Daily Lectionary

March 23, 2026

March 22, 2026 March 24, 2026

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.

Exodus 2:1-22

The Birth of Moses

2¹Now a man from the house of Levi went and took a Levite woman as a wife. ²The woman became pregnant and bore a son. When she saw that he was a special^[] child, she hid him for three months. ³When she was no longer able to hide him, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. She put the child into it and placed it in the reeds along the bank of the Nile. ⁴His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

⁵Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the bank of the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant girl to get it. ⁶She opened it and saw the child. It was a boy, and he was crying. She felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.”

⁷Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, “Should I go and call a wet nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”

⁸Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Yes, go.”

So the young woman went and called the child's mother to come. ⁹Pharaoh's daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay you for doing it.”

So the woman took the child and nursed him. ¹⁰When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, with the explanation, “Because I drew him up out of the water.”^[]

Moses Flees to Midian

¹¹After some time, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own people. ¹²After he looked this way and that, and he saw that no one was there, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

¹³The next day when he went out, he came upon two Hebrew men who were fighting. He said to the one in the wrong, “Why were you striking your fellow Hebrew?”

¹⁴The man said, “Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Are you planning to kill me just as you killed the Egyptian?”

Moses was afraid and thought, “What I have done has definitely become known.” ¹⁵When Pharaoh heard what Moses had done, he sought to kill Moses. Moses, however, fled from Pharaoh's presence and went to live in the land of Midian. There he sat down by a well.

¹⁶Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and started drawing water. They filled the troughs to water their father's flock, ¹⁷but some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses, however, stood up and helped them. He then watered their flock. ¹⁸When the daughters came to Reuel, their father, he said, “Why have you returned so early today?”

¹⁹They said, “An Egyptian man rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

²⁰Reuel said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why have you left the man there? Invite him to have something to eat.”

²¹Moses agreed to stay with the man. The man gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses as a wife. ²²She gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,^[] for he said, “I have become an alien living in a foreign land.”

Mark 14:32-52

Gethsemane

(Matthew 26:36-46; Luke 22:39-46)

³²They went to a place named Gethsemane. Jesus told his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” ³³Then he took Peter, James, and John along with him and began to be troubled and distressed. ³⁴He said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow, even to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch.”

³⁵Going forward a little, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. ³⁶He also said, “Abba, Father, everything is possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

³⁷When he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you sleeping? Were you not strong enough to keep watch for one hour? ³⁸Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

³⁹Again he went away and prayed, saying the same thing. ⁴⁰When he returned, he found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. They did not know what they should answer him. ⁴¹He returned the third time and said to them, “Are you going to continue sleeping and resting? It is enough. The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴²Rise, let us go. Look, my betrayer is near.”

Jesus' Arrest

(Matthew 26:47-56; Luke 22:47-54; John 18:1-14)

⁴³Just then, while he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, arrived. A crowd was with him, armed with swords and clubs. They were from the chief priests, the experts in the law, and the elders. ⁴⁴Now his betrayer had given them a signal, saying, “The one I kiss is the man. Arrest him and lead him away under guard.” ⁴⁵He went right to Jesus and said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him. ⁴⁶They laid hands on him and arrested him. ⁴⁷But one of those who stood nearby drew his sword, struck the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸Jesus responded by saying to them, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to capture me as you would a criminal? ⁴⁹Day after day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But this happened so that the Scriptures may be fulfilled.” ⁵⁰Then the disciples all left him and fled.

⁵¹A certain young man was following him, wearing just a linen cloth over his naked body. They seized him, ⁵²but he left behind the linen cloth and fled from them naked.