Daily Lectionary Readings for August 31, 2025

Daily Lectionary Readings (Two-Year Cycle)

Daily Lectionary Readings for August 31, 2025 By Daily Lectionary Readings, Sunday, August 31, 2025 12:00 AM Morning Psalm 108 1   My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast;           I will sing and make melody.           Awake, my soul! 2   Awake, O harp and lyre!           I will awake the dawn. 3   I will give thanks to you, O LORD, among the peoples,           and I will sing praises to you among the nations. 4   For your steadfast love is higher than the heavens,           and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. 5   Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,           and let your glory be over all the earth. 6   Give victory with your right hand, and answer me,           so that those whom you love may be rescued. 7   God has promised in his sanctuary:           “With exultation I will divide up Shechem,           and portion out the Vale of Succoth. 8   Gilead is mine; Manasseh is mine;           Ephraim is my helmet;           Judah is my scepter. 9   Moab is my wash-basin;           on Edom I hurl my shoe;           over Philistia I shout in triumph." 10  Who will bring me to the fortified city?           Who will lead me to Edom? 11  Have you not rejected us, O God?           You do not go out, O God, with our armies. 12  O grant us help against the foe,           for human help is worthless. 13  With God we shall do valiantly;           it is he who will tread down our foes. Morning Psalm 150 1   Praise the Lord!      Praise God in his sanctuary;           praise him in his mighty firmament! 2   Praise him for his mighty deeds;           praise him according to his surpassing greatness! 3   Praise him with trumpet sound;           praise him with lute and harp! 4   Praise him with tambourine and dance;           praise him with strings and pipe! 5   Praise him with clanging cymbals;           praise him with loud clashing cymbals! 6   Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!      Praise the Lord! First Reading 1 Kings 8:22-30 (31-40) 22Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven. 23He said, “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and steadfast love for your servants who walk before you with all their heart, 24the covenant that you kept for your servant my father David as you declared to him; you promised with your mouth and have this day fulfilled with your hand. 25Therefore, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for your servant my father David that which you promised him, saying, ‘There shall never fail you a successor before me to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children look to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’ 26Therefore, O God of Israel, let your word be confirmed, which you promised to your servant my father David. 27“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built! 28Regard your servant’s prayer and his plea, O LORD my God, heeding the cry and the prayer that your servant prays to you today; 29that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you said, ‘My name shall be there,’ that you may heed the prayer that your servant prays toward this place. 30Hear the plea of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place; O hear in heaven your dwelling place; heed and forgive. 31“If someone sins against a neighbor and is given an oath to swear, and comes and swears before your altar in this house, 32then hear in heaven, and act, and judge your servants, condemning the guilty by bringing their conduct on their own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding them according to their righteousness. 33“When your people Israel, having sinned against you, are defeated before an enemy but turn again to you, confess your name, pray and plead with you in this house, 34then hear in heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land that you gave to their ancestors. 35“When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and then they pray toward this place, confess your name, and turn from their sin, because you punish them, 36then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and grant rain on your land, which you have given to your people as an inheritance. 37“If there is famine in the land, if there is plague, blight, mildew, locust, or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in any of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is; 38whatever prayer, whatever plea there is from any individual or from all your people Israel, all knowing the afflictions of their own hearts so that they stretch out their hands toward this house; 39then hear in heaven your dwelling place, forgive, act, and render to all whose hearts you know — according to all their ways, for only you know what is in every human heart — 40so that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our ancestors.” Second Reading 1 Timothy 4:7b-16 7bTrain yourself in godliness, 8for, while physical training is of some value, godliness is valuable in every way, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 9The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance. 10For to this end we toil and struggle, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. 11These are the things you must insist on and teach. 12Let no one despise your youth, but set the believers an example in speech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. 13Until I arrive, give attention to the public reading of scripture, to exhorting, to teaching. 14Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you through prophecy with the laying on of hands by the council of elders. 15Put these things into practice, devote yourself to them, so that all may see your progress. 16Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; continue in these things, for in doing this you will save both yourself and your hearers. Gospel Reading John 8:47-59 47“Whoever is from God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear them is that you are not from God.” 48The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” 49Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon; but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. 50Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is one who seeks it and he is the judge. 51Very truly, I tell you, whoever keeps my word will never see death.” 52The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon. Abraham died, and so did the prophets; yet you say, ‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’ 53Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? The prophets also died. Who do you claim to be?” 54Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, he of whom you say, ‘He is our God,’ 55though you do not know him. But I know him; if I would say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you. But I do know him and I keep his word. 56Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day; he saw it and was glad.” 57Then the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” 58Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, before Abraham was, I am.” 59So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple. Evening Psalm 66 1   Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; 2        sing the glory of his name;           give to him glorious praise. 3   Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!           Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. 4   All the earth worships you;           they sing praises to you,           sing praises to your name. Selah 5   Come and see what God has done:           he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. 6   He turned the sea into dry land;           they passed through the river on foot.      There we rejoiced in him, 7        who rules by his might forever,      whose eyes keep watch on the nations —           let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah 8   Bless our God, O peoples,           let the sound of his praise be heard, 9   who has kept us among the living,           and has not let our feet slip. 10  For you, O God, have tested us;           you have tried us as silver is tried. 11  You brought us into the net;           you laid burdens on our backs; 12  you let people ride over our heads;           we went through fire and through water;      yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. 13  I will come into your house with burnt offerings;           I will pay you my vows, 14  those that my lips uttered           and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 15  I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings,           with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams;      I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16  Come and hear, all you who fear God,           and I will tell what he has done for me. 17  I cried aloud to him,           and he was extolled with my tongue. 18  If I had cherished iniquity in my heart,           the Lord would not have listened. 19  But truly God has listened;           he has given heed to the words of my prayer. 20  Blessed be God,           because he has not rejected my prayer           or removed his steadfast love from me. Evening Psalm 23 1   The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2        He makes me lie down in green pastures;      he leads me beside still waters; 3        he restores my soul.      He leads me in right paths           for his name’s sake. 4   Even though I walk through the darkest valley,           I fear no evil;      for you are with me;           your rod and your staff —           they comfort me. 5   You prepare a table before me           in the presence of my enemies;      you anoint my head with oil;           my cup overflows. 6   Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me           all the days of my life,      and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD           my whole life long. Read more »

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Bible Readings for September 1, 2025

Let's read the Bible together in the next year. Today our passages are Job 40:1–42:17; 2 Corinthians 5:11-21; Psalm 45:1-17; and Proverbs 22:14. The readings are the Contemporary English Version.

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Job 40-42:17 (Contemporary English Version)

Job 40

The LORD Continues

I Am the LORD All-Powerful

 ¹I am the LORD All-Powerful,     ²but you have argued
   that I am wrong.
   Now you must answer me.
    ³Job said to the LORD:
    ⁴Who am I to answer you?
    ⁵I did speak once or twice,
   but never again.
    ⁶Then out of the storm
   the LORD said to Job:
    ⁷Face me and answer
   the questions I ask!
    ⁸Are you trying to prove
   that you are innocent
   by accusing me of injustice?
    ⁹Do you have a powerful arm
   and a thundering voice
   that compare with mine?
    ¹⁰If so, then surround yourself
   with glory and majesty.
    ¹¹Show your furious anger!
   Throw down and crush
    ¹²all who are proud and evil.
    ¹³Wrap them in grave clothes
   and bury them together
   in the dusty soil.
    ¹⁴Do this, and I will agree
   that you have won
   this argument.     

I Created You

 ¹⁵I created both you    and the hippopotamus. ^[a] It eats only grass like an ox,
    ¹⁶but look at the mighty muscles
   in its body ¹⁷and legs.
   Its tail is like a cedar tree,
   and its thighs are thick.
    ¹⁸The bones in its legs
   are like bronze or iron.
    ¹⁹I made it more powerful
   than any other creature,
   yet I am stronger still.
    ²⁰Undisturbed, it eats grass
   while the other animals
   play nearby. ^[b] ²¹It rests in the shade of trees
   along the riverbank
    ²²or hides among reeds
   in the swamp.
    ²³It remains calm and unafraid
   with the Jordan River rushing
   and splashing in its face.
    ²⁴There is no way to capture
   a hippopotamus--
   not even by hooking its nose
   or blinding its eyes.
    

Job 41

The LORD Continues

Can You Catch a Sea Monster?

 ¹Can you catch a sea monster ^[c] by using a fishhook?    Can you tie its mouth shut
   with a rope?
    ²Can it be led around
   by a ring in its nose
   or a hook in its jaw?
    ³Will it beg for mercy?
    ⁴Will it surrender
   as a slave for life?
    ⁵Can it be tied by the leg
   like a pet bird
   for little girls?
    ⁶Is it ever chopped up
   and its pieces bargained for
   in the fish-market?
    ⁷Can it be killed
   with harpoons or spears?
    ⁸Wrestle it just once--
   that will be the end.
    ⁹Merely a glimpse of this monster
   makes all courage melt.
    ¹⁰And if it is too fierce
   for anyone to attack,
   who would dare oppose me?
    ¹¹I am in command of the world
   and in debt to no one.
    ¹²What powerful legs,
   what a stout body
   this monster possesses!
    ¹³Who could strip off its armor
   or bring it under control
   with a harness?
    ¹⁴Who would try to open its jaws,
   full of fearsome teeth?
    ¹⁵Its back ^[d] is covered with shield after shield,
    ¹⁶firmly bound and closer together
    ¹⁷than breath to breath.     

When This Monster Sneezes

 ¹⁸When this monster sneezes,    lightning flashes,
   and its eyes
   glow like the dawn.
    ¹⁹Sparks and fiery flames
   explode from its mouth.
    ²⁰And smoke spews from its nose
   like steam
   from a boiling pot,
    ²¹while its blazing breath
   scorches everything in sight.
    ²²Its neck is so tremendous
   that everyone trembles,
    ²³the weakest parts of its body
   are harder than iron,
    ²⁴and its heart is stone.
    ²⁵When this noisy monster appears,
   even the most powerful ^[e] turn and run in fear.
    ²⁶No sword or spear can harm it,
    ²⁷and weapons of bronze or iron
   are as useless
   as straw
   or rotten wood.
    ²⁸Rocks thrown from a sling
   cause it no more harm
   than husks of grain.
   This monster fears no arrows,
    ²⁹it simply smiles at spears,
   and striking it with a stick
   is like slapping it with straw.
    ³⁰As it crawls through the mud,
   its sharp and spiny hide
   tears the ground apart.
    ³¹And when it swims down deep,
   the sea starts churning
   like boiling oil,
    ³²and it leaves behind a trail
   of shining white foam.
    ³³No other creature on earth
   is so fearless.
    ³⁴It is king of all proud creatures,
   and it looks upon the others
   as nothing.
    

Job 42

Job's Reply to the LORD

No One Can Oppose You

 ¹Job said:     ²No one can oppose you,
   because you have the power
   to do what you want.
    ³You asked why I talk so much
   when I know so little.
   I have talked about things
   that are far beyond
   my understanding.
    ⁴You told me to listen
   and answer your questions. ^[f] ⁵I heard about you from others;
   now I have seen you
   with my own eyes.
    ⁶That's why I hate myself
   and sit here in dust and ashes
   to show my sorrow.     

The LORD Corrects Job's Friends

 ⁷The LORD said to Eliphaz:    What my servant Job has said about me is true, but I am angry at you and your two friends for not telling the truth. ⁸So I want you to go over to Job and offer seven bulls and seven goats on an altar as a sacrifice to please me. ^[g] After this, Job will pray, and I will agree not to punish you for your foolishness. ⁹Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar obeyed the LORD, and he answered Job's prayer.     

A Happy Ending

 ¹⁰After Job had prayed for his three friends, the LORD made Job twice as rich as he had been before. ¹¹Then Job gave a feast for his brothers and sisters and for his old friends. They expressed their sorrow for the suffering the LORD had brought on him, and they each gave Job some silver and a gold ring.     ¹²The LORD now blessed Job more than ever; he gave him fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels, a thousand pair of oxen, and a thousand donkeys.
    ¹³In addition to seven sons, Job had three daughters, ¹⁴whose names were Jemimah, Keziah, and Keren Happuch. ¹⁵They were the most beautiful women in that part of the world, and Job gave them shares of his property, along with their brothers.
    ¹⁶Job lived for another one hundred forty years--long enough to see his great-grandchildren have children of their own-- ¹⁷and when he finally died, he was very old.
    

Footnotes:

1. Job 40:15 the hippopotamus: The Hebrew text has "Behemoth," which was sometimes understood to be a sea monster like Rahab (9.13; 26.12), Leviathan (3.8; 41.1), and Tannin (7.12).
2. Job 40:20 nearby: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 20.
3. Job 41:1 sea monster: The Hebrew text has "Leviathan," which may refer to a sea monster or possibly to a crocodile in this verse (see the note at 3.8).
4. Job 41:15 back: Two ancient translations; Hebrew "pride."
5. Job 41:25 most powerful: Or "gods."
6. Job 42:4 questions: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 4.
7. Job 42:8 sacrifice to please me: These sacrifices have traditionally been called "whole burnt offerings" because the whole animal was burned on the altar. A main purpose of such sacrifices was to please the LORD with the smell of the sacrifice, and so in the CEV they are often called "sacrifices to please the LORD."

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2 Corinthians 5:11-21 (Contemporary English Version)

Bringing People to God

 ¹¹We know what it means to respect the Lord, and we encourage everyone to turn to him. God himself knows what we are like, and I hope you also know what kind of people we are. ¹²We are not trying once more to brag about ourselves. But we want you to be proud of us, when you are with those who are not sincere and brag about what others think of them.     ¹³If we seem out of our minds, it is between God and us. But if we are in our right minds, it is for your good. ¹⁴We are ruled by Christ's love for us. We are certain that if one person died for everyone else, then all of us have died. ¹⁵And Christ did die for all of us. He died so we would no longer live for ourselves, but for the one who died and was raised to life for us.
    ¹⁶We are careful not to judge people by what they seem to be, though we once judged Christ in that way. ¹⁷Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new. ¹⁸God has done it all! He sent Christ to make peace between himself and us, and he has given us the work of making peace between himself and others.
    ¹⁹What we mean is that God was in Christ, offering peace and forgiveness to the people of this world. And he has given us the work of sharing his message about peace. ²⁰We were sent to speak for Christ, and God is begging you to listen to our message. We speak for Christ and sincerely ask you to make peace with God. ²¹Christ never sinned! But God treated him as a sinner, so that Christ could make us acceptable to God.

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Psalm 45:1-17 (Contemporary English Version)

Psalm 45

(A special psalm for the people of Korah and for the music leader. To the tune "Lilies." A love song.)

For a Royal Wedding

 ¹My thoughts are filled    with beautiful words
   for the king,
   and I will use my voice
   as a writer would use
   pen and ink.
    ²No one is as handsome as you!
   Your words are always kind.
   That is why God
   will always bless you.
    ³Mighty king, glorious ruler,
   strap on your sword
    ⁴and ride out in splendor!
   Win victories for truth
   and mercy and justice.
   Do fearsome things
   with your powerful arm.
    ⁵Send your sharp arrows
   through enemy hearts
   and make all nations fall
   at your feet.
    ⁶You are God, and you will rule
   forever as king. ^[a] Your royal power
   brings about justice.
    ⁷You love justice and hate evil.
   And so, your God chose you
   and made you happier
   than any of your friends.
    ⁸The sweet aroma of the spices
   myrrh, aloes, and cassia,
   covers your royal robes.
   You enjoy the music of harps
   in palaces decorated
   with ivory.
    ⁹Daughters of kings are here,
   and your bride stands
   at your right side,
   wearing a wedding gown
   trimmed with pure gold. ^[b] ¹⁰Bride of the king,
   listen carefully to me.
   Forget your own people
   and your father's family.
    ¹¹The king is your husband,
   so do what he desires.
    ¹²All of the richest people
   from the city of Tyre
   will try to influence you
    ¹³with precious treasures.
   Your bride, my king,
   has inward beauty, ^[c] and her wedding gown is woven
   with threads of gold.
    ¹⁴Wearing the finest garments,
   she is brought to you,
   followed by her young friends,
   the bridesmaids.
    ¹⁵Everyone is excited,
   as they follow you
   to the royal palace.
    ¹⁶Your sons and your grandsons
   will also be kings
   as your ancestors were.
   You will make them the rulers
   everywhere on earth.
    ¹⁷I will make your name famous
   from now on,
   and you will be praised
   forever and ever.
    

Footnotes:

1. Psalm 45:6 You. . . king: Or " God has made you king, and you will rule forever."
2. Psalm 45:9 trimmed with pure gold: Hebrew has " with gold from Ophir," which may have been in Africa or India. Gold from there was considered the very best.
3. Psalm 45:13 has inward beauty: Or " is dressed in her room."

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Proverbs 22:14 (Contemporary English Version)

¹⁴The words of a bad woman
   are like a deep pit;
   if you make the LORD angry,

   you will fall right in.

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Thought for the Day

 

“Teach your children right from wrong, and when they are grown they will still do right.” (Proverbs 22:6 - Contemporary English Version) We all have the responsibility to teach our children the difference between right and wrong, humility and arrogance, wisdom and ignorance, compassion and neglect. And even though our words are important, our best lessons are the lives we choose to live.

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Quote for the Day

American writer, recognised for his prolific output in the adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres, Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote, "The more one listens to ordinary conversations the more apparent it becomes that the reasoning faculties of the brain take little part in the direction of the vocal organs."

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A Joke for Today

There is a guy stealing iPhones around town...

At some point he’s going to face time!

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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 people find satisfaction is their work.