Daily Reading for Thursday, July 31st, 2025

Reading 1, Exodus 40:16-21, 34-38

¹⁶ Moses did this; he did exactly as Yahweh had ordered him.

¹⁷ On the first day of the first month in the second year the Dwelling was erected.

¹⁸ Moses erected the Dwelling. He fixed its sockets, set up its frames, put its crossbars in position and set up its poles.

¹⁹ He spread the tent over the Dwelling and the covering for the tent over that, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.

²⁰ He took the Testimony and put it in the ark, positioned the shafts on the ark and put the mercy-seat on top of the ark.

²¹ He brought the ark into the Dwelling and put the screening curtain in place, screening the ark of the Testimony, as Yahweh had ordered Moses.

³⁴ The cloud then covered the Tent of Meeting and the glory of Yahweh filled the Dwelling.

³⁵ Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting, since the cloud stayed over it and the glory of Yahweh filled the Dwelling.

³⁶ At every stage of their journey, whenever the cloud rose from the Dwelling, the Israelites would resume their march.

³⁷ If the cloud did not rise, they would not resume their march until the day it did rise.

³⁸ For Yahweh's cloud stayed over the Dwelling during the daytime and there was fire inside the cloud at night, for the whole House of Israel to see, at every stage of their journey.

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.

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