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Daily Readings For July 19

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 Saturday, July 19, 2025


Morning Psalm 104

1   Bless the LORD, O my soul.
          O LORD my God, you are very great.
     You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2        wrapped in light as with a garment.
     You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
3        you set the beams of your chambers on the waters,
     you make the clouds your chariot,
          you ride on the wings of the wind,
4   you make the winds your messengers,
          fire and flame your ministers.


5   You set the earth on its foundations,
          so that it shall never be shaken.
6   You cover it with the deep as with a garment;
          the waters stood above the mountains.
7   At your rebuke they flee;
          at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.
8   They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys
          to the place that you appointed for them.
9   You set a boundary that they may not pass,
          so that they might not again cover the earth.


10  You make springs gush forth in the valleys;
          they flow between the hills,
11  giving drink to every wild animal;
          the wild asses quench their thirst.
12  By the streams the birds of the air have their habitation;
          they sing among the branches.
13  From your lofty abode you water the mountains;
          the earth is satisfied with the fruit of your work.


14  You cause the grass to grow for the cattle,
          and plants for people to use,
     to bring forth food from the earth,
15       and wine to gladden the human heart,
     oil to make the face shine,
          and bread to strengthen the human heart.
16  The trees of the LORD are watered abundantly,
          the cedars of Lebanon that he planted.
17  In them the birds build their nests;
          the stork has its home in the fir trees.
18  The high mountains are for the wild goats;
          the rocks are a refuge for the coneys.
19  You have made the moon to mark the seasons;
          the sun knows its time for setting.
20  You make darkness, and it is night,
          when all the animals of the forest come creeping out.
21  The young lions roar for their prey,
          seeking their food from God.
22  When the sun rises, they withdraw
          and lie down in their dens.
23  People go out to their work
          and to their labor until the evening.


24  O LORD, how manifold are your works!
          In wisdom you have made them all;
          the earth is full of your creatures.
25  Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
          creeping things innumerable are there,
          living things both small and great.
26There go the ships,
          and Leviathan that you formed to sport in it.


27  These all look to you
          to give them their food in due season;
28  when you give to them, they gather it up;
          when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
29  When you hide your face, they are dismayed;
          when you take away their breath, they die
          and return to their dust.
30  When you send forth your spirit, they are created;
          and you renew the face of the ground.


31  May the glory of the LORD endure for ever;
          may the LORD rejoice in his works —
32  who looks on the earth and it trembles,
          who touches the mountains and they smoke.
33  I will sing to the LORD as long as I live;
          I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34  May my meditation be pleasing to him,
          for I rejoice in the LORD.
35  Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
          and let the wicked be no more.
     Bless the LORD, O my soul.
     Praise the Lord!

Morning Psalm 149

1   Praise the Lord!
     Sing to the Lord a new song,
          his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2   Let Israel be glad in its Maker;
          let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
3   Let them praise his name with dancing,
          making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
4   For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
          he adorns the humble with victory.
5   Let the faithful exult in glory;
          let them sing for joy on their couches.
6   Let the high praises of God be in their throats
          and two-edged swords in their hands,
7   to execute vengeance on the nations
          and punishment on the peoples,
8   to bind their kings with fetters
          and their nobles with chains of iron,
9   to execute on them the judgment decreed.
          This is glory for all his faithful ones.
     Praise the Lord!

First Reading 1 Samuel 22:1-23

1David left there and escaped to the cave of Adullam; when his brothers and all his father’s house heard of it, they went down there to him. 2Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Those who were with him numbered about four hundred.

3David went from there to Mizpeh of Moab. He said to the king of Moab, “Please let my father and mother come to you, until I know what God will do for me.” 4He left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him all the time that David was in the stronghold. 5Then the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not remain in the stronghold; leave, and go into the land of Judah.” So David left, and went into the forest of Hereth.

6Saul heard that David and those who were with him had been located. Saul was sitting at Gibeah, under the tamarisk tree on the height, with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing around him. 7Saul said to his servants who stood around him, “Hear now, you Benjaminites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? 8Is that why all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a league with the son of Jesse, none of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as he is doing today.” 9Doeg the Edomite, who was in charge of Saul’s servants, answered, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech son of Ahitub; 10he inquired of the LORD for him, gave him provisions, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

11The king sent for the priest Ahimelech son of Ahitub and for all his father’s house, the priests who were at Nob; and all of them came to the king. 12Saul said, “Listen now, son of Ahitub.” He answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, by giving him bread and a sword, and by inquiring of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as he is doing today?”

14Then Ahimelech answered the king, “Who among all your servants is so faithful as David? He is the king’s son-in-law, and is quick to do your bidding, and is honored in your house. 15Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? By no means! Do not let the king impute anything to his servant or to any member of my father’s house; for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16The king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father’s house.” 17The king said to the guard who stood around him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David; they knew that he fled, and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not raise their hand to attack the priests of the LORD. 18Then the king said to Doeg, “You, Doeg, turn and attack the priests.” Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests; on that day he killed eighty-five who wore the linen ephod. 19Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; men and women, children and infants, oxen, donkeys, and sheep, he put to the sword.

20But one of the sons of Ahimelech son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I am responsible for the lives of all your father’s house. 23Stay with me, and do not be afraid; for the one who seeks my life seeks your life; you will be safe with me.”

Second Reading Acts 13:26-43

26“My brothers, you descendants of Abraham’s family, and others who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent. 27Because the residents of Jerusalem and their leaders did not recognize him or understand the words of the prophets that are read every sabbath, they fulfilled those words by condemning him. 28Even though they found no cause for a sentence of death, they asked Pilate to have him killed. 29When they had carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30But God raised him from the dead; 31and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people. 32And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors 33he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm,
     ‘You are my Son;
          today I have begotten you.’
34As to his raising him from the dead, no more to return to corruption, he has spoken in this way,
     ‘I will give you the holy promises made to David.’
35Therefore he has also said in another psalm,
     ‘You will not let your Holy One experience corruption.’
36For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, died, was laid beside his ancestors, and experienced corruption; 37but he whom God raised up experienced no corruption. 38Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; 39by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses. 40Beware, therefore, that what the prophets said does not happen to you:
41  ‘Look, you scoffers!
          Be amazed and perish,
     for in your days I am doing a work,
          a work that you will never believe, even if someone tells you.’”

42As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people urged them to speak about these things again the next sabbath. 43When the meeting of the synagogue broke up, many Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

Gospel Reading Mark 3:19b-35

19bThen he went home; 20and the crowd came together again, so that they could not even eat. 21When his family heard it, they went out to restrain him, for people were saying, “He has gone out of his mind.” 22And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebul, and by the ruler of the demons he casts out demons.” 23And he called them to him, and spoke to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but his end has come. 27But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his property without first tying up the strong man; then indeed the house can be plundered.

28“Truly I tell you, people will be forgiven for their sins and whatever blasphemies they utter; 29but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit can never have forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” — 30for they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”

31Then his mother and his brothers came; and standing outside, they sent to him and called him. 32A crowd was sitting around him; and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers and sisters are outside, asking for you.” 33And he replied, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34And looking at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Evening Psalm 138

1   I give you thanks, O LORD, with my whole heart;
          before the gods I sing your praise;
2   I bow down toward your holy temple
          and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
          for you have exalted your name and your word
          above everything.
3   On the day I called, you answered me,
          you increased my strength of soul.


4   All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O LORD,
          for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5   They shall sing of the ways of the LORD,
          for great is the glory of the LORD.
6   For though the LORD is high, he regards the lowly;
          but the haughty he perceives from far away.


7   Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
          you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
     you stretch out your hand,
          and your right hand delivers me.
8   The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
          your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.
          Do not forsake the work of your hands.

Evening Psalm 98

1   O sing to the LORD a new song,
          for he has done marvelous things.
     His right hand and his holy arm
          have gained him victory.
2   The LORD has made known his victory;
          he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3   He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness
          to the house of Israel.
     All the ends of the earth have seen
          the victory of our God.


4   Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;
          break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5   Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,
          with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6   With trumpets and the sound of the horn
          make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.


7   Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
          the world and those who live in it.
8   Let the floods clap their hands;
          let the hills sing together for joy
9   at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming
          to judge the earth.
     He will judge the world with righteousness,
          and the peoples with equity.