Daily Readings - 27/04/2026

^11:1 The apostles and the brothers in Judaea heard that the pagans too had accepted the word of God,

^11:2 and when Peter came up to Jerusalem the Jews criticised him

^11:3 and said, ‘So you have been visiting the uncircumcised and eating with them, have you?’

^11:4 Peter in reply gave them the details point by point:

^11:5 ‘One day, when I was in the town of Jaffa,’ he began ‘I fell into a trance as I was praying and had a vision of something like a big sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners. This sheet reached the ground quite close to me.

^11:6 I watched it intently and saw all sorts of animals and wild beasts – everything possible that could walk, crawl or fly.

^11:7 Then I heard a voice that said to me, “Now, Peter; kill and eat!”

^11:8 But I answered: Certainly not, Lord; nothing profane or unclean has ever crossed my lips.

^11:9 And a second time the voice spoke from heaven, “What God has made clean, you have no right to call profane”.

^11:10 This was repeated three times, before the whole of it was drawn up to heaven again.

^11:11 Just at that moment, three men stopped outside the house where we were staying; they had been sent from Caesarea to fetch me,

^11:12 and the Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going back with them. The six brothers here came with me as well, and we entered the man’s house.

^11:13 He told us he had seen an angel standing in his house who said, “Send to Jaffa and fetch Simon known as Peter;

^11:14 he has a message for you that will save you and your entire household”.

^11:15 I had scarcely begun to speak when the Holy Spirit came down on them in the same way as it came on us at the beginning,

^11:16 and I remembered that the Lord had said, “John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit”.

^11:17 I realised then that God was giving them the identical thing he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ; and who was I to stand in God’s way?’

^11:18 This account satisfied them, and they gave glory to God. ‘God’ they said ‘can evidently grant even the pagans the repentance that leads to life.’

^42:1 As a doe longs for running streams, so longs my soul for you, my God.

^42:2 My soul thirsts for God, the God of life; when shall I go to see the face of God?[*a]

^42:3 I have no food but tears, day and night; and all day long men say to me, ‘Where is your God?’

^42:4 I remember, and my soul melts within me: I am on my way to the wonderful Tent, to the house of God, among cries of joy and praise and an exultant throng.

^42:5 Why so downcast, my soul, why do you sigh within me? Put your hope in God: I shall praise him yet, my saviour,

^42:6 my God. When my soul is downcast within me, I think of you; from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, of you, humble mountain![*b]

^42:7 Deep is calling to deep as your cataracts roar; all your waves, your breakers, have rolled over me.

^42:8 In the daytime may Yahweh command his love to come, and by night may his song be on my lips, a prayer to the God of my life!

^42:9 Let me say to God my Rock, ‘Why do you forget me? Why must I walk so mournfully, oppressed by the enemy?’

^42:10 Nearly breaking my bones my oppressors insult me, as all day long they ask me, ‘Where is your God?’

^42:11 Why so downcast, my soul, why do you sigh within me? Put your hope in God: I shall praise him yet, my saviour, my God.

^10:1 ‘I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand.

^10:2 The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock;

^10:3 the gatekeeper lets him in, the sheep hear his voice, one by one he calls his own sheep and leads them out.

^10:4 When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice.

^10:5 They never follow a stranger but run away from him: they do not recognise the voice of strangers.’

^10:6 Jesus told them[*a] this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them.

^10:7 So Jesus spoke to them again: ‘I tell you most solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold.

^10:8 All others who have come are thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no notice of them

^10:9 I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture.

^10:10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it to the full.