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Daily Readings For April 11

Please note that two distinct lectionaries are provided on this page: the two-year Daily Lectionary from the Book of Common Worship and the three-year Revised Common Lectionary (RCL) for Sundays and festivals; be sure you select the appropriate one.

Daily Readings Sunday/Festival Readings

Daily Readings for Thursday, April 11, 2024


Morning Psalm 47

1   Clap your hands, all you peoples;
          shout to God with loud songs of joy.
2   For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome,
          a great king over all the earth.
3   He subdued peoples under us,
          and nations under our feet.
4   He chose our heritage for us,
          the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah


5   God has gone up with a shout,
          the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6   Sing praises to God, sing praises;
          sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7   For God is the king of all the earth;
          sing praises with a psalm.


8   God is king over the nations;
          God sits on his holy throne.
9   The princes of the peoples gather
          as the people of the God of Abraham.
     For the shields of the earth belong to God;
          he is highly exalted.

Morning Psalm 147:12-20

12  Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
          Praise your God, O Zion!
13  For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
          he blesses your children within you.
14  He grants peace within your borders;
          he fills you with the finest of wheat.
15  He sends out his command to the earth;
          his word runs swiftly.
16  He gives snow like wool;
          he scatters frost like ashes.
17  He hurls down hail like crumbs —
          who can stand before his cold?
18  He sends out his word, and melts them;
          he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19  He declares his word to Jacob,
          his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20  He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
          they do not know his ordinances.
     Praise the Lord!

First Reading Exodus 16:10-22

10And as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the Israelites, they looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11The LORD spoke to Moses and said, 12"I have heard the complaining of the Israelites; say to them, 'At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall have your fill of bread; then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"

13In the evening quails came up and covered the camp; and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14When the layer of dew lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness was a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15When the Israelites saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" For they did not know what it was. Moses said to them, "It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. 16This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Gather as much of it as each of you needs, an omer to a person according to the number of persons, all providing for those in their own tents.'" 17The Israelites did so, some gathering more, some less. 18But when they measured it with an omer, those who gathered much had nothing over, and those who gathered little had no shortage; they gathered as much as each of them needed. 19And Moses said to them, "Let no one leave any of it over until morning." 20But they did not listen to Moses; some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and became foul. And Moses was angry with them. 21Morning by morning they gathered it, as much as each needed; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

22On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, two omers apiece. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses,

Second Reading 1 Peter 2:11-3:12

11Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. 12Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honorable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.

13For the Lord's sake accept the authority of every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme, 14or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15For it is God's will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. 16As servants of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. 17Honor everyone. Love the family of believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. 19For it is a credit to you if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, what credit is that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval. 21For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. 22"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." 23When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

1Wives, in the same way, accept the authority of your husbands, so that, even if some of them do not obey the word, they may be won over without a word by their wives' conduct, 2when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. 3Do not adorn yourselves outwardly by braiding your hair, and by wearing gold ornaments or fine clothing; 4rather, let your adornment be the inner self with the lasting beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in God's sight. 5It was in this way long ago that the holy women who hoped in God used to adorn themselves by accepting the authority of their husbands. 6Thus Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him lord. You have become her daughters as long as you do what is good and never let fears alarm you.

7Husbands, in the same way, show consideration for your wives in your life together, paying honor to the woman as the weaker sex, since they too are also heirs of the gracious gift of life - so that nothing may hinder your prayers.

8Finally, all of you, have unity of spirit, sympathy, love for one another, a tender heart, and a humble mind. 9Do not repay evil for evil or abuse for abuse; but, on the contrary, repay with a blessing. It is for this that you were called - that you might inherit a blessing. 10For "Those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; 11let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. 12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."

Gospel Reading John 15:12-27

12"This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. 14You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. 16You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. 17I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another.

18"If the world hates you, be aware that it hated me before it hated you. 19If you belonged to the world, the world would love you as its own. Because you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world - therefore the world hates you. 20Remember the word that I said to you, 'Servants are not greater than their master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you; if they kept my word, they will keep yours also. 21But they will do all these things to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not have sin. But now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25It was to fulfill the word that is written in their law, 'They hated me without a cause.'

26"When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who comes from the Father, he will testify on my behalf. 27You also are to testify because you have been with me from the beginning."

Evening Psalm 68

1   Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered;
          let those who hate him flee before him.
2   As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
          as wax melts before the fire,
          let the wicked perish before God.
3   But let the righteous be joyful;
          let them exult before God;
          let them be jubilant with joy.

4   Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
          lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds —
     his name is the LORD —
          be exultant before him.

5   Father of orphans and protector of widows
          is God in his holy habitation.
6   God gives the desolate a home to live in;
          he leads out the prisoners to prosperity,
          but the rebellious live in a parched land.

7   O God, when you went out before your people,
          when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8   the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain
          at the presence of God, the God of Sinai,
          at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9   Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad;
          you restored your heritage when it languished;
10  your flock found a dwelling in it;
          in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.

11  The Lord gives the command;
          great is the company of those who bore the tidings
12       “The kings of the armies, they flee, they flee!”
     The women at home divide the spoil,
13       though they stay among the sheepfolds —
     the wings of a dove covered with silver,
          its pinions with green gold.
14  When the Almighty scattered kings there,
          snow fell on Zalmon.

15  O mighty mountain, mountain of Bashan;
          O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16  Why do you look with envy, O many-peaked mountain,
          at the mount that God desired for his abode,
          where the LORD will reside for ever?

17  With mighty chariotry, twice ten thousand,
          thousands upon thousands,
          the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.
18  You ascended the high mount,
          leading captives in your train
          and receiving gifts from people,
     even from those who rebel against the LORD God’s abiding there.
19  Blessed be the Lord,
          who daily bears us up;
          God is our salvation. Selah
20  Our God is a God of salvation,
          and to GOD, the Lord, belongs escape from death.

21  But God will shatter the heads of his enemies,
          the hairy crown of those who walk in their guilty ways.
22  The Lord said,
          “I will bring them back from Bashan,
     I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23  so that you may bathe your feet in blood,
          so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from the foe.”

24  Your solemn processions are seen, O God,
          the processions of my God, my King, into the sanctuary —
25  the singers in front, the musicians last,
          between them girls playing tambourines:

26  “Bless God in the great congregation,
          the LORD, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!”
27  There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead,
          the princes of Judah in a body,
          the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

28  Summon your might, O God;
          show your strength, O God, as you have done for us before.
29  Because of your temple at Jerusalem
          kings bear gifts to you.
30  Rebuke the wild animals that live among the reeds,
          the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples.
     Trample under foot those who lust after tribute;
          scatter the peoples who delight in war.
31  Let bronze be brought from Egypt;
          let Ethiopia hasten to stretch out its hands to God.

32  Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth;
          sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33  O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens;
          listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34  Ascribe power to God,
          whose majesty is over Israel;
          and whose power is in the skies.
35  Awesome is God in his sanctuary,
          the God of Israel;
          he gives power and strength to his people.

     Blessed be God!

Evening Psalm 113

1   Praise the LORD!
     Praise, O servants of the LORD;
          praise the name of the LORD.


2   Blessed be the name of the LORD
          from this time on and forevermore.
3   From the rising of the sun to its setting
          the name of the LORD is to be praised.
4   The LORD is high above all nations,
          and his glory above the heavens.


5   Who is like the LORD our God,
          who is seated on high,
6   who looks far down
          on the heavens and the earth?

7   He raises the poor from the dust,
          and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8   to make them sit with princes,
          with the princes of his people.
9   He gives the barren woman a home,
          making her the joyous mother of children.
     Praise the LORD!