Daily Reading for Thursday, August 5th, 2021

Reading 1, Numbers 20:1-13

¹ The Israelites, the whole community, arrived in the first month at the desert of Zin. The people settled at Kadesh. There Miriam died and was buried.

² There was no water for the community, so they banded together against Moses and Aaron.

³ The people laid the blame on Moses. 'We would rather have died', they said, 'as our brothers died before Yahweh!

⁴ Why have you brought Yahweh's community into this desert, for us and our livestock to die here?

⁵ Why did you lead us out of Egypt, only to bring us to this wretched place? It is a place unfit for sowing, it has no figs, no vines, no pomegranates, and there is not even water to drink!'

⁶ Leaving the assembly, Moses and Aaron went to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. They threw themselves on their faces, and the glory of Yahweh appeared to them.

⁷ Yahweh then spoke to Moses and said,

⁸ 'Take the branch and call the community together, you and your brother Aaron. Then, in full view of them, order this rock to release its water. You will release water from the rock for them and provide drink for the community and their livestock.'

⁹ Moses took up the branch from before Yahweh, as he had directed him.

¹⁰ Moses and Aaron then called the assembly together in front of the rock. He then said to them, 'Listen now, you rebels. Shall we make water gush from this rock for you?'

¹¹ Moses then raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the branch; water gushed out in abundance, and the community and their livestock drank.

¹² Yahweh then said to Moses and Aaron, 'Because you did not believe that I could assert my holiness before the Israelites' eyes, you will not lead this assembly into the country which I am giving them.'

¹³ These were the Waters of Meribah, where the Israelites laid the blame on Yahweh and where, by their means, he asserted his holiness.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 95:1-2, 6-7, 8-9

¹ Come, let us cry out with joy to Yahweh, acclaim the rock of our salvation.

² Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving, acclaim him with music.

⁶ Come, let us bow low and do reverence; kneel before Yahweh who made us!

⁷ For he is our God, and we the people of his sheepfold, the flock of his hand. If only you would listen to him today!

⁸ Do not harden your hearts as at Meribah, as at the time of Massah in the desert,

⁹ when your ancestors challenged me, put me to the test, and saw what I could do!

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