Daily Reading for Wednesday, June 26th, 2024

Reading 1, Second Kings 22:8-13; 23:1-3

⁸ The high priest Hilkiah said to Shaphan the secretary, 'I have found the Book of the Law in the Temple of Yahweh.' And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, who read it.

⁹ Shaphan the secretary went to the king, reporting furthermore to him as follows, 'Your servants have melted down the silver which was in the Temple and have handed it over to the masters of works attached to the Temple of Yahweh.'

¹⁰ Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, 'The priest Hilkiah has given me a book'; and Shaphan read it aloud in the king's presence.

¹¹ On hearing the words of the Book of the Law he tore his clothes.

¹² Then the king gave the following order to the priest Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's minister:

¹³ 'Go and consult Yahweh on behalf of me and the people about the words of the book that has been discovered; for Yahweh's furious wrath has been kindled against us because our ancestors disobeyed the word of Yahweh by not doing what this book says they ought to have done.'

¹ The king then had all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem summoned to him,

² and the king went up to the Temple of Yahweh with all the people of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, priests, prophets and the whole populace, high and low. In their hearing he read out the entire contents of the Book of the Covenant discovered in the Temple of Yahweh.

³ The king then, standing on the dais, bound himself by the covenant before Yahweh, to follow Yahweh, to keep his commandments, decrees and laws with all his heart and soul, and to carry out the terms of the covenant as written in this book. All the people pledged their allegiance to the covenant.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 40

³³ Teach me, Yahweh, the way of your will, and I will observe it.

³⁴ Give me understanding and I will observe your Law, and keep it wholeheartedly.

³⁵ Guide me in the way of your commandments, for my delight is there.

³⁶ Bend my heart to your instructions, not to selfish gain.

³⁷ Avert my eyes from pointless images, by your word give me life.

⁴⁰ See how I yearn for your precepts; in your saving justice give me life.

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