Morning Prayer

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A Reading from the Book of Revelation.

1 Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Come and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample over the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant my two witnesses authority to prophesy for one thousand two hundred sixty days, wearing sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes; anyone who wants to harm them must be killed in this manner. 6 They have authority to shut the sky, so that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have authority over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. 7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the bottomless pit will make war on them and conquer them and kill them, 8 and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city that is prophetically called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days members of the peoples and tribes and languages and nations will gaze at their dead bodies and refuse to let them be placed in a tomb; 10 and the inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and celebrate and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to the inhabitants of the earth. 11 But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and those who saw them were terrified. 12 Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here!” And they went up to heaven in a cloud while their enemies watched them. 13 At that moment there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. 14 The second woe has passed. The third woe is coming very soon.

A Reading from the Wisdom of Ben Sira.

4 One who trusts others too quickly has a shallow mind,    and one who sins does wrong to himself. 5 One who rejoices in wickedness will be condemned, 6    but one who hates gossip has less evil. 7 Never repeat a conversation,    and you will lose nothing at all. 8 With friend or foe do not report it,    and unless it would be a sin for you, do not reveal it; 9 for someone may have heard you and watched you,    and in time will hate you. 10 Have you heard something? Let it die with you.    Be brave, it will not make you burst! 11 Having heard something, the fool suffers birth-pangs    like a woman in labour with a child. 12 Like an arrow stuck in a person’s thigh, so is gossip inside a fool. 13 Question a friend; perhaps he did not do it;    or if he did, so that he may not do it again. 14 Question a neighbour; perhaps he did not say it;    or if he said it, so that he may not repeat it. 15 Question a friend, for often it is slander;    so do not believe everything you hear. 16 A person may make a slip without intending it.    Who has not sinned with his tongue? 17 Question your neighbour before you threaten him; and let the law of the Most High take its course.