Friday of the 1st week of Ordinary Time

4Then all the ancients of Israel being assembled, came to Samuel to Ramatha. 5And they said to him: Behold thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: make us a king, to judge us, as all nations have. 6And the word was displeasing in the eyes of Samuel, that they should say: Give us a king, to judge us. And Samuel prayed to the Lord. 7And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to the voice of the people in all that they say to thee. For they have not rejected thee, but me, that I should not reign over them.

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10Then Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people that had desired a king of him, 11And said: This will be the right of the king, that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and put them in his chariots, and will make them his horsemen, and his running footmen to run before his chariots, 12And he will appoint of them to be his tribunes, and centurions, and to plough his fields, and to reap his corn, and to make him arms and chariots. 13Your daughters also he will take to make him ointments, and to be his cooks, and bakers. 14And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best oliveyards, and give them to his servants. 15Moreover he will take the tenth of your corn, and of the revenues of your vineyards, to give his eunuchs and servants. 16Your servants also and handmaids, and your goodliest young men, and your asses he will take away, and put them to his work. 17Your flocks also he will tithe, and you shall be his servants. 18And you shall cry out in that day from the face of the king, whom you have chosen to yourselves. and the Lord will not hear you in that day, because you desired unto yourselves a king. 19But the people would not hear the voice of Samuel, and they said: Nay: but there shall be a king over us. 20And we also will be like all nations: and our king shall judge us, and go out before us, and tight our battles for us. 21And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and rehearsed them in the ears of the Lord. 22And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, and make them a king. And Samuel said to the men of Israel: Let every man go to his city.

16Blessed is the people that knoweth jubilation. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance:

17And in thy name they shall rejoice all the day, and in thy justice they shall be exalted.

18For thou art the glory of their strength: and in thy good pleasure shall our horn be exalted.

19For our protection is of the Lord, and of our king the holy one of Israel.

1And again he entered into Capharnaum after some days. 2And it was heard that he was in the house, and many came together, so that there was no room; no, not even at the door; and he spoke to them the word. 3And they came to him, bringing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four. 4And when they could not offer him unto him for the multitude, they uncovered the roof where he was; and opening it, they let down the bed wherein the man sick of the palsy lay. 5And when Jesus had seen their faith, he saith to the sick of the palsy: Son, thy sins are forgiven thee. 6And there were some of the scribes sitting there, and thinking in their hearts: 7Why doth this man speak thus? he blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins, but God only? 8Which Jesus presently knowing in his spirit, that they so thought within themselves, saith to them: Why think you these things in your hearts? 9Which is easier, to say to the sick of the palsy: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise, take up thy bed, and walk? 10But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) 11I say to thee: Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. 12And immediately he arose; and taking up his bed, went his way in the sight of all; so that all wondered and glorified God, saying: We never saw the like.