AME Zion Universal Reading September 19th 2021

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Sunday

Mark 10:46–52 (NLT): Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus

46 Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. 47 When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

48 “Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

49 When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!” 50 Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

“My Rabbi,” the blind man said, “I want to see!”

52 And Jesus said to him, “Go, for your faith has healed you.” Instantly the man could see, and he followed Jesus down the road.

Monday

Isaiah 35:1–6 (NLT): Hope for Restoration

1 Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.

The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring crocuses.

2 Yes, there will be an abundance of flowers

and singing and joy!

The deserts will become as green as the mountains of Lebanon,

as lovely as Mount Carmel or the plain of Sharon.

There the Lord will display his glory,

the splendor of our God.

3 With this news, strengthen those who have tired hands,

and encourage those who have weak knees.

4 Say to those with fearful hearts,

“Be strong, and do not fear,

for your God is coming to destroy your enemies.

He is coming to save you.”

5 And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind

and unplug the ears of the deaf.

6 The lame will leap like a deer,

and those who cannot speak will sing for joy!

Springs will gush forth in the wilderness,

and streams will water the wasteland.

Tuesday

Psalm 96:1–13 (NLT): 1 Sing a new song to the Lord!

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

2 Sing to the Lord; praise his name.

Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

3 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

4 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

He is to be feared above all gods.

5 The gods of other nations are mere idols,

but the Lord made the heavens!

6 Honor and majesty surround him;

strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

7 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;

recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.

8 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!

Bring your offering and come into his courts.

9 Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.

Let all the earth tremble before him.

10 Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

He will judge all peoples fairly.

11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

Let the trees of the forest sing for joy

13 before the Lord, for he is coming!

He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with his truth.

Wednesday

Psalm 115:1–18 (NLT):

1 Not to us, O Lord, not to us,

but to your name goes all the glory

for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

2 Why let the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

3 Our God is in the heavens,

and he does as he wishes.

4 Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,

shaped by human hands.

5 They have mouths but cannot speak,

and eyes but cannot see.

6 They have ears but cannot hear,

and mouths but cannot breathe.

7 They have hands but cannot feel,

and feet but cannot walk,

and throats but cannot make a sound.

8 And those who make idols are just like them,

as are all who trust in them.

9 O Israel, trust the Lord!

He is your helper and your shield.

10 O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!

He is your helper and your shield.

11 All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!

He is your helper and your shield.

12 The Lord remembers us and will bless us.

He will bless the people of Israel

and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

13 He will bless those who fear the Lord,

both great and lowly.

14 May the Lord richly bless

both you and your children.

15 May you be blessed by the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

16 The heavens belong to the Lord,

but he has given the earth to all humanity.

17 The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord,

for they have gone into the silence of the grave.

18 But we can praise the Lord

both now and forever!

Praise the Lord!

Thursday

Mark 10:17–22 (NLT): The Rich Man

17 As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. 19 But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’”

20 “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

21 Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

22 At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

Friday

Mark 10:42–45 (NLT):

42 So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. 45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Saturday

Psalm 146:1–10 (NLT):

1 Praise the Lord!

Let all that I am praise the Lord.

2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live.

I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.

3 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;

there is no help for you there.

4 When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,

and all their plans die with them.

5 But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,

whose hope is in the Lord their God.

6 He made heaven and earth,

the sea, and everything in them.

He keeps every promise forever.

7 He gives justice to the oppressed

and food to the hungry.

The Lord frees the prisoners.

8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.

The Lord lifts up those who are weighed down.

The Lord loves the godly.

9 The Lord protects the foreigners among us.

He cares for the orphans and widows,

but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.

10 The Lord will reign forever.

He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.

Praise the Lord!

Torah Reading for Rosh Hashanah. Second Day of Rosh Hashanah

Wednesday, 2 Tishrei, 5782 8 September, 2021

First Portion

Genesis Chapter 22

1And it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham, and He said to him, "Abraham," and he said, "Here I am."2And He said, "Please take your son, your only one, whom you love, yea, Isaac, and go away to the land of Moriah and bring him up there for a burnt offering on one of the mountains, of which I will tell you."3And Abraham arose early in the morning, and he saddled his donkey, and he took his two young men with him and Isaac his son; and he split wood for a burnt offering, and he arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Second Portion

Genesis Chapter 22

4On the third day, Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.5And Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go yonder, and we will prostrate ourselves and return to you."6And Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering, and he placed [it] upon his son Isaac, and he took into his hand the fire and the knife, and they both went together.7And Isaac spoke to Abraham his father, and he said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?"8And Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And they both went together.

Third Portion

Genesis Chapter 22

9And they came to the place of which God had spoken to him, and Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and he bound Isaac his son and placed him on the altar upon the wood.10And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took the knife, to slaughter his son.11And an angel of God called to him from heaven and said, "Abraham! Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am."12And he said, "Do not stretch forth your hand to the lad, nor do the slightest thing to him, for now I know that you are a God fearing man, and you did not withhold your son, your only one, from Me."13And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and he saw, and lo! there was a ram, [and] after [that] it was caught in a tree by its horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.14And Abraham named that place, The Lord will see, as it is said to this day: On the mountain, the Lord will be seen.

Fourth Portion

Genesis Chapter 22

15And an angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven.16And he said, "By Myself have I sworn, says the Lord, that because you have done this thing and you did not withhold your son, your only one,17That I will surely bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens and as the sand that is on the seashore, and your descendants will inherit the cities of their enemies.18And through your children shall be blessed all the nations of the world, because you hearkened to My voice."19And Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beer sheba; and Abraham remained in Beer sheba.

Fifth Portion

Genesis Chapter 22

20And it came to pass after these matters, that it was told to Abraham saying: "Behold Milcah, she also bore sons to Nahor your brother.21Uz, his first born, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel, the father of Aram.22And Kesed and Hazo and Pildash and Jidlaph, and Bethuel.23And Bethuel begot Rebecca." These eight did Milcah bear to Nahor, Abraham's brother.24And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, had also given birth to Tebah and Gaham and Tahash and Maacah.

Maftir Portion

Numbers Chapter 29

1And in the seventh month, on the first day, there shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work. It shall be a day of shofar sounding for you.2You shall offer up a burnt offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.3And their meal offering [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for the bull and two tenths for the ram.4And one tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs.5And one young male goat as a sin offering, to atone for you.6[This is] besides the burnt offering of the new month and its meal offering, and the continual burnt offering and its meal offering, and their libations as prescribed for them, as a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord.

Haftarah

Jeremiah Chapter 31

1So says the Lord: In the wilderness, the people who had escaped the sword found favor; He [therefore] went to give Israel their resting place.2From long ago, the Lord appeared to me; With everlasting love have I loved you; therefore have I drawn you to Me with loving-kindness.3Yet again will I rebuild you, then you shall be built, O virgin of Israel; yet again shall you be adorned with your tambourines, and you shall go out with the dances of those who make merry.4Yet again shall you plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria, indeed planters shall plant [them] and redeem [them].5For there is a day, the watchers shall call on the mountains of Ephraim; Rise! Let us go up to Zion, to the Lord, our God.6For so says the Lord to Jacob, "Sing [with] joy and shout at the head of the nations, make it heard, praise, and say, 'O Lord, help Your people, the remnant of Israel!' "7Behold I bring them from the north country and gather them from the uttermost ends of the earth, the blind and the lame amongst them, the woman with child and she who travails with child all together; a great company shall they return there.8With weeping will they come, and with supplications will I lead them, along brooks of water will I make them go, on a straight road upon which they will not stumble, for I have become a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.9Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it on the islands from afar, and say, "He Who scattered Israel will gather them together and watch them as a shepherd his flock.10For the Lord has redeemed Jacob and has saved him out of the hand of him who is stronger than he.11And they shall come and jubilate on the height of Zion, and they will stream to the goodness of the Lord, over corn, wine, and oil, and over sheep and cattle, and their soul shall be like a well-watered garden, and they shall have no further worry at all.12Then shall the virgin rejoice in the round dance with music, and the young men and the old men together, and I will turn their mourning into joy and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their sorrow.13And I will refresh the soul of the priests with fat, and My people-they will be satisfied with My goodness, is the word of the Lord.14So says the Lord: A voice is heard on high, lamentation, bitter weeping, Rachel weeping for her children, she refuses to be comforted for her children for they are not.15So says the Lord: Refrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for there is reward for your work, says the Lord, and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.16And there is hope for your future, says the Lord, and the children shall return to their own border.17I have indeed heard Ephraim complaining, [saying,] "You have chastised me, and I was chastised as an ungoaded calf, O lead me back, and I will return, for You are the Lord, my God.18For after my return I have completely changed my mind, and after I had been brought to know myself, I smote upon my thigh; I was ashamed, yea I stood confounded, for I bore the reproach of my youth."19"Is Ephraim a son who is dear to Me? Is he a child who is dandled? For whenever I speak of him, I still remember him: therefore, My very innards are agitated for him; I will surely have compassion on him," says the Lord.

Torah Reading for Rosh Hashanah. First Day of Rosh Hashanah

Tuesday, 1 Tishrei, 5782 7 September, 2021

First Portion

Genesis Chapter 21

1And the Lord remembered Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did to Sarah as He had spoken.2And Sarah conceived and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the time of which God had spoken to him.3And Abraham named his son who had been born to him, whom Sarah had borne to him, Isaac.4And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.

Second Portion

Genesis Chapter 21

5And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born to him.6And Sarah said, "God has made joy for me; whoever hears will rejoice over me."7And she said, "Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children, for I have borne a son to his old age!"8And the child grew and was weaned, and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.9And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, making merry.10And Sarah said to Abraham, "Drive out this handmaid and her son, for the son of this handmaid shall not inherit with my son, with Isaac."11But the matter greatly displeased Abraham, concerning his son.12And God said to Abraham, "Be not displeased concerning the lad and concerning your handmaid; whatever Sarah tells you, hearken to her voice, for in Isaac will be called your seed.

Third Portion

Genesis Chapter 21

13But also the son of the handmaid I will make into a nation, because he is your seed."14And Abraham arose early in the morning, and he took bread and a leather pouch of water, and he gave [them] to Hagar, he placed [them] on her shoulder, and the child, and he sent her away; and she went and wandered in the desert of Beer sheba.15And the water was depleted from the leather pouch, and she cast the child under one of the bushes.16And she went and sat down from afar, at about the distance of two bowshots, for she said, "Let me not see the child's death." And she sat from afar, and she raised her voice and wept.17And God heard the lad's voice, and an angel of God called to Hagar from heaven, and said to her, "What is troubling you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the lad's voice in the place where he is.18Rise, pick up the lad and grasp your hand upon him, for I shall make him into a great nation."19And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water, and she went and filled the pouch with water and gave the lad to drink.20And God was with the lad, and he grew, and he dwelt in the desert, and he became an archer.21And he dwelt in the desert of Paran, and his mother took for him a wife from the land of Egypt.

Fourth Portion

Genesis Chapter 21

22Now it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phicol his general said to Abraham, saying, "God is with you in all that you do.23And now, swear to me here by God, that you will not lie to me or to my son or to my grandson; according to the kindness that I have done with you, you shall do with me, and with the land wherein you have sojourned."24And Abraham said, "I will swear."25And Abraham contended with Abimelech about the well of water that the servants of Abimelech had forcibly seized.26And Abimelech said, "I do not know who did this thing, neither did you tell me, nor did I hear [of it] until today. "27And Abraham took flocks and cattle, and gave them to Abimelech, and they both formed a covenant.

Fifth Portion

Genesis Chapter 21

28And Abraham placed seven ewe lambs by themselves.29And Abimelech said to Abraham, "What are these seven ewe lambs, which you have placed by themselves?"30And he said, "For these seven ewe lambs you shall take from my hand, in order that it be to me for a witness that I dug this well."31Therefore, he named that place Beer sheba, for there they both swore.32And they formed a covenant in Beer-sheba, and Abimelech and Phicol his general arose, and they returned to the land of the Philistines.33And he planted an eishel in Beer-Sheba, and he called there in the name of the Lord, the God of the world.34And Abraham dwelt in the land of the Philistines for many days.

Maftir Portion

Numbers Chapter 29

1And in the seventh month, on the first day, there shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall not perform any mundane work. It shall be a day of shofar sounding for you.2You shall offer up a burnt offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.3And their meal offering [shall be] fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths for the bull and two tenths for the ram.4And one tenth for each lamb, for the seven lambs.5And one young male goat as a sin offering, to atone for you.6[This is] besides the burnt offering of the new month and its meal offering, and the continual burnt offering and its meal offering, and their libations as prescribed for them, as a spirit of satisfaction, a fire offering to the Lord.

Haftarah

I Samuel Chapter 1

1And there was one man from Ramathaim Zophim, from Mt. Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.2And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah and the name of the second was Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.3And that man was wont to go up from his city from appointed time to appointed time, to prostrate himself and to slaughter (peace offerings) to the Lord of Hosts in Shiloh, and there the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinhas, were serving the Lord.4And when it was the day, and Elkanah slaughtered (peace offerings), and he would give to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions.5And to Hannah he would give one choice portion, for he loved Hannah, and the Lord had shut up her womb.6And her rival would frequently anger her, in order to make her complain, for the Lord had shut up her womb.7And so he would do year by year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, so she would anger her, and she wept and would not eat.8And Elkanah her husband said to her, "Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"9And Hannah arose after eating and after drinking, and Eli the priest was sitting on the chair beside the doorpost of the Temple of the Lord.10And she was bitter in spirit, and she prayed to the Lord, and wept.11And she vowed a vow, and said: to Lord of Hosts, if You will look upon the affliction of Your bondswoman, and You will remember me, and You will not forget Your bondswoman and You will give Your bondswoman a man-child, and I shall give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.12And it was, as she prayed long before the Lord, that Eli watched her mouth.13But Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, and her voice was not heard, and Eli thought her to be a drunken woman.14And Eli said to her: Until when will you be drunk? Throw off your wine from upon yourself.15And Hannah answered and said: No, my lord, I am a woman of sorrowful spirit, and neither new wine nor old wine have I drunk, and I poured out my soul before the Lord.16Deliver not your bondswoman before the unscrupulous woman, for out of the abundance of my complaint and my vexation have I spoken until now.17And Eli answered and said: Go in peace, and the God of Israel will grant your request which you have asked of Him.18And she said: May your bondswoman find favor in your eyes; and the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was not (sad) anymore.19And they arose early in the morning, and prostrated themselves before the Lord: and they returned and came to their house, to Ramah, and Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife, and the Lord remembered her.20And it was, when the time came about, after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, because (she said); "I asked him of the Lord."21And the man, Elkanah and his entire household, went up to slaughter to the Lord, the sacrifice of the days and his vow.22But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband: "Until the child is weaned, then I shall bring him, and he shall appear before the Lord, and abide there forever.23And Elkanah her husband said to her: "Do what seems good to you. Stay until you have weaned him, only, may the Lord fulfill His word." And the woman stayed and nursed her son, until she weaned him.24And she brought him with her when she had weaned him, with three bulls, and one ephah of meal, and an earthenware jug of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord, to Shiloh, and the child was young.25And they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli.26And she said, "Please, my lord! As surely as your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here with you, to pray to the Lord.27For this child did I pray, and the Lord granted me my request, which I asked of Him.28And I also have lent him to the Lord; all the days which he will be alive, he is borrowed by the Lord." And he prostrated himself there to the Lord.

I Samuel Chapter 2

1And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart has rejoiced through the Lord; My horn has been raised by the Lord. My mouth is opened wide against my enemies, For I have rejoiced in Your salvation.2There is none as holy as the Lord, For there is none besides You; And there is no rock like our God.3Do not increasingly speak haughtily; Let not arrogance come out of your mouth, For the Lord is a God of thoughts, And to Him are deeds counted.4The bows of the mighty are broken; And those who stumbled, are girded with strength.5Those who were satiated have hired themselves out for bread, While the hungry have ceased. While the barren woman has born seven, She that had many children, has been bereaved.6The Lord kills and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up.7The Lord impoverishes and makes rich. He humbles; He also exalts.8He lifts the poor from the dust; From the dunghill, He raises the pauper, To seat them with princes, And a seat of honor He causes them to inherit, For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, And He placed the world upon them.9The feet of His pious ones He will guard, And the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, For not by strength will man prevail.10Those who strive with the Lord will be broken; Upon him will He thunder in Heaven; The Lord will judge the ends of the earth. And He will grant strength to His King, And raise the horn of His anointed one.