Daily Readings

[6] Who is this coming out of the wilderness Like pillars of smoke, Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, With all the merchant’s fragrant powders? [7] Behold, it is Solomon’s couch, With sixty valiant men around it, Of the valiant of Israel. [8] They all hold swords, Being expert in war. Every man has his sword on his thigh Because of fear in the night. [9] Of the wood of Lebanon Solomon the King Made himself a palanquin: [10] He made its pillars of silver, Its support of gold, Its seat of purple, Its interior paved with love By the daughters of Jerusalem. [11] Go forth, O daughters of Zion, And see King Solomon with the crown With which his mother crowned him On the day of his wedding, The day of the gladness of his heart. The Beloved [1] Behold, you are fair, my love! Behold, you are fair! You have dove’s eyes behind your veil. Your hair is like a flock of goats, Going down from Mount Gilead. [2] Your teeth are like a flock of shorn sheep Which have come up from the washing, Every one of which bears twins, And none is barren among them. [3] Your lips are like a strand of scarlet, And your mouth is lovely. Your temples behind your veil Are like a piece of pomegranate.

[1] Who is this who comes from Edom, With dyed garments from Bozrah, This One who is glorious in His apparel, Traveling in the greatness of His strength?— “I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” [2] Why is Your apparel red, And Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? [3] “I have trodden the winepress alone, And from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, And trampled them in My fury; Their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, And I have stained all My robes. [4] For the day of vengeance is in My heart, And the year of My redeemed has come. [5] I looked, but there was no one to help, And I wondered That there was no one to uphold; Therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; And My own fury, it sustained Me. [6] I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, Made them drunk in My fury, And brought down their strength to the earth.”

[41] But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, “Have you any food here?” [42] So they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and some honeycomb. [43] And He took it and ate in their presence. [44] Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.” [45] And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures. [46] Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, [47] and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. [48] And you are witnesses of these things. [49] Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.” [50] And He led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. [51] Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. [52] And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, [53] and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.

[9] Now when He rose early on the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons. [10] She went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept. [11] And when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. [12] After that, He appeared in another form to two of them as they walked and went into the country. [13] And they went and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either. [14] Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. [15] And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. [16] He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. [17] And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; [18] they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” [19] So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. [20] And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

[1] Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, [2] saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. [3] Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ [4] And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, [5] yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” [6] Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. [7] And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? [8] I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” [9] Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: [10] “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ [13] And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

[1] The former account I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, [2] until the day in which He was taken up, after He through the Holy Spirit had given commandments to the apostles whom He had chosen, [3] to whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. [4] And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me; [5] for John truly baptized with water,but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” [6] Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” [7] And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. [8] But you shall receive powerwhen the Holy Spirit has come upon you; andyou shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea andSamaria, and to theend of the earth.” [9] Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. [10] And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, [11] who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.” [12] Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. [13] And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. [14] These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

[16] Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. [17] When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. [18] And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

[1] Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. [2] And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. [3] The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” [4] And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ [5] and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’ ? [6] So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” [7] They said to Him, “Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?” [8] He said to them, “Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. [9] And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” [10] His disciples said to Him, “If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.” [11] But He said to them, “All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: [12] For there are eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.” [13] Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. [14] But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” [15] And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

[13] Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. [14] But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. [15] Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” [16] And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. [17] Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” [18] So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. [19] You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” [20] And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” [21] Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” [22] But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. [23] Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” [24] And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! [25] It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” [26] And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” [27] But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”