Daily Reading for Monday, January 26th, 2026

Reading 1, Samuel 5:1-7, 10

¹ When the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod.

² Taking the ark of God, the Philistines put it in the temple of Dagon, setting it down beside Dagon.

³ When the people of Ashdod got up the following morning and went to the temple of Dagon, there lay Dagon face down on the ground before the ark of Yahweh. They picked Dagon up and put him back in his place.

⁴ But when they got up on the following morning, there lay Dagon face down on the ground before the ark of Yahweh, and Dagon's head and two hands lay severed on the threshold; only the trunk of Dagon was left in its place.

⁵ This is why the priests of Dagon and the people frequenting Dagon's temple never step on Dagon's threshold in Ashdod, even today.

⁶ Yahweh oppressed the people of Ashdod; he ravaged them and afflicted them with tumours -- Ashdod and its territory. When the people of Ashdod saw what was happening they said,

⁷ 'The ark of the God of Israel must not stay here with us, for he is oppressing us and our god Dagon.'

¹⁰ They then sent the ark of God to Ekron, but when it came to Ekron the Ekronites shouted, 'They have brought me the ark of the God of Israel to kill me and my people!'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 89:20, 21-22, 25-26

²⁰ 'I have found David my servant, and anointed him with my holy oil.

²¹ My hand will always be with him, my arm will make him strong.

²² 'No enemy will be able to outwit him, no wicked man overcome him;

²⁵ I shall establish his power over the sea, his dominion over the rivers.

²⁶ 'He will cry to me, "You are my father, my God, the rock of my salvation!"