Daily Reading for Monday, August 5th, 2024

Reading 1, Jeremiah 28:1-17

¹ That same year, at the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fifth month of the fourth year, the prophet Hananiah son of Azzur, a Gibeonite, spoke as follows to Jeremiah in the Temple of Yahweh in the presence of the priests and of all the people,

² 'Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this, "I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

³ In exactly two years' time I shall bring back all the vessels of the Temple of Yahweh which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from here and carried off to Babylon.

⁴ And I shall also bring back Jeconiah son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah and all the exiles of Judah who have gone to Babylon, Yahweh declares, for I shall break the yoke of the king of Babylon." '

⁵ The prophet Jeremiah then replied to the prophet Hananiah in front of the priests and all the people present in the Temple of Yahweh.

⁶ 'So be it!' the prophet Jeremiah said, 'May Yahweh do so! May he fulfil the words that you have prophesied and bring all the vessels of the Temple of Yahweh and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon.

⁷ Listen carefully, however, to this word that I am now going to say for you and all the people to hear:

⁸ From remote times, the prophets who preceded you and me prophesied war, disaster and plague for many countries and for great kingdoms;

⁹ the prophet who prophesies peace can be recognised as one truly sent by Yahweh only when his word comes true.'

¹⁰ The prophet Hananiah then snatched the yoke off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah and broke it.

¹¹ In front of all the people Hananiah then said, 'Yahweh says this, "This is how, in exactly two years' time, I shall break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and take it off the necks of all the nations." ' At this, the prophet Jeremiah went away.

¹² After the prophet Hananiah had broken the yoke he had snatched off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah,

¹³ 'Go to Hananiah and tell him this, "Yahweh says this: You have broken the wooden yokes only to make iron yokes to replace them!

¹⁴ For Yahweh Sabaoth, the God of Israel, says this: An iron yoke is what I now lay on the necks of all these nations to enslave them to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. (They will be enslaved to him; I have even given him the wild animals.)" '

¹⁵ The prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah, 'Listen carefully, Hananiah: Yahweh has not sent you; and thanks to you this people is now relying on what is false.

¹⁶ And so, Yahweh says this, "I am going to send you off the face of the earth: you will die this year (since you have preached rebellion against Yahweh)." '

¹⁷ The prophet Hananiah died the same year, in the seventh month.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 119:29, 43, 79, 80, 95, 102

²⁹ Keep me far from the way of deceit, grant me the grace of your Law.

⁴³ Do not deprive me of that faithful word, since my hope lies in your judgements.

⁷⁹ Let those who fear you rally to me, those who understand your instructions.

⁸⁰ My heart shall be faultless towards your will; then I shall not be ashamed.

⁹⁵ The wicked may hope to destroy me, but all my thought is of your instructions.

¹⁰² I do not turn aside from your judgements, because you yourself have instructed me.

Light Your Virtual Prayer Candle For a Loved One