Daily Readings - 03/03/2026

^1:10 Hear the word of Yahweh, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the command of our God, you people of Gomorrah.

^1:16 Your hands are covered with blood, wash, make yourselves clean. Take your wrong-doing out of my sight. Cease to do evil.

^1:17 Learn to do good, search for justice, help the oppressed, be just to the orphan, plead for the widow.

^1:18 ‘Come now, let us talk this over, says Yahweh. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

^1:19 ‘If you are willing to obey, you shall eat the good things of the earth.

^1:20 But if you persist in rebellion, the sword shall eat you instead.’ The mouth of Yahweh has spoken.

^49:1 Hear this, all nations, pay attention all who live on earth,

^49:2 important people, ordinary people, rich and poor alike!

^49:3 My lips have wisdom to utter, my heart whispers sound sense;

^49:4 I turn my attention to a proverb, and set my solution to the harp.

^49:5 Why should I be afraid in evil times, when malice dogs my steps and hems me in,

^49:6 of men who trust in their wealth and boast of the profusion of their riches?

^49:7 But man could never redeem himself or pay his ransom to God:

^49:8 it costs so much to redeem his life, it is beyond him;

^49:9 how then could he live on for ever and never see the Pit –

^49:10 when all the time he sees that wise men die, that foolish and stupid perish both alike, and leave their fortunes to others.

^49:11 Their tombs are their eternal home, their lasting residence, though they owned estates that bore their names.

^49:12 Man when he prospers forfeits intelligence: he is one with the cattle doomed to slaughter.

^49:13 So on they go with their self-assurance, with men to run after them when they raise their voice. (Pause)

^49:14 Like sheep to be penned in Sheol, Death will herd them to pasture and the upright will have the better of them. Dawn will come and then the show they made will disappear, Sheol the home for them!

^49:15 But God will redeem my life from the grasp of Sheol, and will receive me. (Pause)

^49:16 Do not be afraid when a man grows rich, when the glory of his House increases;

^49:17 when he dies he can take nothing with him, his glory cannot follow him down.

^49:18 The soul he made so happy while he lived – ‘look after yourself and men will praise you’ –

^49:19 will join the company of his ancestors who will never see the light of day again.

^49:20 Man in his prosperity forfeits intelligence: he is one with the cattle doomed to slaughter.

^23:1 Then addressing the people and his disciples Jesus said,

^23:2 ‘The scribes and the Pharisees occupy the chair of Moses.

^23:3 You must therefore do what they tell you and listen to what they say; but do not be guided by what they do: since they do not practise what they preach.

^23:4 They tie up heavy burdens and lay them on men’s shoulders, but will they lift a finger to move them? Not they!

^23:5 Everything they do is done to attract attention, like wearing broader phylacteries and longer tassels[*a],

^23:6 like wanting to take the place of honour at banquets and the front seats in the synagogues,

^23:7 being greeted obsequiously in the market squares and having people call them Rabbi.

^23:8 ‘You, however, must not allow yourselves to be called Rabbi, since you have only one master, and you are all brothers.

^23:9 You must call no one on earth your father, since you have only one Father, and he is in heaven.

^23:10 Nor must you allow yourselves to be called teachers, for you have only one Teacher, the Christ.

^23:11 The greatest among you must be your servant.

^23:12 Anyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and anyone who humbles himself will exalted.