Daily Reading for Sunday, July 24th, 2022

Reading 1, Genesis 18:20-32

²⁰ Then Yahweh said, 'The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin is so grave,

²¹ that I shall go down and see whether or not their actions are at all as the outcry reaching me would suggest. Then I shall know.'

²² While the men left there and went to Sodom, Yahweh remained in Abraham's presence.

²³ Abraham stepped forward and said, 'Will you really destroy the upright with the guilty?

²⁴ Suppose there are fifty upright people in the city. Will you really destroy it? Will you not spare the place for the sake of the fifty upright in it?

²⁵ Do not think of doing such a thing: to put the upright to death with the guilty, so that upright and guilty fare alike! Is the judge of the whole world not to act justly?'

²⁶ Yahweh replied, 'If I find fifty upright people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place because of them.'

²⁷ Abraham spoke up and said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord, I who am dust and ashes:

²⁸ Suppose the fifty upright were five short? Would you destroy the whole city because of five?' 'No,' he replied, 'I shall not destroy it if I find forty-five there.'

²⁹ Abraham persisted and said, 'Suppose there are forty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the forty.'

³⁰ Abraham said, 'I hope the Lord will not be angry if I go on: Suppose there are only thirty to be found there?' 'I shall not do it,' he replied, 'if I find thirty there.'

³¹ He said, 'It is presumptuous of me to speak to the Lord: Suppose there are only twenty there?' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the twenty.'

³² He said, 'I trust my Lord will not be angry if I speak once more: perhaps there will only be ten.' 'I shall not destroy it,' he replied, 'for the sake of the ten.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 138:1-2, 2-3, 6-7, 7-8

¹ [Of David] I thank you, Yahweh, with all my heart, for you have listened to the cry I uttered. In the presence of angels I sing to you,

² I bow down before your holy Temple. I praise your name for your faithful love and your constancy; your promises surpass even your fame.

³ You heard me on the day when I called, and you gave new strength to my heart.

⁶ Sublime as he is, Yahweh looks on the humble, the proud he picks out from afar.

⁷ Though I live surrounded by trouble you give me life -- to my enemies' fury! You stretch out your right hand and save me,

⁸ Yahweh will do all things for me. Yahweh, your faithful love endures for ever, do not abandon what you have made.

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