Today's Readings and Stuff === Monday, 23 April 2018

This is brief and late.  Dear Wife decided (and I helped. frankly) that we need to do some major rearrangement in our little hovel.  We went from the nice 3-bedroom 2 bath house in a nice area to a 3 bedroom 2 bath trailer mobile home in an OK one, to the same unit moved into one that wasn't nearly as nice (to say the least) to another one in poor condition, this one having one mostly usable bathroom and one utterly unusable, one bedroom that we use and one that's crammed full of some of the "stuff" of our lives, including some that the girls left behind when they ventured off.  A whole lot less space to cram our joint libraries into as well as the computer stuff we accumulated over the years (we, meaning she, used to have a small independent computer shop, and we have all kinds of cables and stuff, mostly stuff).  I'm sitting at a small computer desk between the gas fireplace which is our only source of heat and a treadle sewing machine that was my grandmother's my ONLY memento of that life well lived.  And even it is piled with books, and stuff. 
So we (meaning mostly I) have spent the day moving stuff, throwing stuff out, and generally rearranging things.  The cats aren't happy in general, they don't like change.  But I have one of the windows open to get some fresh air in after months and months of sealed up.  So she's been mostly in the window, looking outside and smelling the smells of freedom.  Which is forbidden to her.
I'm tired beyond measure and sundown is just over an hour away. 
So pardon the long winded excuse making.  The last few days have been "something".


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Judges 13

1  And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2  And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren, and bare not.

3  And the angel of the Lord appeared unto the woman, and said unto her, Behold now, thou art barren, and bearest not: but thou shalt conceive, and bear a son.

4  Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing:

5  For, lo, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head: for the child shall be a Nazarite unto God from the womb: and he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines.

6  Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very terrible: but I asked him not whence he was, neither told he me his name:

7  But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.

8  Then Manoah entreated the Lord, and said, O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born.

9  And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah; and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field: but Manoah her husband was not with her.

10  And the woman made haste, and ran, and shewed her husband, and said unto him, Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day.

11  And Manoah arose, and went after his wife, and came to the man, and said unto him, Art thou the man that spakest unto the woman? And he said, I am.

12  And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?

13  And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.

14  She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing: all that I commanded her let her observe.

15  And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, I pray thee, let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee.

16  And the angel of the Lord said unto Manoah, Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread: and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the Lord. For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the Lord.

17  And Manoah said unto the angel of the Lord, What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honour?

18  And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?

19  So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the Lord: and the angel did wondrously; and Manoah and his wife looked on.

20  For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the Lord ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.

21  But the angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the Lord.

22  And Manoah said unto his wife, We shall surely die, because we have seen God.

23  But his wife said unto him, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would he have shewed us all these things, nor would as at this time have told us such things as these.

24  And the woman bare a son, and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him.

25  And the Spirit of the Lord began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Judges 14

1  And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.

2  And he came up, and told his father and his mother, and said, I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines: now therefore get her for me to wife.

3  Then his father and his mother said unto him, Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines? And Samson said unto his father, Get her for me; for she pleaseth me well.

4  But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the Lord, that he sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

5  Then went Samson down, and his father and his mother, to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah: and, behold, a young lion roared against him.

6  And the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

7  And he went down, and talked with the woman; and she pleased Samson well.

8  And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcase of the lion: and, behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcase of the lion.

9  And he took thereof in his hands, and went on eating, and came to his father and mother, and he gave them, and they did eat: but he told not them that he had taken the honey out of the carcase of the lion.

10  So his father went down unto the woman: and Samson made there a feast; for so used the young men to do.

11  And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

12  And Samson said unto them, I will now put forth a riddle unto you: if ye can certainly declare it me within the seven days of the feast, and find it out, then I will give you thirty sheets and thirty change of garments:

13  But if ye cannot declare it me, then shall ye give me thirty sheets and thirty change of garments. And they said unto him, Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it.

14  And he said unto them, Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness. And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

15  And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they said unto Samson's wife, Entice thy husband, that he may declare unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire: have ye called us to take that we have? is it not so?

16  And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not: thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me. And he said unto her, Behold, I have not told it my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it thee?

17  And she wept before him the seven days, while their feast lasted: and it came to pass on the seventh day, that he told her, because she lay sore upon him: and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

18  And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down, What is sweeter than honey? and what is stronger than a lion? And he said unto them, If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye had not found out my riddle.

19  And the Spirit of the Lord came upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them, and took their spoil, and gave change of garments unto them which expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

20  But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

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Psalm 81

 

To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of Asaph.

 

1  Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

2  Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

3  Blow up the trumpet in the new moon, in the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

4  For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

5  This he ordained in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out through the land of Egypt: where I heard a language that I understood not.

6  I removed his shoulder from the burden: his hands were delivered from the pots.

7  Thou calledst in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder: I proved thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah.

8  Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me;

9  There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

10  I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

11  But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

12  So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

13  Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

14  I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

15  The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever.

16  He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

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John 13

1  Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

2  And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him;

3  Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God;

4  He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

5  After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

6  Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

7  Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

8  Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

9  Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head.

10  Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.

11  For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

12  So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?

13  Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.

14   If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

15   For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

16   Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

17  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

18  I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me.

19  Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.

20  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that receiveth whomsoever I send receiveth me; and he that receiveth me receiveth him that sent me.

21  When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

22  Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.

23  Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.

24  Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.

25  He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

26  Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

27  And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.

28  Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him.

29  For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor.

30  He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night.

31  Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him.

32   If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him.

33   Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you.

34   A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

36  Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards.

37  Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake.

38  Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.