Daily Readings - 08/05/2026

^15:22 Then the apostles and elders decided to choose delegates to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; the whole church concurred with this. They chose Judas known as Barsabbas and Silas,[*f] both leading men in the brotherhood,

^15:23 and gave them this letter to take with them: ‘The apostles and elders, your brothers, send greetings to the brothers of pagan birth in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia.

^15:24 We hear that some of our members have disturbed you with their demands and have unsettled your minds. They acted without any authority from us;

^15:25 and so we have decided unanimously to elect delegates and to send them to you with Barnabas and Paul, men we highly respect

^15:26 who have dedicated their lives to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

^15:27 Accordingly we are sending you Judas and Silas, who will confirm by word of mouth what we have written in this letter.

^15:28 It has been decided by the Holy Spirit and by ourselves not to saddle you with any burden beyond these essentials:

^15:29 you are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols; from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from fornication. Avoid these, and you will do what is right. Farewell.’

^15:30 The party left and went down to Antioch, where they summoned the whole community and delivered the letter.

^15:31 The community read it and were delighted with the encouragement it gave them.

^56:1 Take pity on me, God, as they harry me, pressing their attacks home all day.

^56:2 All day my opponents harry me, hordes coming in to the attack. Raise me up

^56:3 when I am most afraid, I put my trust in you;

^56:4 in God, whose word[*a] I praise, in God I put my trust, fearing nothing; what can men do to me?

^56:5 All day long they twist what I say, all they think of is how to harm me,

^56:6 they conspire, lurk, spy on my movements, determined to take my life.

^56:7 Are they to go unpunished for such a crime? God, in fury bring the nations down!

^56:8 You have noted my agitation, now collect my tears in your wineskin!

^56:9 Then my enemies will have to fall back as soon as I call for help. This I know: that God is on my side.

^56:10 In God whose word I praise, in Yahweh, whose word I praise,

^56:11 in God I put my trust, fearing nothing; what can man do to me?

^56:12 I must fulfil the vows I made you, God; I shall pay you my thank-offerings,

^56:13 for you have rescued me from Death to walk in the presence of God in the light of the living.

^15:12 This is my commandment: love one another, as I have loved you.

^15:13 A man can have no greater love than to lay down his life for his friends.

^15:14 You are my friends, if you do what I command you.

^15:15 I shall not call you servants any more, because a servant does not know his master’s business; I call you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.

^15:16 You did not choose me, no, I chose you; and I commissioned you to go out and to bear fruit, fruit that will last; and then the Father will give you anything you ask him in my name.

^15:17 What I command you is to love one another.