Daily Readings
The Scripture readings appointed for the day, with the full text in your language. Follow the daily readings for your tradition, every morning, in the Bosko app.
Morning Prayer — First Lesson
Wisdom 15
But you, our God, are gracious and true, Longsuffering, and in mercy ordering all things. For even if we sin, we are your, knowing your dominion; But we will not sin, knowing that we have been accounted your: For to be acquainted with you is perfect righteousness, And to know your dominion is the root of immortality. For we weren’t led astray by any evil plan of men’s, Nor yet by painters’ fruitless labor, A form stained with varied colors; The sight whereof leads fools into lust: Their desire is for the breathless form of a dead image. Lovers of evil things, and worthy of such hopes as these, Are both those who do, and those who desire, and those who worship. For a potter, kneading soft earth, Laboriously mouldeth each several vessel for our service: Nay, out of the same clay does he fashion Both the vessels that minister to clean uses, and those of a contrary sort, All in like manner; But what shall be the use of each vessel of either sort, The craftsman himself is the judge. And also, laboring to an evil end, he mouldeth a vain god out of the same clay, He who, having but a little before been made of earth, After a short space goes his way to the earth out of which he was taken, When he is required to render back the soul which was lent him. Howbeit he has anxious care, Not because his powers must fail, Nor because his span of life is short; But he matcheth himself against goldsmiths and silversmiths, And he imitateth moulders in brass, And esteemeth it glory that he mouldeth counterfeits. His heart is ashes, And his hope of less value than earth, And his life of less honor than clay: Because he was ignorant of him that moulded him, And of him that inspired into him an active soul, And breathed into him a vital spirit. But he accounted our very life to be a plaything, And our lifetime a gainful fair; For, says he, one must get gain whence one can, though it be by evil. For this man beyond all others knows that he sins, Out of earthy matter making brittle vessels and graven images. But most foolish were they all, and of feebler soul than a babe, The enemies of your people, who oppressed them; Because they even accounted all the idols of the nations to be gods; Which have neither the use of eyes for seeing, Nor nostrils for drawing breath, Nor ears to hear, Nor fingers for handling, And their feet are helpless for walking. For a man made them, And one whose own spirit is borrowed moulded them; For no one has power, being a man, to mould a god like to himself, But, being mortal, he makes a dead thing by the work of lawless hands; For he is better than the objects of his worship, Forasmuch as he indeed had life, but they never. Yes, and the creatures that are most hateful do they worship, For, being compared as to lack of sense, these are worse than all others; Neither, as seen beside other creatures, are they beautiful, so that one should desire them, But they have escaped both the praise of God and his blessing.
Morning Prayer — Second Lesson
Luke 7
After he had finished speaking in the hearing of the people, he entered into Capernaum. A certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and at the point of death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent to him elders of the Jews, asking him to come and save his servant. When they came to Jesus, they begged him earnestly, saying, “He is worthy for you to do this for him, for he loves our nation, and he built our synagogue for us.” Jesus went with them. When he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying to him, “Lord, don’t trouble yourself, for I am not worthy for you to come under my roof. Therefore I didn’t even think myself worthy to come to you; but say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man placed under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turned and said to the multitude who followed him, “I tell you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.” Those who were sent, returning to the house, found that the servant who had been sick was well. Soon afterwards, he went to a city called Nain. Many of his disciples, along with a great multitude, went with him. Now when he came near to the gate of the city, behold, one who was dead was carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. Many people of the city were with her. When the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said to her, “Don’t cry.” He came near and touched the coffin, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!” He who was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he gave him to his mother. Fear took hold of all, and they glorified God, saying, “A great prophet has arisen among us!” and, “God has visited his people!” This report went out concerning him in the whole of Judea, and in all the surrounding region. The disciples of John told him about all these things. John, calling to himself two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus, saying, “Are you the one who is coming, or should we look for another?” When the men had come to him, they said, “John the Baptizer has sent us to you, saying, ‘Are you he who comes, or should we look for another?’ ” In that hour he cured many of diseases and plagues and evil spirits; and to many who were blind he gave sight. Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John the things which you have seen and heard: that the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. Blessed is he who finds no occasion for stumbling in me.” When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed, and live delicately, are in kings’ courts. But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’ “For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer, yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.” When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism. But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves. “To what then should I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children who sit in the marketplace, and call to one another, saying, ‘We piped to you, and you didn’t dance. We mourned, and you didn’t weep.’ For John the Baptizer came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard; a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Wisdom is justified by all her children.” One of the Pharisees invited him to eat with him. He entered into the Pharisee’s house, and sat at the table. Behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that he was reclining in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. Standing behind at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears, and she wiped them with the hair of her head, kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “This man, if he were a prophet, would have perceived who and what kind of woman this is who touches him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” He said, “Teacher, say on.” “A certain lender had two debtors. The one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they couldn’t pay, he forgave them both. Which of them therefore will love him most?” Simon answered, “He, I suppose, to whom he forgave the most.” He said to him, “You have judged correctly.” Turning to the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house, and you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss, but she, since the time I came in, has not ceased to kiss my feet. You didn’t anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” Those who sat at the table with him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
Evening Prayer — First Lesson
Wisdom 16
For this cause were these men worthily punished through creatures like those which they worship, And tormented through a multitude of vermin. Instead of which punishment, you, bestowing benefits on your people, Preparedst quails for food, Food of rare taste, to satisfy the desire of their appetite; To the end that your enemies, desiring food, Might for the hideousness of the creatures sent among them Loathe even the necessary appetite; But these, your people, having for a short space suffered lack, Might even partake of food of rare taste. For it was needful that upon those should come inexorable lack in their tyrannous dealing, But that to these it should only be showed how their enemies were tormented. For even when terrible raging of wild beasts came upon your people, And they were perishing by the bites of crooked serpents, Your wrath continued not to the uttermost; But for admonition were they troubled for a short space, Having a token of salvation, To put them in remembrance of the commandment of your law: For he that turned toward it was not saved because of that which was seen, But because of you, the Saviour of all. Yes, and in this did you persuade our enemies, That you are he that delivers out of every evil. For them verily the bites of locusts and flies did kill, And there was not found a healing for their life, Because they were worthy to be punished by such as these; But your sons not the very teeth of venomous dragons overcame, For your mercy passed by where they were, and healed them. For they were bitten, to put them in remembrance of your oracles; And were quickly saved, lest, falling into deep forgetfulness, They should become unable to be roused by your beneficence: For of a truth it was neither herb nor mollifying plaister that cured them, But your word, O Lord, which heals all things; For you have authority over life and death, And you lead down to the gates of Hades, and lead up again. But though a man may kill by his wickedness, Yet the spirit that is gone forth he turns not again, Neither gives release to the soul that Hades has received. But your hand it is not possible to escape; For ungodly men, refusing to know you, were scourged in the strength of your arm, Pursued with strange rains and hails and showers inexorable, And utterly consumed with fire; For, what was most marvelous of all, In the water which quenches all things the fire wrought yet more mightily; For the world fights for the righteous. For at one time the flame lost its fierceness, That it might not burn up the creatures sent against the ungodly, But that these themselves as they looked might see that they were chased through the judgement of God: And at another time even in the midst of water it burns above the power of fire, That it may destroy the fruits of an unrighteous land. Instead whereof you gave your people angels’ food to eat, And bread ready for their use did you provide for them from heaven without their toil, Bread having the virtue of every pleasant savor, And agreeing to every taste; For your nature manifested your sweetness toward your children; While that bread, ministering to the desire of the eater, Tempered itself according to every man’s choice. But snow and ice endured fire, and melted not, That men might know that fire was destroying the fruits of the enemies, Burning in the hail and flashing in the rains; And that this element again, in order that righteous men may be nourished, Hath even forgotten its own power. For the creation, ministering to you its maker, Straineth its force against the unrighteous, for punishment, And slackeneth it in behalf of those who trust in you, for beneficence. Therefore at that time also, converting itself into all forms, It ministered to your all-nourishing bounty, According to the desire of those who made supplication; That your sons, whom you loved, O Lord, might learn That it is not the growth of the earth’s fruits that nourishes a man, But that your word preserves those who trust you. For that which was not marred by fire, When it was simply warmed by a faint sunbeam melted away; That it might be known that we must rise before the sun to give you thanks, And must plead with you at the dawning of the light: For the hope of the unthankful will melt as the winter’s hoar frost, And will flow away as water that has no use.
Evening Prayer — Second Lesson
Ephesians 1
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus, and the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and without defect before him in love, having predestined us for adoption as children through Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his desire, to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved, in whom we have our redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he purposed in him to an administration of the fullness of the times, to sum up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in him. We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will, to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory. For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints, don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Readings follow the 1662 Book of Common Prayer (public domain). Scripture text is in the public domain. (World English Bible)
Daily readings, every morning
In Bosko the day's readings are waiting for you each morning — mark each one read so you never lose your place, read them in any of 30 translations, and sit with a short reflection. Your tradition's daily readings, tracked and always in your pocket.
