Daily Readings - 18/02/2026

^51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness, in your great tenderness wipe away my faults;

^51:2 wash me clean of my guilt, purify me from my sin.

^51:3 For I am well aware of my faults, I have my sin constantly in mind,

^51:4 having sinned against none other than you, having done what you regard as wrong. You are just when you pass sentence on me, blameless when you give judgement.

^51:5 You know I was born guilty, a sinner from the moment of conception.

^51:6 Yet, since you love sincerity of heart, teach me the secrets of wisdom.

^51:7 Purify me with hyssop[*a] until I am clean; wash me until I am whiter than snow.

^51:8 Instil some joy and gladness into me, let the bones you have crushed rejoice again.

^51:9 Hide your face from my sins, wipe out all my guilt.

^51:10 God, create a clean heart in me, put into me a new and constant spirit,

^51:11 do not banish me from your presence, do not deprive me of your holy spirit.

^51:12 Be my saviour again, renew my joy, keep my spirit steady and willing;

^51:13 and I shall teach transgressors the way to you, and to you the sinners will return.

^51:14 Save me from death, God my saviour, and my tongue will acclaim your righteousness;

^51:15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will speak out your praise.

^51:16 Sacrifice gives you no pleasure, were I to offer holocaust, you would not have it.

^51:17 My sacrifice is this broken spirit, you will not scorn this crushed and broken heart.

^51:18 Show your favour graciously to Zion, rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.[*b]

^51:19 Then there will be proper sacrifice to please you – holocaust and whole oblation – and young bulls to be offered on your altar.

^5:20 So we are ambassadors for Christ; it is as though God were appealing through us, and the appeal that we make in Christ’s name is: be reconciled to God.

^5:21 For our sake God made the sinless one into sin, so that in him we might become the goodness of God.

^6:1 As his fellow workers, we beg you once again not to neglect the grace of God that you have received.

^6:2 For he says: At the favourable time, I have listened to you; on the day of salvation I came to your help.[*a] Well, now is the favourable time; this is the day of salvation.

^6:1 ‘Be careful not to parade your good deeds before men to attract their notice; by doing this you will lose all reward from your Father in heaven.

^6:2 So when you give alms, do not have it trumpeted before you; this is what the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win men’s admiration. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward.

^6:3 But when you give alms, your left hand must not know what your right is doing;

^6:4 your almsgiving must be secret, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

^6:5 ‘And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them; I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward.

^6:6 But when you pray, go to your private room and, when you have shut your door, pray[*a] to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

^6:16 ‘When you fast do not put on a gloomy look as the hypocrites do: they pull long faces to let men know they are fasting. I tell you solemnly, they have had their reward.

^6:17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face,

^6:18 so that no one will know you are fasting except your Father who sees all that is done in secret; and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.