The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

July 30, 2025

July 29, 2025 July 31, 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 15:10-35

10Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11“I regret[] that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following me, and he has not carried out my words.” Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night.
12Samuel got up to meet Saul early in the morning, but Samuel was told, “Saul went to Carmel, and he set up a monument for himself there. Then he turned and continued down to Gilgal.”
˻So Samuel went to Saul, and there he saw Saul, offering a burnt offering to the Lord from the best of the spoils that he had brought from the Amalekites.˼[]
13When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “You are blessed by the Lord! I have carried out the word of the Lord.”
14Samuel said, “Then what does this mean—this bleating of sheep in my ears and the lowing of cattle that I hear?”
15Saul said, “They have been brought here from the Amalekites, because the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God. But we have completely destroyed the rest.”
16Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop right there! Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.”
He said to him, “Tell me.”
17Samuel said, “Though you were insignificant in your own sight, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel. The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18Then the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go and devote the Amalekites, that sinful people, to destruction. Fight against them until they are exterminated.’ 19Why didn't you listen to the voice of the Lord? Why did you swoop down on the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord's sight?”
20Saul said to Samuel, “But I have obeyed the voice of the Lord and have completed the mission that the Lord gave me. I have captured Agag king of Amalek, and I have completely destroyed the Amalekites. 21But the people took some of the plunder: sheep, cattle, and the best of what was devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”
22Samuel said, “Does the Lord take as much pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obedience to the voice of the Lord? Know this! To obey is better than sacrifice, and to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. 23For rebellion is the same as the sin of witchcraft, and arrogance is like having useless idols or consulting household gods. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you as king.”
24Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed against the command[] of the Lord, as well as against your words, because I was afraid of the people, so I listened to their voice. 25But now, please pardon my sin and come back with me again, so that I may worship the Lord.”
26But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you, because you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.”
27As Samuel turned to leave, Saul grabbed the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you today, and he has given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you. 29The Splendor of Israel will not lie or change his mind, because he is not a man, who changes his mind.”
30Then Saul said, “I have sinned, but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshipped the Lord.
32Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag the king of the Amalekites here to me!”
Agag came to him confidently. He said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”[]
33Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so your mother will be childless among women!” Then Samuel cut Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.
34Samuel then went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35Until the day of his death Samuel never again came to see Saul. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Acts 24:24-25:12

24Several days later, Felix appeared in public with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him speak about faith in Christ Jesus. 25While Paul instructed him about righteousness, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became frightened and replied, “Leave me for now, but when it is convenient, I will send for you.” 26At the same time, he was also hoping that Paul would give him money,[] and for this reason he sent for him as often as possible and talked with him.
27After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. But because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison.
Paul on Trial Before Festus
251Three days after Festus arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2Then the high priests and the leaders of the Jews brought formal charges against Paul 3and asked Festus for the favor of transferring Paul's case to Jerusalem. Their plan was to ambush and kill Paul along the way.
4However, Festus replied that Paul was being held in custody at Caesarea and that he himself intended to go there soon. 5“Therefore,” he said, “let some of your leaders go down with me and press charges against him, if there is anything evil about the man.”
6After spending no more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, he sat on the judicial bench and ordered Paul to be brought in.
7When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges that they could not prove. 8Paul said in his defense, “I have not committed any offense against the Jewish law, against the temple, or against Caesar.”
9But since Festus wanted to do the Jews a favor, he said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”
10But Paul said, “I am standing before Caesar's judicial bench, where I ought to be tried. I have done nothing wrong to the Jews, as also you yourself know very well. 11If I am guilty and have done something worthy of death, I am not trying to escape death. But if there is nothing to the charges they are making against me, no one can hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
12After Festus conferred with his council, he answered, “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”