and sheep, and sent them to Balaam and to the officials who were with him.41 On the next day Balak took Balaam and brought him up to Bamoth-baal; and from there he could see part of the people of Israel.231Then Balaam said to Balak, ‘Build me seven altars here, and prepare seven bulls and seven rams for me.’ 2Balak did as Balaam had said; and Balak and Balaam offered a bull and a ram on each altar. 3Then Balaam said to Balak, ‘Stay here beside your burnt-offerings while I go aside. Perhaps the Lord will come to meet me. Whatever he shows me I will tell you.’ And he went to a bare height.4 Then God met Balaam; and Balaam said to him, ‘I have arranged the seven altars, and have offered a bull and a ram on each altar.’ 5The Lord put a word in Balaam’s mouth, and said, ‘Return to Balak, and this is what you must say.’ 6So he returned to Balak, who was standing beside his burnt-offerings with all the officials of Moab. 7Then Balaam uttered his oracle, saying:‘Balak has brought me from Aram,   the king of Moab from the eastern mountains:“Come, curse Jacob for me;   Come, denounce Israel!”8 How can I curse whom God has not cursed?   How can I denounce those whom the Lord has not denounced?9 For from the top of the crags I see him,   from the hills I behold him;Here is a people living alone,   and not reckoning itself among the nations!10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,   or number the dust-cloud of Israel?Let me die the death of the upright,   and let my end be like his!’11 Then Balak said to Balaam, ‘What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but now you have done nothing but bless them.’ 12He answered, ‘Must I not take care to say what the Lord puts into my mouth?’ 

Luke 8.1–15    

8 Soon afterwards he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him, 2as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them out of their resources.4 When a great crowd gathered and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable: 5‘A sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell on the path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6Some fell on the rock; and as it grew up, it withered for lack of moisture. 7Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. 8Some fell into good soil, and when it grew, it produced a hundredfold.’ As he said this, he called out, ‘Let anyone with ears to hear listen!’9 Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10He said, ‘To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God; but to others I speak in parables, so that“looking they may not perceive,   and listening they may not understand.”11 ‘Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. 14As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear; but as they go on their way, they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patient endurance.

Psalm 68. 1-18    

1 Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered; ♦︎   let those that hate him flee before him.2 As the smoke vanishes, so may they vanish away; ♦︎   as wax melts at the fire,      so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.3 But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; ♦︎   let them make merry with gladness.4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name;      exalt him who rides on the clouds. ♦︎   The Lord is his name; rejoice before him.5 Father of the fatherless, defender of widows, ♦︎   God in his holy habitation!6 God gives the solitary a home      and brings forth prisoners to songs of welcome, ♦︎   but the rebellious inhabit a burning desert.7 O God, when you went forth before your people, ♦︎   when you marched through the wilderness,8 The earth shook and the heavens dropped down rain,      at the presence of God, the Lord of Sinai, ♦︎   at the presence of God, the God of Israel.9 You sent down a gracious rain, O God; ♦︎   you refreshed your inheritance when it was weary.10 Your people came to dwell there; ♦︎   in your goodness, O God, you provide for the poor.11 The Lord gave the word;      great was the company of women who bore the tidings: ♦︎   ‘Kings and their armies they flee, they flee!’      and women at home are dividing the spoil.12 Though you stayed among the sheepfolds, ♦︎   see now a dove’s wings covered with silver      and its feathers with green gold.13 When the Almighty scattered the kings, ♦︎   it was like snowflakes falling on Zalmon.14 You mighty mountain, great mountain of Bashan! ♦︎   You towering mountain, great mountain of Bashan!15 Why look with envy, you towering mountains,      at the mount which God has desired for his dwelling, ♦︎   the place where the Lord will dwell for ever?16 The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,      even thousands upon thousands; ♦︎   the Lord is among them, the Lord of Sinai in holy power.17 You have gone up on high and led captivity captive; ♦︎   you have received tribute,      even from those who rebelled,      that you may reign as Lord and God.18 Blessed be the Lord who bears our burdens day by day, ♦︎   for God is our salvation.