Daily Readings - 24/06/2026

^49:1 Islands, listen to me, pay attention, remotest peoples. Yahweh called me before I was born, from my mother’s womb he pronounced my name.

^49:2 He made my mouth a sharp sword, and hid me in the shadow of his hand. He made me into a sharpened arrow, and concealed me in his quiver.

^49:3 He said to me, ‘You are my servant (Israel) in whom I shall be glorified’;

^49:4 while I was thinking, ‘I have toiled in vain, I have exhausted myself for nothing’; and all the while my cause was with Yahweh, my reward with my God.

^49:6 ‘It is not enough for you to be my servant, to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back the survivors of Israel; I will make you the light of the nations so that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth’.

^138:1 I thank you, Yahweh, with all my heart, because you have heard what I said. In the presence of the angels I play for you,

^138:2 and bow down towards your holy Temple. I give thanks to your name for your love and faithfulness; your promise is even greater than your fame.

^138:3 The day I called for help, you heard me and you increased my strength.

^138:4 Yahweh, all kings on earth give thanks to you, for they have heard your promises;

^138:5 they celebrate Yahweh’s actions, ‘Great is the glory of Yahweh!’

^138:6 From far above, Yahweh sees the humble, from far away he marks down the arrogant.

^138:7 Though I live surrounded by trouble, you keep me alive-to my enemies’ fury! You stretch your hand out and save me, your right hand

^138:8 will do everything for me. Yahweh, your love is everlasting, do not abandon us whom you have made.

^13:22 Benjamin. After forty years, he deposed him and made David their king, of whom he approved in these words, “I have selected David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out my whole purpose”.[*b]

^13:23 To keep his promise, God has raised up for Israel one of David’s descendants, Jesus, as Saviour,

^13:24 whose coming was heralded by John when he proclaimed a baptism of repentance for the whole people of Israel.

^13:25 Before John ended his career he said, “I am not the one you imagine me to be; that one is coming after me and I am not fit to undo his sandal”.

^13:26 ‘My brothers, sons of Abraham’s race, and all you who fear God, this message of salvation is meant for you.

^1:57 Meanwhile the time came for Elizabeth to have her child, and she gave birth to a son;

^1:58 and when her neighbours and relations heard that the Lord had shown her so great a kindness, they shared her joy.

^1:59 Now on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child; they were going to call[*j] him Zechariah after his father,

^1:60 but his mother spoke up. ‘No,’ she said ‘he is to be called John.’

^1:61 They said to her, ‘But no one in your family has that name’,

^1:62 and made signs to his father to find out what he wanted him called.

^1:63 The father asked for a writing-tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John’. And they were all astonished.

^1:64 At that instant his power of speech returned and he spoke and praised God.

^1:65 All their neighbours were filled with awe and the whole affair was talked about throughout the hill country of Judaea.

^1:66 All those who heard of it treasured it in their hearts. ‘What will this child turn out to be?’ they wondered. And indeed the hand of the Lord was with him.

^1:80 Meanwhile the child grew up and his spirit matured. And he lived out in the wilderness until the day he appeared openly to Israel.