Daily Reading for Saturday, July 23rd, 2022

Reading 1, Jeremiah 7:1-11

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying,

² 'Stand at the gate of the Temple of Yahweh and there proclaim this message. Say, "Listen to the word of Yahweh, all you of Judah who come in by these gates to worship Yahweh.

³ Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: Amend your behaviour and your actions and I will let you stay in this place.

⁴ Do not put your faith in delusive words, such as: This is Yahweh's sanctuary, Yahweh's sanctuary, Yahweh's sanctuary!

⁵ But if you really amend your behaviour and your actions, if you really treat one another fairly,

⁶ if you do not exploit the stranger, the orphan and the widow, if you do not shed innocent blood in this place and if you do not follow other gods, to your own ruin,

⁷ then I shall let you stay in this place, in the country I gave for ever to your ancestors of old.

⁸ Look, you are putting your faith in delusive, worthless words!

⁹ Steal, would you, murder, commit adultery, perjure yourselves, burn incense to Baal, follow other gods of whom you know nothing? -

¹⁰ and then come and stand before me in this Temple that bears my name, saying: Now we are safe to go on doing all these loathsome things!

¹¹ Do you look on this Temple that bears my name as a den of bandits? I, at any rate, can see straight, Yahweh declares.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 84:3, 4, 5-6, 8, 11

³ Even the sparrow has found a home, the swallow a nest to place its young: your altars, Yahweh Sabaoth, my King and my God.

⁴ How blessed are those who live in your house; they shall praise you continually.

⁵ Blessed those who find their strength in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.

⁶ As they pass through the Valley of the Balsam, they make there a water-hole, and -- a further blessing -- early rain fills it.

⁸ Yahweh, God Sabaoth, hear my prayer, listen, God of Jacob.

¹¹ For Yahweh God is a rampart and shield, he gives grace and glory; Yahweh refuses nothing good to those whose life is blameless.