The Wartburg Project

Daily Lectionary

August 3, 2025

August 2, 2025 August 4, 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 17:48-18:9

48Then, when the Philistine started advancing to attack David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49David put his hand into his bag, took a stone from it, shot it from his sling, and struck the Philistine on the forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell facedown to the ground.
50So David defeated the Philistine with a sling and a stone. He struck the Philistine and killed him, even though David did not have a sword in his hand. 51So David ran, stood over the Philistine, took hold of his sword, drew it out of its sheath, killed him, and cut off his head with it.
When the Philistines saw that their champion was dead, they fled. 52The men of Israel and Judah got up, cheering loudly, and pursued the Philistines toward the entrance of the valley, all the way to the gates of Ekron. Fatally-wounded Philistines lined the road from Sha'araim all the way to Gath and Ekron. 53When the Israelites returned from pursuing the Philistines, they plundered their camp. 54David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put the Philistine's armor and weapons into his tent.
David and Saul's Family
55When Saul saw David go out against the Philistine, he said to Abner, the commander of the army, “Abner, whose son is this young man?”
Abner said, “As your soul lives, my King, I do not know.”
56The king said, “Inquire whose son the young man is!”
57As David returned from striking down the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul, with the head of the Philistine in his hand. 58Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?”
David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse of Bethlehem.”
181When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul[] of Jonathan became bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved David as he loved his own soul.[] 2Saul took David into his service that day and would not let him go back to his father's house anymore. 3Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because Jonathan loved David as his own soul. 4Jonathan took off the robe that he was wearing and gave it to David, as well as his other gear, including his sword, his bow, and his belt.
5David went out wherever Saul sent him, and he was successful. So Saul put him in charge of a group of soldiers. All the people approved, as did Saul's officials.
6As the army was coming back from battle, when David was returning from striking down the Philistine, women came out from all the cities of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful music, with hand drums, and with noisemakers.[] 7The women sang to each other as they played:
Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.
8Saul became furious, because he resented this statement. He said, “They have credited David with tens of thousands, but to me they have credited only thousands. What more can be given to him but the kingship?” 9So Saul eyed David suspiciously from that day on.

Acts 27:9-26

9Since so much time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous because the Fast[] was already over, Paul advised them, 10“Men, it looks to me as if the voyage is going to end with disaster and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our lives.” 11But the centurion paid more attention to the pilot and the owner of the ship than to what Paul was saying. 12Since that harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to put out to sea from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix and winter there. (Phoenix is a harbor on Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.) 13When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they could carry out their plan. They raised the anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete.
The Storm
14But before long, a hurricane-like wind, called the “northeaster,” rushed down from the island. 15Since the ship was caught in it and could not head into the wind, we gave way to it and were driven along. 16As we sailed on the sheltered side of a small island called Cauda, we were barely able to secure the skiff.[] 17After hoisting it on board, the men tied ropes around the ship to reinforce it. Then, fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and in this way were driven along. 18Because we were tossed around so violently by the storm, the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19On the third day, they threw the ship's gear overboard with their own hands. 20When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the violent storm kept pressing down on us, finally all hope that we would be saved was disappearing.
21After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have followed my advice and not set sail from Crete and avoided this damage and loss. 22But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because there will be no loss of life among you. Only the ship will be lost. 23In fact, last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand before Caesar. And surely God has graciously given you all those who are sailing with you.’ 25So keep up your courage, men, because I believe God that it will be exactly the way I have been told. 26However, we must run aground on some island.”