Daily Readings

[31] Then He went down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and was teaching them on the Sabbaths. [32] And they were astonished at His teaching, for His word was with authority. [33] Now in the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon. And he cried out with a loud voice, [34] saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” [35] But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. [36] Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, “What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.” [37] And the report about Him went out into every place in the surrounding region. [38] Now He arose from the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. But Simon’s wife’s mother was sick with a high fever, and they made request of Him concerning her. [39] So He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and served them. [40] When the sun was setting, all those who had any that were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them and healed them. [41] And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ.

[8] And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. [9] Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. [10] And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. [11] Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” [12] And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. [13] They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; [14] for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” [15] And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. [1] Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?” [2] And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, [3] and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ [4] Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He moved him to this land in which you now dwell. [5] And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. [6] But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years. [7] ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’ [8] Then He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs. [9] “And the patriarchs, becoming envious, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him [10] and delivered him out of all his troubles, and gave him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house. [11] Now a famine and great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance. [12] But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. [13] And the second time Joseph was made known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh. [14] Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob and all his relatives to him, seventy-five people. [15] So Jacob went down to Egypt; and he died, he and our fathers. [16] And they were carried back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. [17] “But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt [18] till another king arose who did not know Joseph. [19] This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. [20] At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. [21] But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. [22] And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds. [23] “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. [24] And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. [25] For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. [26] And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ [27] But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? [28] Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ [29] Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.

[13] Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. [14] But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. [15] This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. [16] For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. [17] But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. [18] Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. [1] Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? [2] You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. [4] Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [5] Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? [6] But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.”

[18] No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. [19] Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” [20] He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” [21] And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” [22] Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” [23] He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” [24] Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. [25] And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” [26] John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. [27] It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.” [28] These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

[12] Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. [13] And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, [14] that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: [15] “Theland of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: [16] The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” [17] From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” [18] And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. [19] Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” [20] They immediately left their nets and followed Him. [21] Going on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them, [22] and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him. [23] And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. [24] Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them. [25] Great multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

[14] Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, [15] and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.” [16] And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. [17] Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” [18] They immediately left their nets and followed Him. [19] When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. [20] And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.