Daily Readings

14th February

Exodus 24,25

1 And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.2 And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.3 And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.5 And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.6 And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.7 And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.8 And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.9 Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:10 And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.11 And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.13 And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.14 And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.15 And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.16 And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,2 Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.3 And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,4 And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair,5 And rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood,6 Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,7 Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.8 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.9 According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.10 And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.11 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.12 And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.13 And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.14 And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.15 The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.16 And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.17 And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.18 And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.19 And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.20 And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.21 And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.22 And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.23 Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.24 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.25 And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.26 And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.27 Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.28 And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.29 And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.30 And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.31 And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.32 And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:33 Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.34 And in the candlesticks shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.35 And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.36 Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.37 And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.38 And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.39 Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.40 And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.

Psalms 78

1 Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.2 I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:3 Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.5 For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:6 That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:7 That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:8 And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law;11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.12 Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.13 He divided the sea, and caused them to pass through; and he made the waters to stand as an heap.14 In the daytime also he led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.15 He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.16 He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.17 And they sinned yet more against him by provoking the most High in the wilderness.18 And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.19 Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?20 Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?21 Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;22 Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:23 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,24 And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.25 Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.26 He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.27 He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:28 And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,31 The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.32 For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.33 Therefore their days did he consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.34 When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.35 And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.36 Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.37 For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.38 But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath.39 For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.40 How oft did they provoke him in the wilderness, and grieve him in the desert!41 Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.42 They remembered not his hand, nor the day when he delivered them from the enemy.43 How he had wrought his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Zoan.44 And had turned their rivers into blood; and their floods, that they could not drink.45 He sent divers sorts of flies among them, which devoured them; and frogs, which destroyed them.46 He gave also their increase unto the caterpiller, and their labour unto the locust.47 He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycomore trees with frost.48 He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.49 He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.50 He made a way to his anger; he spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence;51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:52 But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.53 And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.54 And he brought them to the border of his sanctuary, even to this mountain, which his right hand had purchased.55 He cast out the heathen also before them, and divided them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.56 Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies:57 But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.58 For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel:60 So that he forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which he placed among men;61 And delivered his strength into captivity, and his glory into the enemy's hand.62 He gave his people over also unto the sword; and was wroth with his inheritance.63 The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage.64 Their priests fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation.65 Then the LORD awaked as one out of sleep, and like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.66 And he smote his enemies in the hinder parts: he put them to a perpetual reproach.67 Moreover he refused the tabernacle of Joseph, and chose not the tribe of Ephraim:68 But chose the tribe of Judah, the mount Zion which he loved.69 And he built his sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which he hath established for ever.70 He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds:71 From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance.72 So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.

Mark 10

1 And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judaea by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him.3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you?4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away.5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female.7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;8 And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter.11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her.12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.13 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them.14 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God.15 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein.16 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them.17 And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.23 And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.26 And they were astonished out of measure, saying among themselves, Who then can be saved?27 And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.28 Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.29 And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's,30 But he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life.31 But many that are first shall be last; and the last first.32 And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus went before them: and they were amazed; and as they followed, they were afraid. And he took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto him,33 Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles:34 And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again.35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire.36 And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you?37 They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.38 But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?39 And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized:40 But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.41 And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.42 But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.43 But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:44 And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.45 For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou son of David, have mercy on me.48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou son of David, have mercy on me.49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.