Daily Readings - 13/07/2026

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

^1:11 ‘What are your endless sacrifices to me? says Yahweh. I am sick of holocausts of rams and the fat of calves. The blood of bulls and of goats revolts me.

^1:12 When you come to present yourselves before me, who asked you to trample over my courts?

^1:13 Bring me your worthless offerings no more, the smoke of them fills me with disgust. New Moons, sabbaths, assemblies – I cannot endure festival and solemnity.

^1:14 Your New Moons and your pilgrimages I hate with all my soul. They lie heavy on me, I am tired of bearing them.

^1:15 When you stretch out your hands I turn my eyes away. You may multiply your prayers, I shall not listen.

^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.

^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.

^10:34 ‘Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth: it is not peace I have come to bring, but a sword.

^10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.

^10:36 A man’s enemies will be those of his own household.[*b]

^10:37 ‘Anyone who prefers father or mother to me is not worthy of me. Anyone who prefers son or daughter to me is not worthy of me.

^10:38 Anyone who does not take his cross and follow in my footsteps is not worthy of me.

^10:39 Anyone who finds his life will lose it; anyone who loses his life for my sake will find it.

^10:40 Anyone who welcomes you welcomes me; and those who welcome me welcome the one who sent me.

^10:41 Anyone who welcomes a prophet will have a prophet’s reward; and anyone who welcomes a holy man will have a holy man’s reward.

^10:42 ‘If anyone gives so much as a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, then I tell you solemnly, he will most certainly not lose his reward.’

^11:1 When Jesus had finished instructing his twelve disciples he moved on from there to teach and preach in their towns.[*a]