Hosea 14
1 Samaria will pay the penalty for having rebelled against her God. They will fall by the sword, their little children will be dashed to pieces and their pregnant women disembowelled. 2 Israel, come back to Yahweh your God your guilt was the cause of your downfall. 3 Provide yourself with words and come back to Yahweh. Say to him, 'Take all guilt away and give us what is good, instead of bulls we will dedicate to you our lips. 4 Assyria cannot save us, we will not ride horses any more, or say, "Our God!" to our own handiwork, for you are the one in whom orphans find compassion.' 5 I shall cure them of their disloyalty, I shall love them with all my heart, for my anger has turned away from them. 6 I shall fall like dew on Israel, he will bloom like the lily and thrust out roots like the cedar of Lebanon; 7 he will put out new shoots, he will have the beauty of the olive tree and the fragrance of Lebanon. 8 They will come back to live in my shade; they will grow wheat again, they will make the vine flourish, their wine will be as famous as Lebanon's. 9 What has Ephraim to do with idols any more when I hear him and watch over him? I am like an evergreen cypress, you owe your fruitfulness to me. 10 Let the wise understand these words, let the intelligent grasp their meaning, for Yahweh's ways are straight and the upright will walk in them, but sinners will stumble.
Matthew 3 v 1-12
1 In due course John the Baptist appeared; he proclaimed this message in the desert of Judaea, 2 'Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.' 3 This was the man spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said: A voice of one that cries in the desert, 'Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.' 4 This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather loin-cloth round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, 6 and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. 7 But when he saw a number of Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism he said to them, 'Brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming retribution? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance, 9 and do not presume to tell yourselves, "We have Abraham as our father," because, I tell you, God can raise children for Abraham from these stones. 10 Even now the axe is being laid to the root of the trees, so that any tree failing to produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown on the fire. 11 I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing-fan is in his hand; he will clear his threshing-floor and gather his wheat into his barn; but the chaff he will burn in a fire that will never go out.' 13 Then Jesus appeared: he came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. 14 John tried to dissuade him, with the words, 'It is I who need baptism from you, and yet you come to me!'
Psalm 51
1 [For the choirmaster Of David When the prophet Nathan had come to him because he had gone to Bathsheba] Have mercy on me, O God, in your faithful love, in your great tenderness wipe away my offences; 2 wash me clean from my guilt, purify me from my sin. 3 For I am well aware of my offences, my sin is constantly in mind. 4 Against you, you alone, I have sinned, I have done what you see to be wrong, that you may show your saving justice when you pass sentence, and your victory may appear when you give judgement, 5 remember, I was born guilty, a sinner from the moment of conception. 6 But you delight in sincerity of heart, and in secret you teach me wisdom. 7 Purify me with hyssop till I am clean, wash me till I am whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear the sound of joy and gladness, and the bones you have crushed will dance. 9 Turn away your face from my sins, and wipe away all my guilt. 10 God, create in me a clean heart, renew within me a resolute spirit, 11 do not thrust me away from your presence, do not take away from me your spirit of holiness. 12 Give me back the joy of your salvation, sustain in me a generous spirit. 13 I shall teach the wicked your paths, and sinners will return to you. 14 Deliver me from bloodshed, God, God of my salvation, and my tongue will acclaim your saving justice. 15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will speak out your praise. 16 Sacrifice gives you no pleasure, burnt offering you do not desire. 17 Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit, a broken, contrite heart you never scorn. 18 In your graciousness do good to Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in upright sacrifices,-burnt offerings and whole oblations -- and young bulls will be offered on your altar.
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