Daily Reading for Thursday, June 27th, 2024

Reading 1, Second Kings 24:8-17

⁸ Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he came to the throne, and he reigned for three months in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

⁹ He did what is displeasing to Yahweh, just as his father had done.

¹⁰ At that time the troops of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

¹¹ Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon advanced on the city and his generals laid siege to it.

¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah-he, his mother, his retinue, his nobles and his officials -- then surrendered to the king of Babylon, and the king of Babylon took them prisoner in the eighth year of his reign.

¹³ The latter carried off all the treasures of the Temple of Yahweh and the treasures of the palace and broke up all the golden furnishings which Solomon king of Israel had made for the sanctuary of Yahweh, as Yahweh had foretold.

¹⁴ He carried all Jerusalem off into exile, all the nobles and all the notables, ten thousand of these were exiled, with all the blacksmiths and metalworkers; only the poorest people in the country were left behind.

¹⁵ He deported Jehoiachin to Babylon, as also the king's mother, his officials and the nobility of the country; he made them all leave Jerusalem for exile in Babylon.

¹⁶ All the men of distinction, seven thousand of them, the blacksmiths and metalworkers, one thousand of them, all the men capable of bearing arms, were led off into exile in Babylon by the king of Babylon.

¹⁷ The king of Babylon deposed Jehoiachin in favour of his paternal uncle Mattaniah, whose name he changed to Zedekiah.

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 79:1-2, 3-5, 8, 9

¹ [Psalm Of Asaph] God, the pagans have invaded your heritage, they have defiled your holy temple, they have laid Jerusalem in ruins,

² they have left the corpses of your servants as food for the birds of the air, the bodies of your faithful for the wild beasts.

³ Around Jerusalem they have shed blood like water, leaving no one to bury them.

⁴ We are the scorn of our neighbours, the butt and laughing-stock of those around us.

⁵ How long will you be angry, Yahweh? For ever? Is your jealousy to go on smouldering like a fire?

⁸ Do not count against us the guilt of former generations, in your tenderness come quickly to meet us, for we are utterly weakened;

⁹ help us, God our Saviour, for the glory of your name; Yahweh, wipe away our sins, rescue us for the sake of your name.