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
Sirach 31
Wakefulness that comes of riches consumes the flesh, And the anxiety thereof puts away sleep. Wakeful anxiety will crave slumber; And in a sore disease sleep will be broken. A rich man toileth in gathering money together; And when he rests, he is filled with his good things. A poor man toileth in lack of substance; And when he rests, he becomes needy. He that loves gold shall not be justified; And he that follows destruction shall himself have his fill of it. Many have been given over to ruin for the sake of gold; And their perdition meets them face to face. It is a stumbling block to those who sacrifice to it; And every fool shall be taken therewith. Blessed is the rich that is found without blemish, And that goes not after gold. Who is he? and we will call him blessed: For wonderful things has he done among his people. Who has been tried thereby, and found perfect? Then let him glory. Who has had the power to transgress, and has not transgressed? And to do evil, and has not done it? His goods shall be made sure, And the congregation shall declare his alms. Sittest you at a great table? be not greedy upon it, And say not, Many are the things upon it. Remember that an evil eye is a wicked thing: What has been created more evil than an eye? Therefore it sheds tears from every face. Stretch not your hand wherever it looks, And thrust not yourself with it into the dish. Consider your neighbor’s liking by your own; And be discreet in every point. Eat, as becomes a man, those things which are set before you; And eat not greedily, lest you be hated. Be first to leave off for manners’ sake; And be not insatiable, lest you offend. And if you sit among many, Reach not out your hand before them. How sufficient to a well-mannered man is a very little, And he does not breathe hard upon his bed. Healthy sleep comes of moderate eating; He rises early, and his wits are with him: The pain of wakefulness, and colic, And griping, are with an insatiable man. And if you have been forced to eat, Rise up in the midst thereof, and you shall have rest. Hear me, my son, and despise me not, And at the last you shall find my words true: In all your works be quick, And no disease shall come to you. Him that is liberal of his meat the lips shall bless; And the testimony of his excellence shall be believed. Him that is a niggard of his meat the city shall murmur at; And the testimony of his niggardness shall be sure. Show not yourself valiant in wine; For wine has destroyed many. The furnace proves the temper of steel by dipping; So does wine prove hearts in the quarreling of the proud. Wine is as good as life to men, If you drink it in its measure: What life is there to a man that is without wine? And it has been created to make men glad. Wine drunk in season and to satisfy Is joy of heart, and gladness of soul: Wine drunk largely is bitterness of soul, With provocation and conflict. Drunkenness increases the rage of a fool to his hurt; It diminishes strength, and adds wounds. Rebuke not your neighbor at a banquet of wine, Neither set him at nothing in his mirth: Speak not to him a word of reproach, And press not upon him by asking back a debt.
Morning Prayer — Second Lesson
John 1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him. Without him, nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness hasn’t overcome it. There came a man, sent from God, whose name was John. The same came as a witness, that he might testify about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but was sent that he might testify about the light. The true light that enlightens everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, and the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own, and those who were his own didn’t receive him. But as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become God’s children, to those who believe in his name: who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. The Word became flesh, and lived among us. We saw his glory, such glory as of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about him. He cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me, for he was before me.’ ” From his fullness we all received grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time. The one and only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, has declared him. This is John’s testimony, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He declared, and didn’t deny, but he declared, “I am not the Christ.” They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” They said therefore to him, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” The ones who had been sent were from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then do you baptize, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize in water, but among you stands one whom you don’t know. He is the one who comes after me, who is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to loosen.” These things were done in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who is preferred before me, for he was before me.’ I didn’t know him, but for this reason I came baptizing in water: that he would be revealed to Israel.” John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him. I didn’t recognize him, but he who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘On whomever you will see the Spirit descending and remaining on him is he who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.” Again, the next day, John was standing with two of his disciples, and he looked at Jesus as he walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following, and said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” (which is to say, being interpreted, Teacher), “where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come, and see.” They came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day. It was about the tenth hour. One of the two who heard John and followed him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. He first found his own brother, Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah!” (which is, being interpreted, Christ). He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him, and said, “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas” (which is by interpretation, Peter). On the next day, he was determined to go out into Galilee, and he found Philip. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael, and said to him, “We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and said about him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are King of Israel!” Jesus answered him, “Because I told you, ‘I saw you underneath the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these!” He said to him, “Most certainly, I tell you all, hereafter you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Evening Prayer — First Lesson
Sirach 32
Have they made you ruler of a feast? Be not lifted up, Be you among them as one of them; Take thought for them, and so sit down. And when you have done all your office, take your place, That you may be gladdened on their account, And receive a crown for your well ordering. Speak, you that are the elder, for it becomes you, but with sound knowledge; And hinder not music. Pour not out talk where there is a performance of music, And display not your wisdom out of season. As a signet of carbuncle in a setting of gold, So is a concert of music in a banquet of wine. As a signet of emerald in a work of gold, So is a strain of music with pleasant wine. Speak, young man, if there be need of you; Yet scarcely if you be twice asked. Sum up your speech, many things in few words; Be as one that knows and yet holds his tongue. If you be among great men, behave not as their equal; And when another is speaking, make not much babbling. Before thunder speedeth lightning; And before a shamefast man favor shall go forth. Rise up betimes, and be not the last; Get you home quickly and loiter not: There take your pastime, and do what is in your heart; And sin not by proud speech: And for these things bless him that made you, And gives you to drink freely of his good things. He that fears the Lord will receive his discipline; And those who seek him early shall find favor. He that seeks the law shall be filled therewith: But the hypocrite shall stumble thereat. They that fear the Lord shall find judgement, And shall kindle righteous acts as a light. A sinful man shunneth reproof, And will find a judgement according to his will. A man of counsel will not neglect a thought; A strange and proud man will not crouch in fear, Even after he has done a thing by himself without counsel. Do nothing without counsel; And when you have once done, repent not. Go not in a way of conflict; And stumble not in stony places. Be not confident in a smooth way. And beware of your own children. In every work trust your own soul; For this is the keeping of the commandments. He that believes the law gives heed to the commandment; And he that trusts in the Lord shall suffer no loss.
Evening Prayer — Second Lesson
1 Thessalonians 5
But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need that anything be written to you. For you yourselves know well that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape. But you, brothers, aren’t in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief. You are all children of light and children of the day. We don’t belong to the night, nor to darkness, so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God didn’t appoint us to wrath, but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Therefore exhort one another, and build each other up, even as you also do. But we beg you, brothers, to know those who labor among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you, and to respect and honor them in love for their work’s sake. Be at peace among yourselves. We exhort you, brothers: Admonish the disorderly; encourage the faint-hearted; support the weak; be patient toward all. See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all. Always rejoice. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus toward you. Don’t quench the Spirit. Don’t despise prophecies. Test all things, and hold firmly that which is good. Abstain from every form of evil. May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who will also do it. Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I solemnly command you by the Lord that this letter be read to all the holy brothers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.
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.
