AME Zion Universal Reading October 15th, 2023

First Portion Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 33

1And this is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel [just] before his death.2He said: "The Lord came from Sinai and shone forth from Seir to them; He appeared from Mount Paran and came with some of the holy myriads; from His right hand was a fiery Law for them.3Indeed, You showed love for peoples; all his holy ones are in Your hand, for they let themselves be centered at Your feet, bearing Your utterances.4The Torah that Moses commanded us is a legacy for the congregation of Jacob.5And He was King in Jeshurun, whenever the sum total of the people were gathered, and the tribes of Israel were together,6May Reuben live and not die, and may his people be counted in the number.7May this [also be] for Judah." And he [Moses] said, "O Lord, hearken to Judah's voice and bring him to his people; may his hands do battle for him, and may You be a help against his adversaries."

Galatians 2:11–21 (NLT): Paul Confronts Peter

11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I had to oppose him to his face, for what he did was very wrong. 12 When he first arrived, he ate with the Gentile believers, who were not circumcised. But afterward, when some friends of James came, Peter wouldn’t eat with the Gentiles anymore. He was afraid of criticism from these people who insisted on the necessity of circumcision. 13 As a result, other Jewish believers followed Peter’s hypocrisy, and even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.

14 When I saw that they were not following the truth of the gospel message, I said to Peter in front of all the others, “Since you, a Jew by birth, have discarded the Jewish laws and are living like a Gentile, why are you now trying to make these Gentiles follow the Jewish traditions?

15 “You and I are Jews by birth, not ‘sinners’ like the Gentiles. 16 Yet we know that a person is made right with God by faith in Jesus Christ, not by obeying the law. And we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we might be made right with God because of our faith in Christ, not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be made right with God by obeying the law.”

17 But suppose we seek to be made right with God through faith in Christ and then we are found guilty because we have abandoned the law. Would that mean Christ has led us into sin? Absolutely not! 18 Rather, I am a sinner if I rebuild the old system of law I already tore down. 19 For when I tried to keep the law, it condemned me. So I died to the law—I stopped trying to meet all its requirements—so that I might live for God. 20 My old self has been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 21 I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.

Second Portion Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 33

8And of Levi he said: "Your Tummim and Urim belong to Your pious man, whom You tested at Massah and whom You tried at the waters of Meribah,9who said of his father and his mother, 'I do not see him'; neither did he recognize his brothers, nor did he know his children, for they observed Your word and kept Your covenant.10They shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob, and Your Torah to Israel; they shall place incense before You, and burnt offerings upon Your altar.11May the Lord bless his army and favorably accept the work of his hands; strike the loins of those who rise up against him and his enemies, so that they will not recover."12And of Benjamin he said, "The Lord's beloved one shall dwell securely beside Him; He protects him all day long, and He dwells between his shoulders."

Monday

Psalm 31:1–24 (NLT):

1 O Lord, I have come to you for protection;

don’t let me be disgraced.

Save me, for you do what is right.

2 Turn your ear to listen to me;

rescue me quickly.

Be my rock of protection,

a fortress where I will be safe.

3 You are my rock and my fortress.

For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger.

4 Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,

for I find protection in you alone.

5 I entrust my spirit into your hand.

Rescue me, Lord, for you are a faithful God.

6 I hate those who worship worthless idols.

I trust in the Lord.

7 I will be glad and rejoice in your unfailing love,

for you have seen my troubles,

and you care about the anguish of my soul.

8 You have not handed me over to my enemies

but have set me in a safe place.

9 Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am in distress.

Tears blur my eyes.

My body and soul are withering away.

10 I am dying from grief;

my years are shortened by sadness.

Sin has drained my strength;

I am wasting away from within.

11 I am scorned by all my enemies

and despised by my neighbors—

even my friends are afraid to come near me.

When they see me on the street,

they run the other way.

12 I am ignored as if I were dead,

as if I were a broken pot.

13 I have heard the many rumors about me,

and I am surrounded by terror.

My enemies conspire against me,

plotting to take my life.

14 But I am trusting you, O Lord,

saying, “You are my God!”

15 My future is in your hands.

Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.

16 Let your favor shine on your servant.

In your unfailing love, rescue me.

17 Don’t let me be disgraced, O Lord,

for I call out to you for help.

Let the wicked be disgraced;

let them lie silent in the grave.

18 Silence their lying lips—

those proud and arrogant lips that accuse the godly.

19 How great is the goodness

you have stored up for those who fear you.

You lavish it on those who come to you for protection,

blessing them before the watching world.

20 You hide them in the shelter of your presence,

safe from those who conspire against them.

You shelter them in your presence,

far from accusing tongues.

21 Praise the Lord,

for he has shown me the wonders of his unfailing love.

He kept me safe when my city was under attack.

22 In panic I cried out,

“I am cut off from the Lord!”

But you heard my cry for mercy

and answered my call for help.

23 Love the Lord, all you godly ones!

For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him,

but he harshly punishes the arrogant.

24 So be strong and courageous,

all you who put your hope in the Lord!

Third Portion Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 33

13And of Joseph he said: "His land shall be blessed by the Lord, with the sweetness of the heavens with dew, and with the deep that lies below,14and with the sweetness of the produce of the sun, and with the sweetness of the moon's yield,15and with the crops of early mountains, and with the sweetness of perennial hills,16and with the sweetness of the land and its fullness, and through the contentment of the One Who dwells in the thornbush. May it come upon Joseph's head and upon the crown of the one separated from his brothers.17To his firstborn ox is [given] glory. His horns are the horns of a re'em. With them, he will gore peoples together [throughout all] the ends of the earth these are the myriads of Ephraim, and these are the thousands of Manasseh."

Tuesday

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.

Fourth Portion Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 33

18And to Zebulun he said: "Rejoice, Zebulun, in your departure, and Issachar, in your tents.19They will call peoples to the mountain; there, they will offer up righteous sacrifices. For they will be nourished by the abundance of the seas, and by the treasures hidden in the sand."20And of Gad he said: "Blessed is He Who grants expanse to Gad; he dwells like a lion, tearing the arm [of his prey, together] with the head.21He saw the first portion for himself, because there, the portion of the lawgiver is hidden. And he came at the head of the people; he did what is righteous for the Lord, and what is lawful with Israel."

Wednesday

Psalm 28:1–9 (NLT):

1 I pray to you, O Lord, my rock.

Do not turn a deaf ear to me.

For if you are silent,

I might as well give up and die.

2 Listen to my prayer for mercy

as I cry out to you for help,

as I lift my hands toward your holy sanctuary.

3 Do not drag me away with the wicked—

with those who do evil—

those who speak friendly words to their neighbors

while planning evil in their hearts.

4 Give them the punishment they so richly deserve!

Measure it out in proportion to their wickedness.

Pay them back for all their evil deeds!

Give them a taste of what they have done to others.

5 They care nothing for what the Lord has done

or for what his hands have made.

So he will tear them down,

and they will never be rebuilt!

6 Praise the Lord!

For he has heard my cry for mercy.

7 The Lord is my strength and shield.

I trust him with all my heart.

He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.

I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

8 The Lord gives his people strength.

He is a safe fortress for his anointed king.

9 Save your people!

Bless Israel, your special possession.

Lead them like a shepherd,

and carry them in your arms forever.

Fifth Portion Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 33

22And of Dan he said: "Dan is a young lion, streaming from Bashan."23And of Naftali he said, "Naftali is favorably satisfied and full of the Lord's blessing. Possess the Sea and the south."24And of Asher he said: "May Asher be blessed with sons. He will be pleasing to his brothers, and immerse his foot in oil.25Your locks are iron and copper, and the days of your old age will be like the days of your youth.26Jeshurun, there is none like God; He Who rides the heavens is at your assistance, and with His majesty, [He rides] the skies,

Thursday

Acts 15:22–35 (NLT): The Letter for Gentile Believers

22 Then the apostles and elders together with the whole church in Jerusalem chose delegates, and they sent them to Antioch of Syria with Paul and Barnabas to report on this decision. The men chosen were two of the church leaders—Judas (also called Barsabbas) and Silas. 23 This is the letter they took with them:

“This letter is from the apostles and elders, your brothers in Jerusalem. It is written to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. Greetings!

24 “We understand that some men from here have troubled you and upset you with their teaching, but we did not send them! 25 So we decided, having come to complete agreement, to send you official representatives, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 We are sending Judas and Silas to confirm what we have decided concerning your question.

28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay no greater burden on you than these few requirements: 29 You must abstain from eating food offered to idols, from consuming blood or the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. If you do this, you will do well. Farewell.”

30 The messengers went at once to Antioch, where they called a general meeting of the believers and delivered the letter. 31 And there was great joy throughout the church that day as they read this encouraging message.

32 Then Judas and Silas, both being prophets, spoke at length to the believers, encouraging and strengthening their faith. 33 They stayed for a while, and then the believers sent them back to the church in Jerusalem with a blessing of peace. 35 Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord there.

Sixth Portion Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 33

27which are the abode for the God Who precedes all, and below, are the mighty ones of the world. He expelled the enemy from before you, and said, 'Destroy!'28And Israel dwelled safely and alone as Jacob [blessed them], in a land of grain and wine; also, their heavens will drip dew.29Fortunate are you, O Israel! Who is like you, O people whose salvation is through the Lord, the Shield Who helps you, your majestic Sword! Your enemies will lie to you, but you will tread upon their heights."

Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 34

1And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, [to the] top of the summit facing Jericho. And the Lord showed him all the Land: The Gilead until Dan,2and all [the land of] Naftali, and the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah, until the western sea,3and the south, and the plain, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, until Zoar.4And the Lord said to him, "This is the Land I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your offspring.' I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."5And Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there, in the land of Moab, by the mouth of the Lord.6And He buried him in the valley, in the land of Moab, opposite Beth Pe'or. And no person knows the place of his burial, unto this day.7Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eye had not dimmed, nor had he lost his [natural] freshness.8And the sons of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab for thirty days, and the days of weeping over the mourning for Moses came to an end.9And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands upon him. And the children of Israel obeyed him, and they did as the Lord had commanded Moses.10And there was no other prophet who arose in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,11as manifested by all the signs and wonders, which the Lord had sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and all his servants, and to all his land,12and all the strong hand, and all the great awe, which Moses performed before the eyes of all Israel.

Friday

Micah 6:1–8 (NLT): The Lord’s Case against Israel

Listen to what the Lord is saying:

“Stand up and state your case against me.

Let the mountains and hills be called to witness your complaints.

2 And now, O mountains,

listen to the Lord’s complaint!

He has a case against his people.

He will bring charges against Israel.

3 “O my people, what have I done to you?

What have I done to make you tired of me?

Answer me!

4 For I brought you out of Egypt

and redeemed you from slavery.

I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam to help you.

5 Don’t you remember, my people,

how King Balak of Moab tried to have you cursed

and how Balaam son of Beor blessed you instead?

And remember your journey from Acacia Grove to Gilgal,

when I, the Lord, did everything I could

to teach you about my faithfulness.”

6 What can we bring to the Lord?

Should we bring him burnt offerings?

Should we bow before God Most High

with offerings of yearling calves?

7 Should we offer him thousands of rams

and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?

Should we sacrifice our firstborn children

to pay for our sins?

8 No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,

and this is what he requires of you:

to do what is right, to love mercy,

and to walk humbly with your God.

Seventh Portion Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 1

1In the beginning of God's creation of the heavens and the earth.2Now the earth was astonishingly empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep, and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water.3And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.4And God saw the light that it was good, and God separated between the light and between the darkness.5And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night, and it was evening and it was morning, one day.6And God said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the water, and let it be a separation between water and water."7And God made the expanse and it separated between the water that was below the expanse and the water that was above the expanse, and it was so.8And God called the expanse Heaven, and it was evening, and it was morning, a second day.9And God said, "Let the water that is beneath the heavens gather into one place, and let the dry land appear," and it was so.10And God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas, and God saw that it was good.11And God said, "Let the earth sprout vegetation, seed yielding herbs and fruit trees producing fruit according to its kind in which its seed is found, on the earth," and it was so.12And the earth gave forth vegetation, seed yielding herbs according to its kind, and trees producing fruit, in which its seed is found, according to its kind, and God saw that it was good.13And it was evening, and it was morning, a third day.14And God said, "Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to separate between the day and between the night, and they shall be for signs and for appointed seasons and for days and years.15And they shall be for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to shed light upon the earth." And it was so.16And God made the two great luminaries: the great luminary to rule the day and the lesser luminary to rule the night, and the stars.17And God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to shed light upon the earth.18And to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate between the light and between the darkness, and God saw that it was good.19And it was evening, and it was morning, a fourth day.20And God said, "Let the waters swarm a swarming of living creatures, and let fowl fly over the earth, across the expanse of the heavens."21And God created the great sea monsters, and every living creature that crawls, with which the waters swarmed, according to their kind, and every winged fowl, according to its kind, and God saw that it was good.22And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters of the seas, and let the fowl multiply upon the earth."23And it was evening, and it was morning, a fifth day.24And God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kind, cattle and creeping things and the beasts of the earth according to their kind," and it was so.25And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kind and the cattle according to their kind, and all the creeping things of the ground according to their kind, and God saw that it was good.26And God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness, and they shall rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the heaven and over the animals and over all the earth and over all the creeping things that creep upon the earth."27And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.28And God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea and over the fowl of the sky and over all the beasts that tread upon the earth. "29And God said, "Behold, I have given you every seed bearing herb, which is upon the surface of the entire earth, and every tree that has seed bearing fruit; it will be yours for food.30And to all the beasts of the earth and to all the fowl of the heavens, and to everything that moves upon the earth, in which there is a living spirit, every green herb to eat," and it was so.31And God saw all that He had made, and behold it was very good, and it was evening and it was morning, the sixth day.

(Genesis) Chapter 2

1Now the heavens and the earth were completed and all their host.2And God completed on the seventh day His work that He did, and He abstained on the seventh day from all His work that He did.3And God blessed the seventh day and He hallowed it, for thereon He abstained from all His work that God created to do.

Saturday

Galatians 2:1–10 (NLT): The Apostles Accept Paul

Then fourteen years later I went back to Jerusalem again, this time with Barnabas; and Titus came along, too. 2 I went there because God revealed to me that I should go. While I was there I met privately with those considered to be leaders of the church and shared with them the message I had been preaching to the Gentiles. I wanted to make sure that we were in agreement, for fear that all my efforts had been wasted and I was running the race for nothing. 3 And they supported me and did not even demand that my companion Titus be circumcised, though he was a Gentile.

4 Even that question came up only because of some so-called believers there—false ones, really—who were secretly brought in. They sneaked in to spy on us and take away the freedom we have in Christ Jesus. They wanted to enslave us and force us to follow their Jewish regulations. 5 But we refused to give in to them for a single moment. We wanted to preserve the truth of the gospel message for you.

6 And the leaders of the church had nothing to add to what I was preaching. (By the way, their reputation as great leaders made no difference to me, for God has no favorites.) 7 Instead, they saw that God had given me the responsibility of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as he had given Peter the responsibility of preaching to the Jews. 8 For the same God who worked through Peter as the apostle to the Jews also worked through me as the apostle to the Gentiles.

9 In fact, James, Peter, and John, who were known as pillars of the church, recognized the gift God had given me, and they accepted Barnabas and me as their co-workers. They encouraged us to keep preaching to the Gentiles, while they continued their work with the Jews. 10 Their only suggestion was that we keep on helping the poor, which I have always been eager to do.

Maftir Portion Bamidbar (Numbers) Chapter 29

35The eighth day shall be a time of restriction for you; you shall not perform any mundane work.36You shall offer up a burnt offering, a fire offering for a spirit of satisfaction to the Lord: one bull, one ram, and seven lambs in the first year, [all] unblemished.37Their meal offerings and their libations, for the bulls, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, as prescribed.38And one young male goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, its meal offering and its libation.39These you shall offer up for the Lord on your festivals, besides your vows and voluntary offerings, for your burnt offerings, for your meal offerings, for your libations, and for your peace offerings.

(Numbers) Chapter 30

1Moses spoke to the children of Israel in accordance with all that the Lord had commanded Moses.

Haftarah Yehoshua (Joshua) Chapter 1

1And it was after the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, that the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying:2Moses my servant has died; and now arise cross this Jordan, you and all this nation, to the land which I give the children of Israel.3Every place on which the soles of your feet will tread I have given to you, as I have spoken to Moses.4From this desert and Lebanon to the great river, the Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the great sea westward shall be your boundary.5No man shall stand up before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so shall I be with you. I will not weaken My grasp on you nor will I abandon you.6Be strong and have courage; for you will cause this nation to inherit the land that I have sworn to their ancestors to give to them.7Just be strong and very courageous to observe and do in accordance with all of the Torah that Moses My servant has commanded you. Do not stray therefrom right or left, in order that you succeed wherever you go.8This book of the Torah shall not leave your mouth; you shall meditate therein day and night, in order that you observe to do all that is written in it, for then will you succeed in all your ways and then will you prosper.9Did I not command you, be strong and have courage, do not fear and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.10And Joshua commanded the officers of the nation, saying:11Go through the midst of the camp and command the nation saying: Prepare provision for yourselves, for in another three days you will cross this Jordan to come and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you to inherit.12And to the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of Manasseh, Joshua said, saying:13Remember the word that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you saying: The Lord your God is giving you rest and has given you this land.14Your wives, your children, and your cattle shall settle in the land that Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan, and you, all the warriors, shall cross over armed before your brothers, and you shall help them.15Until the Lord gives your brothers rest as He has given you, and they too shall inherit the land that the Lord your God gives them. You will then return to the land of your inheritance which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on this side of the Jordan towards the rising of the sun, and you will inherit it.16And they answered Joshua saying: All that you have commanded us we shall do and wherever you send us we shall go.17Just as we obeyed Moses in everything, so shall we obey you. Only that the Lord your God be with you as He was with Moses.18Every man that shall rebel against your words and will not listen to your commands in all that you order him shall be put to death. Only be strong and have courage.