Daily Readings - 22/05/2026

^25:13 Some days later King Agrippa and Bernice[*a] arrived in Caesarea and paid their respects to Festus.

^25:14 Their visit lasted several days, and Festus put Paul’s case before the king. ‘There is a man here’ he said ‘whom Felix left behind in custody,

^25:15 and while I was in Jerusalem the chief priests and elders of the Jews laid information against him, demanding his condemnation.

^25:16 But I told them that Romans are not in the habit of surrendering any man, until the accused confronts his accusers and is given an opportunity to defend himself against the charge.

^25:17 So they came here with me, and I wasted no time but took my seat on the tribunal the very next day and had the man brought in.

^25:18 When confronted with him, his accusers did not charge him with any of the crimes I had expected;

^25:19 but they had some argument or other with him about their own religion and about a dead man called Jesus whom Paul alleged to be alive.

^25:20 Not feeling qualified to deal with questions of this sort, I asked him if he would be willing to go to Jerusalem to be tried there on this issue.

^25:21 But Paul put in an appeal for his case to be reserved for the judgement of the august emperor, so I ordered him to be remanded until I could send him to Caesar.’

^102:1 Yahweh, hear my prayer, let my cry for help reach you;

^102:2 do not hide your face from me when I am in trouble; bend down to listen to me, when I call, be quick to answer me!

^102:3 For my days are vanishing like smoke, my bones smouldering like logs,

^102:4 my heart shrivelling like scorched grass and my appetite has gone;

^102:5 whenever I heave a sigh, my bones stick through my skin.

^102:6 I live in a desert like the pelican, in a ruin like the screech owl,

^102:7 I stay awake, lamenting like a lone bird on the roof;

^102:8 my enemies insult me all day long, those who used to praise me now use me as a curse.

^102:9 Ashes are the bread I eat, what I drink I lace with tears,

^102:10 under your furious anger, since you only picked me up to throw me down;

^102:11 my days dwindle away like a shadow, I am as dry as hay.

^102:12 Whereas, Yahweh, you remain for ever; each generation in turn remembers you!

^102:13 Rise, take pity on Zion! – the time has come to have mercy on her, the hour has come;

^102:14 for your servants prize her stones and are moved to pity by her dust.

^102:15 Then will the nations fear the name of Yahweh and all kings on earth respect your glory;

^102:16 when Yahweh builds Zion anew, he will be seen in his glory;

^102:17 he will answer the prayer of the abandoned, he will not scorn their petitions.

^102:18 Put this on record for the next generation, so that a race still to be born can praise God:

^102:19 Yahweh has leaned down from the heights of his sanctuary, has looked down at earth from heaven,

^102:20 to hear the sighing of the captive, and to set free those doomed to die.

^102:28 Your servants’ sons will have a permanent home, and their descendants be in your presence always,

^102:21 to proclaim the name of Yahweh in Zion, his praise in Jerusalem;

^102:22 nations and kingdoms will be united and offer worship to Yahweh together.

^102:25 Aeons ago, you laid earth’s foundations, the heavens are the work of your hands;

^102:26 all will vanish, though you remain, all wear out like a garment, like clothes that need changing you will change them;

^102:27 but yourself, you never change, and your years are unending.

^21:15 After the meal Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you’. Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs’.

^21:16 A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you’. Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep’.

^21:17 Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you’. Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

^21:18 ‘I tell you most solemnly, when you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go.’

^21:19 In these words he indicated the kind of death by which Peter would give glory to God. After this he said, ‘Follow me’.