Bible Readings for August 5, 2026

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today, our passages are Ezra 1:1–2:70; 1 Corinthians 1:18–2:5; Psalm 27:7-14; and Proverbs 20:22-23. The readings are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson.

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Ezra 1-2:70 (The Message)

Ezra 1

Cyrus King of Persia: "Build The Temple of God!"

 ^1-4In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia—this fulfilled the Message of God preached by Jeremiah—God prodded Cyrus king of Persia to make an official announcement throughout his kingdom. He wrote it out as follows:    From Cyrus king of Persia, a Proclamation: God, the God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has also assigned me to build him a Temple of worship in Jerusalem, Judah. Who among you belongs to his people? God be with you! Go to Jerusalem which is in Judah and build The Temple of God, the God of Israel, Jerusalem's God. Those who stay behind, wherever they happen to live, will support them with silver, gold, tools, and pack animals, along with Freewill-Offerings for The Temple of God in Jerusalem.
 ^5-6 The heads of the families of Judah and Benjamin, along with the priests and Levites—everyone, in fact, God prodded—set out to build The Temple of God in Jerusalem. Their neighbors rallied behind them enthusiastically with silver, gold, tools, pack animals, expensive gifts, and, over and above these, Freewill-Offerings.
 ^7-10 Also, King Cyrus turned over to them all the vessels and utensils from The Temple of God that Nebuchadnezzar had hauled from Jerusalem and put in the temple of his gods. Cyrus king of Persia put Mithredath the treasurer in charge of the transfer; he provided a full inventory for Sheshbazzar the prince of Judah, including the following:
   30 gold dishes
   1,000 silver dishes
   29 silver pans
   30 gold bowls
   410 duplicate silver bowls
   1,000 miscellaneous items.
 ¹¹ All told, there were 5,400 gold and silver articles that Sheshbazzar took with him when he brought the exiles back from Babylon to Jerusalem. 

Ezra 2

 ^1-58 These are the people from the province who now returned from the captivity, exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried off captive. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his hometown. They came in company with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.     The numbers of the returning Israelites by families of origin were as follows:
      Parosh, 2,172
      Shephatiah, 372
      Arah, 775
      Pahath-Moab (sons of Jeshua and Joab), 2,812
      Elam, 1,254
      Zattu, 945
      Zaccai, 760
      Bani, 642
      Bebai, 623
      Azgad, 1,222
      Adonikam, 666
      Bigvai, 2,056
      Adin, 454
      Ater (sons of Hezekiah), 98
      Bezai, 323
      Jorah, 112
      Hashum, 223
      Gibbar, 95.
   Israelites identified by place of origin were as follows:
      Bethlehem, 123
      Netophah, 56
      Anathoth, 128
      Azmaveth, 42
      Kiriath Jearim, Kephirah, and Beeroth, 743
      Ramah and Geba, 621
      Micmash, 122
      Bethel and Ai, 223
      Nebo, 52
      Magbish, 156
      Elam (the other one), 1,254
      Harim, 320
      Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725
      Jericho, 345
      Senaah, 3,630.
   Priestly families:
      Jedaiah (sons of Jeshua), 973
      Immer, 1,052
      Pashhur, 1,247
      Harim, 1,017.
   Levitical families:
      Jeshua and Kadmiel (sons of Hodaviah), 74.
   Singers:
      Asaph's family line, 128.
   Security guard families:
      Shallum, Ater, Talmon, Akkub, Hatita, and Shobai, 139.
   Families of temple support staff:
      Ziha, Hasupha, Tabbaoth,
      Keros, Siaha, Padon,
      Lebanah, Hagabah, Akkub,
      Hagab, Shalmai, Hanan,
      Giddel, Gahar, Reaiah,
      Rezin, Nekoda, Gazzam,
      Uzza, Paseah, Besai,
      Asnah, Meunim, Nephussim,
      Bakbuk, Hakupha, Harhur,
      Bazluth, Mehida, Harsha,
      Barkos, Sisera, Temah,
      Neziah, and Hatipha.
   Families of Solomon's servants:
      Sotai, Hassophereth, Peruda,
      Jaala, Darkon, Giddel,
      Shephatiah, Hattil, Pokereth-Hazzebaim, and Ami.
   Temple support staff and Solomon's servants added up to 392.
 ^59-60 These are those who came from Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon, and Immer. They weren't able to prove their ancestry, whether they were true Israelites or not:

 ⁶¹ Delaiah, Tobiah, and Nekoda, 652 in all. Likewise with these priestly families:
      Hobaiah, Hakkoz, and Barzillai, who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and took that name.
 ^62-63 They had thoroughly searched for their family records but couldn't find them. And so they were barred from priestly work as ritually unclean. The governor ruled that they could not eat from the holy food until a priest could determine their status with the Urim and Thummim.
 ^64-67 The total count for the congregation was 42,360. That did not include the male and female slaves, which numbered 7,337. There were also 200 male and female singers, and they had 736 horses, 245 mules, 435 camels, and 6,720 donkeys.

^68-69 Some of the heads of families, on arriving at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, made Freewill-Offerings toward the rebuilding of The Temple of God on its site. They gave to the building fund as they were able, about 1,100 pounds of gold, about three tons of silver, and 100 priestly robes.
 ⁷⁰ The priests, Levites, and some of the people lived in Jerusalem. The singers, security guards, and temple support staff found places in their hometowns. All the Israelites found a place to live.

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1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 (The Message)

 ^18-21The Message that points to Christ on the Cross seems like sheer silliness to those hellbent on destruction, but for those on the way of salvation it makes perfect sense. This is the way God works, and most powerfully as it turns out. It's written,

   I'll turn conventional wisdom on its head,
   I'll expose so-called experts as crackpots.
So where can you find someone truly wise, truly educated, truly intelligent in this day and age? Hasn't God exposed it all as pretentious nonsense? Since the world in all its fancy wisdom never had a clue when it came to knowing God, God in his wisdom took delight in using what the world considered dumb—preaching, of all things!—to bring those who trust him into the way of salvation.
 ^22-25While Jews clamor for miraculous demonstrations and Greeks go in for philosophical wisdom, we go right on proclaiming Christ, the Crucified. Jews treat this like an anti-miracle—and Greeks pass it off as absurd. But to us who are personally called by God himself—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is God's ultimate miracle and wisdom all wrapped up in one. Human wisdom is so tinny, so impotent, next to the seeming absurdity of God. Human strength can't begin to compete with God's "weakness."
 ^26-31Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God." 

1 Corinthians 2

 ^1-2You'll remember, friends, that when I first came to you to let you in on God's master stroke, I didn't try to impress you with polished speeches and the latest philosophy. I deliberately kept it plain and simple: first Jesus and who he is; then Jesus and what he did—Jesus crucified.  ^3-5I was unsure of how to go about this, and felt totally inadequate—I was scared to death, if you want the truth of it—and so nothing I said could have impressed you or anyone else. But the Message came through anyway. God's Spirit and God's power did it, which made it clear that your life of faith is a response to God's power, not to some fancy mental or emotional footwork by me or anyone else.

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Psalm 27:7-14 (The Message)

 ^7-9 Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs:
      "Be good to me! Answer me!"
   When my heart whispered, "Seek God,"
      my whole being replied,
   "I'm seeking him!"
      Don't hide from me now!

 ^9-10 You've always been right there for me;
      don't turn your back on me now.
   Don't throw me out, don't abandon me;
      you've always kept the door open.
   My father and mother walked out and left me,
      but God took me in.

 ^11-12 Point me down your highway, God;
      direct me along a well-lighted street;
      show my enemies whose side you're on.
   Don't throw me to the dogs,
      those liars who are out to get me,
      filling the air with their threats.

 ^13-14 I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness
      in the exuberant earth.
   Stay with God!
      Take heart. Don't quit.
   I'll say it again:
      Stay with God.

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Proverbs 20:22-23 (The Message)

 ²² Don't ever say, "I'll get you for that!"
   Wait for God; he'll settle the score.

 ²³ God hates cheating in the marketplace;
   rigged scales are an outrage.

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Thought for the Day

“Understanding your word brings light to the minds of ordinary people.” (Psalm 119:130 - Contemporary English Version) Understanding God's word changes us. It offers peace as we look to the past, confidence as we face the future and direction as we live in the present.

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Quote for the Day

American historian, author, women's suffrage activist, and women's history archivist who was also a lifelong advocate of social justice, Mary Ritter Beard wrote, "Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living."

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Joke for Today

On his first day back to work after the birth of his son, Randy's supervisor said, "I understand you have a new youngster at your house?"

Randy glanced around apprehensively, "For heaven's sake, you can't hear him all the way out here, can you?"

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A Prayer Request

As Christians, we can offer specific daily prayers for our community, nation and world. Below is the need that we're laying before God today.

That young people are able to grow into their potential.

Daily Lectionary Readings for August 04, 2026

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Lectionary Readings for Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Morning Psalm 12 1   Help, O LORD, for there is no longer anyone who is godly;           the faithful have disappeared from humankind. 2   They utter lies to each other;           with flattering lips and a double heart they speak. 3   May the LORD cut off all flattering lips,           the tongue that makes great boasts, 4   those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail;           our lips are our own — who is our master?” 5   “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan,           I will now rise up,” says the LORD;           “I will place them in the safety for which they long.” 6   The promises of the LORD are promises that are pure,           silver refined in a furnace on the ground,           purified seven times. 7   You, O LORD, will protect us;           you will guard us from this generation forever. 8   On every side the wicked prowl,           as vileness is exalted among humankind. Morning Psalm 146 1   Praise the LORD!      Praise the LORD, O my soul! 2   I will praise the LORD as long as I live;           I will sing praises to my God all my life long. 3   Do not put your trust in princes,           in mortals, in whom there is no help. 4   When their breath departs, they return to the earth;           on that very day their plans perish. 5   Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,           whose hope is in the LORD their God, 6   who made heaven and earth,           the sea, and all that is in them;      who keeps faith forever; 7        who executes justice for the oppressed;           who gives food to the hungry.      The LORD sets the prisoners free; 8        the LORD opens the eyes of the blind.      The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down;           the LORD loves the righteous. 9   The LORD watches over the strangers;           he upholds the orphan and the widow,           but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10  The LORD will reign forever,           your God, O Zion, for all generations.      Praise the LORD! First Reading Judges 7:1-18 1Then Jerubbaal (that is, Gideon) and all the troops that were with him rose early and encamped beside the spring of Harod; and the camp of Midian was north of them, below the hill of Moreh, in the valley. 2The LORD said to Gideon, "The troops with you are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hand. Israel would only take the credit away from me, saying, 'My own hand has delivered me.' 3Now therefore proclaim this in the hearing of the troops, 'Whoever is fearful and trembling, let him return home.'" Thus Gideon sifted them out; twenty-two thousand returned, and ten thousand remained. 4Then the LORD said to Gideon, "The troops are still too many; take them down to the water and I will sift them out for you there. When I say, 'This one shall go with you,' he shall go with you; and when I say, 'This one shall not go with you,' he shall not go." 5So he brought the troops down to the water; and the LORD said to Gideon, "All those who lap the water with their tongues, as a dog laps, you shall put to one side; all those who kneel down to drink, putting their hands to their mouths, you shall put to the other side." 6The number of those that lapped was three hundred; but all the rest of the troops knelt down to drink water. 7Then the LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred that lapped I will deliver you, and give the Midianites into your hand. Let all the others go to their homes." 8So he took the jars of the troops from their hands, and their trumpets; and he sent all the rest of Israel back to their own tents, but retained the three hundred. The camp of Midian was below him in the valley. 9That same night the LORD said to him, "Get up, attack the camp; for I have given it into your hand. 10But if you fear to attack, go down to the camp with your servant Purah; 11and you shall hear what they say, and afterward your hands shall be strengthened to attack the camp." Then he went down with his servant Purah to the outposts of the armed men that were in the camp. 12The Midianites and the Amalekites and all the people of the East lay along the valley as thick as locusts; and their camels were without number, countless as the sand on the seashore. 13When Gideon arrived, there was a man telling a dream to his comrade; and he said, "I had a dream, and in it a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian, and came to the tent, and struck it so that it fell; it turned upside down, and the tent collapsed." 14And his comrade answered, "This is no other than the sword of Gideon son of Joash, a man of Israel; into his hand God has given Midian and all the army." 15When Gideon heard the telling of the dream and its interpretation, he worshiped; and he returned to the camp of Israel, and said, "Get up; for the LORD has given the army of Midian into your hand." 16After he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and put trumpets into the hands of all of them, and empty jars, with torches inside the jars, 17he said to them, "Look at me, and do the same; when I come to the outskirts of the camp, do as I do. 18When I blow the trumpet, I and all who are with me, then you also blow the trumpets around the whole camp, and shout, 'For the LORD and for Gideon!'" Second Reading Acts 3:1-11 1One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon. 2And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. 3When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. 4Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." 5And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. 6But Peter said, "I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk." 7And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. 8Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 11While he clung to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's Portico, utterly astonished. Gospel Reading John 1:19-28 19This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?" 20He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, "I am not the Messiah." 21And they asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the prophet?" He answered, "No." 22Then they said to him, "Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23He said, "I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, 'Make straight the way of the Lord,'" as the prophet Isaiah said. 24Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25They asked him, "Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?" 26John answered them, "I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, 27the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal." 28This took place in Bethany across the Jordan where John was baptizing. Evening Psalm 36 1   Transgression speaks to the wicked           deep in their hearts;      there is no fear of God           before their eyes. 2   For they flatter themselves in their own eyes           that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3   The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;           they have ceased to act wisely and do good. 4   They plot mischief while on their beds;           they are set on a way that is not good;           they do not reject evil. 5   Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,           your faithfulness to the clouds. 6   Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,           your judgments are like the great deep;           you save humans and animals alike, O LORD. 7   How precious is your steadfast love, O God!           All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8   They feast on the abundance of your house,           and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9   For with you is the fountain of life;           in your light we see light. 10  O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,           and your salvation to the upright of heart! 11  Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,           or the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12  There the evildoers lie prostrate;           they are thrust down, unable to rise. Evening Psalm 7 1   O LORD my God, in you I take refuge;           save me from all my pursuers, and deliver me, 2   or like a lion they will tear me apart;           they will drag me away, with no one to rescue. 3   O LORD my God, if I have done this,           if there is wrong in my hands, 4   if I have repaid my ally with harm           or plundered my foe without cause, 5   then let the enemy pursue and overtake me,           trample my life to the ground,           and lay my soul in the dust. Selah 6   Rise up, O LORD, in your anger;           lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;           awake, O my God; you have appointed a judgment. 7   Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you,           and over it take your seat on high. 8   The LORD judges the peoples;           judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness           and according to the integrity that is in me. 9   O let the evil of the wicked come to an end,           but establish the righteous,      you who test the minds and hearts,           O righteous God. 10  God is my shield,           who saves the upright in heart. 11  God is a righteous judge,           and a God who has indignation every day. 12  If one does not repent, God will whet his sword;           he has bent and strung his bow; 13  he has prepared his deadly weapons,           making his arrows fiery shafts. 14  See how they conceive evil,           and are pregnant with mischief,           and bring forth lies. 15  They make a pit, digging it out,           and fall into the hole that they have made. 16  Their mischief returns upon their own heads,           and on their own heads their violence descends. 17   I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness,           and sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

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