The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

July 17, 2025

July 16, 2025 July 18, 2025

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.

1 Samuel 1:1-20

The Birth of Samuel
11There was a man from Ramathaim of the Zuphites in the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah. He was the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2He had two wives. One was named Hannah, and the other was named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3Every year this man went up from his city to worship and to offer sacrifices to the Lord of Armies[] at Shiloh. Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were serving there as priests of the Lord.
4On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he gave portions of food to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters, 5but to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved Hannah, but the Lord had kept her from having children.[]
6Hannah's rival kept taunting her to make her miserable, because the Lord had kept Hannah from having children. 7Year after year, when Hannah went up to the Lord's house, her rival taunted her, so Hannah would weep and would not eat. 8Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why is your heart so sad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9Once, when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord's temple. 10Hannah's spirit was very distressed, and as she prayed to the Lord, she sobbed and wept many tears. 11She made a vow and said, “O Lord of Armies, if you will carefully consider the misery of your servant and remember me, and if you do not forget your servant but give your servant a male child,[] then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”
12As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli was looking at her mouth. 13Hannah was speaking silently from her heart. Although her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14and said to her, “How long are you going to be drunk? Get away from your wine!”
15Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman with a very troubled spirit. I have not been drinking wine or beer, but I have poured out my soul to the Lord. 16Do not regard your servant as a worthless, wicked woman. I have been speaking like this because of my great misery and because of how I have been grieved.”[]
17Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel give you what you have asked for.”
18She said, “Let your servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way. She ate, and her face no longer looked sad.
19They got up early in the morning and worshipped the Lord. They then returned to their home at Ramah.
Elkanah was intimate with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20So Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel[] because she said, “I asked for him from the Lord.”

Galatians 5:1-26

Christ Set Us Free
51It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not allow anyone to put the yoke of slavery on you again. 2Look, I, Paul, tell you that if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3I testify again to every man who allows himself to be circumcised that he is obligated to do the whole law. 4You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law are completely separated from Christ. You have fallen from grace.
5Indeed, through the Spirit, we by faith are eagerly waiting for the sure hope of righteousness. 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision matters. Rather, it is faith working through love that matters. 7You were running well! Who cut in on you, so that you are no longer persuaded by the truth? 8This persuasion is not from the one who calls you. 9A little yeast works through the whole batch. 10I am confident in the Lord that you will have no other opinion than this. But the one who is trying to disturb you will pay the penalty, whoever he is.
11Brothers,[] if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? Then the offense of the cross has been abolished. 12If only those who are upsetting you would also cut themselves off![]
13After all, brothers, you were called to freedom. Only do not use your freedom as a starting point for your sinful flesh. Rather, serve one another through love. 14In fact, the whole law is summed up in this one statement: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[] 15But if you keep on biting and devouring one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.
Flesh Opposes Spirit
16What I am saying is this: Walk by the spirit,[] and you will not carry out what the sinful flesh desires. 17For the sinful flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit what is contrary to the sinful flesh. In fact, these two continually oppose one another, so that you do not continue to do these things you want to do. 18But if you are led by the spirit, you are not under the control of the law.
19Now the works of the sinful flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, complete lack of restraint, 20idolatry, sorcery, hatred, discord, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissensions, heresies, 21envy, murders,[] drunkenness, orgies, and things similar to these. I warn you, just as I also warned you before, that those who continue to do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22But the fruit of the spirit[] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful flesh with its passions and desires. 25If we live by the spirit, let us also walk in step with it. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking one another and envying one another.