Daily Lectionary

November 11, 2023

November 10, 2023 November 12, 2023

These daily readings from the EHV follow the one-year daily lectionary provided in Christian Worship: Hymnal, the Lutheran Service Book, and the Treasury of Daily Prayer. In this lectionary, two readings of 15-25 verses each are provided for each day. Under this plan, nearly all of the New Testament and approximately one-third of the Old Testament are read each year. These readings fit well within the daily offices of Matins, Vespers, or Compline as daily family devotions.

Jeremiah 23:21-40

²¹I did not send these prophets, yet they ran.

I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied.

²²But if they had stood in my council,

they would have made my people hear my words,

and they would have turned them from their evil ways

and from their evil deeds.

²³Am I a God who is only nearby, declares the Lord,

and not a God far away?

²⁴Can anyone hide in secret places

so that I cannot see him? declares the Lord.

Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the Lord.

²⁵I have heard what the prophets who prophesy lies in my name have said. They say, “I have had a dream! I have had a dream!” ²⁶How long will this be in the hearts of these lying prophets? These prophets proclaim the fantasies of their own hearts. ²⁷They think they can make my people forget my name with the dreams each one tells his neighbor, the way their fathers forgot my name because of Baal. ²⁸Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream. But let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully.

What has chaff to do with grain? declares the Lord. ²⁹Is not my word like a fire? declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? ³⁰Therefore listen to this, declares the Lord. I am against the prophets who steal my words from each other. ³¹Indeed, I am against the prophets, declares the Lord, who use their own tongues to say, “This is what the Lord declares!” ³²Yes, I am against those who prophesy about lying dreams, declares the Lord. I am against those who tell lying dreams to lead my people astray with their extravagant lies. But I did not send them or command them. They provide no benefit for this people, declares the Lord.

³³When these people or a prophet or a priest asks you, “What is the message^[] from the Lord?” say to them, “What is the message? This is the Lord's message: I will abandon you.”

³⁴As for the prophet, the priest, or anyone who says, “The message from the Lord,” I will punish that man and his household. ³⁵Each man will ask his neighbor, “What has the Lord answered?” or “What has the Lord said?” ³⁶But do not refer to the “message of the Lord” anymore, because each man's word has become his own message, because you have perverted the words of the Living God, the Lord of Armies, our God.

³⁷You say this to the prophet, “What has the Lord answered you?” or “What has the Lord said?” ³⁸But if you say that you have the message^[] of the Lord, this is what the Lord says to you: Since you say “the message of the Lord,” although I have sent a message telling you not to say “the message of the Lord,” ³⁹watch out, because I will completely forget you and throw you out of my presence. I will abandon you and this city, which I gave to your fathers. ⁴⁰I will bring everlasting scorn and everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.

Matthew 25:31-46

Jesus Will Judge the World

³¹“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. ³⁶I was lacking clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you took care of me. I was in prison and you visited me.’

³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or lacking clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

⁴⁰“The King will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’

⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you did not give me food to eat. I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink. ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, lacking clothes and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not take care of me.’

⁴⁴“Then they will also answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or lacking clothes or sick or in prison and did not serve you?’

⁴⁵“At that time he will answer them, ‘Amen I tell you: Just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ ⁴⁶And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”