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Daily Readings For May 26

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 Sunday, May 26, 2024


Morning Psalm 103

1   Bless the LORD, O my soul,
          and all that is within me,
          bless his holy name.
2   Bless the LORD, O my soul,
          and do not forget all his benefits —
3   who forgives all your iniquity,
          who heals all your diseases,
4   who redeems your life from the Pit,
          who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5   who satisfies you with good as long as you live
          so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.


6   The LORD works vindication
          and justice for all who are oppressed.
7   He made known his ways to Moses,
          his acts to the people of Israel.
8   The LORD is merciful and gracious,
          slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9   He will not always accuse,
          nor will he keep his anger for ever.
10  He does not deal with us according to our sins,
          nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11  For as the heavens are high above the earth,
          so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12  as far as the east is from the west,
          so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13  As a father has compassion for his children,
          so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.
14  For he knows how we were made;
          he remembers that we are dust.


15  As for mortals, their days are like grass;
          they flourish like a flower of the field;
16  for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
          and its place knows it no more.
17  But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting
          on those who fear him,
          and his righteousness to children’s children,
18  to those who keep his covenant
          and remember to do his commandments.


19  The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
          and his kingdom rules over all.
20  Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
          you mighty ones who do his bidding,
          obedient to his spoken word.
21  Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
          his ministers that do his will.
22  Bless the LORD, all his works,
          in all places of his dominion.
     Bless the LORD, O my soul.

Morning Psalm 150

1   Praise the Lord!
     Praise God in his sanctuary;
          praise him in his mighty firmament!
2   Praise him for his mighty deeds;
          praise him according to his surpassing greatness!


3   Praise him with trumpet sound;
          praise him with lute and harp!
4   Praise him with tambourine and dance;
          praise him with strings and pipe!
5   Praise him with clanging cymbals;
          praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6   Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
     Praise the Lord!

First Reading Job 38:1-11; 42:1-6

38:1   Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
2   "Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge?
3   Gird up your loins like a man,
          I will question you, and you shall declare to me.

4   "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth?
          Tell me, if you have understanding.
5   Who determined its measurements — surely you know!
          Or who stretched the line upon it?
6   On what were its bases sunk,
          or who laid its cornerstone
7   when the morning stars sang together
          and all the heavenly beings shouted for joy?

8   "Or who shut in the sea with doors
          when it burst out from the womb? —
9   when I made the clouds its garment,
          and thick darkness its swaddling band,
10   and prescribed bounds for it,
          and set bars and doors,
11   and said, 'Thus far shall you come, and no farther,
          and here shall your proud waves be stopped'?"

42:1   Then Job answered the Lord:
2   "I know that you can do all things,
          and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3   Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?'
          Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
          things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4   'Hear, and I will speak;
          I will question you, and you declare to me.'
5   I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
          but now my eye sees you;
6   therefore I despise myself,
          and repent in dust and ashes."

Second Reading Revelation 19:4-16

4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying,

     "Amen. Hallelujah!"

5 And from the throne came a voice saying,

     "Praise our God,
          all you his servants,
     and all who fear him,
          small and great."

6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty thunderpeals, crying out,

     "Hallelujah!
     For the Lord our God
          the Almighty reigns.
7   Let us rejoice and exult
          and give him the glory,
     for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
          and his bride has made herself ready;
8   to her it has been granted to be clothed
          with fine linen, bright and pure" —

for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.

9 And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb." And he said to me, "These are true words of God." 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, "You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your comrades who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse! Its rider is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems; and he has a name inscribed that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron; he will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, "King of kings and Lord of lords."

Gospel Reading John 1:29-34

29The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him and declared, "Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30This is he of whom I said, 'After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.' 31I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel." 32And John testified, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. 33I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' 34And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God."

Evening Psalm 117

1   Praise the LORD, all you nations!
          Extol him, all you peoples!
2   For great is his steadfast love toward us,
          and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
     Praise the LORD!

Evening Psalm 139

1   O LORD, you have searched me and known me.

2   You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
          you discern my thoughts from far away.
3   You search out my path and my lying down,
          and are acquainted with all my ways.
4   Even before a word is on my tongue,
          O LORD, you know it completely.
5   You hem me in, behind and before,
          and lay your hand upon me.
6   Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
          it is so high that I cannot attain it.


7   Where can I go from your spirit?
          Or where can I flee from your presence?

8   If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
          if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9   If I take the wings of the morning
          and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10  even there your hand shall lead me,
          and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
          and the light around me become night,”
12  even the darkness is not dark to you;
          the night is as bright as the day,
          for darkness is as light to you.


13  For it was you who formed my inward parts;
          you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
          Wonderful are your works;
     that I know very well.
15       My frame was not hidden from you,
     when I was being made in secret,
          intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16  Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
     In your book were written
          all the days that were formed for me,
          when none of them as yet existed.
17  How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
          How vast is the sum of them!
18  I try to count them — they are more than the sand;
          I come to the end — I am still with you.


19  O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
          and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me —
20  those who speak of you maliciously,
          and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21  Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD?
          And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22  I hate them with perfect hatred;
          I count them my enemies.
23  Search me, O God, and know my heart;
          test me and know my thoughts.
24  See if there is any wicked way in me,
          and lead me in the way everlasting.