Bible Readings - Jan. 26, 2026

Reading I

2 Samuel 6:1-11

David again assembled all the picked men of Israel, thirty thousand in number.

Then David and all the people who were with him set out for Baala of Judah to bring up from there the ark of God, which bears the name “the LORD of hosts enthroned above the cherubim.”

They transported the ark of God on a new cart and took it away from the house of Abinadab on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, sons of Abinadab, were guiding the cart, with Ahio walking before it,

while David and all the house of Israel danced before the LORD with all their might, with singing, and with lyres, harps, tambourines, sistrums, and cymbals.

As they reached the threshing floor of Nodan, Uzzah stretched out his hand to the ark of God and steadied it, for the oxen were tipping it.

Then the LORD became angry with Uzzah; God struck him on that spot, and he died there in God’s presence.

David was angry because the LORD’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah. Therefore that place has been called Perez-uzzah even to this day.

David became frightened of the LORD that day, and he said, “How can the ark of the LORD come to me?”

So David was unwilling to take the ark of the LORD with him into the City of David. David deposited it instead at the house of Obed-edom the Gittite.

The ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite for three months, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom and all his household.

Psalm 96:1-3, 7-8a, 10

Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all you lands.

Sing to the LORD; bless his name.

Announce his salvation, day after day.

Tell his glory among the nations;

among all peoples, his wondrous deeds.

Give to the LORD, you families of nations,

give to the LORD glory and praise;

give to the LORD the glory due his name!

Say among the nations: The LORD is king.

He has made the world firm, not to be moved;

he governs the peoples with equity.

see 2 Timothy 1:10

now made manifest through the appearance

of our savior Christ Jesus, who destroyed death

and brought life and immortality to light

through the gospel

Gospel

Mark 3:22-30

The scribes who had come from Jerusalem said,

“He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and

“By the prince of demons he drives out demons.”

Summoning them, he began to speak to them in parables,

“How can Satan drive out Satan?

If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

And if a house is divided against itself,

that house will not be able to stand.

And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided,

he cannot stand;

that is the end of him.

But no one can enter a strong man’s house to plunder his property

unless he first ties up the strong man.

Then he can plunder his house.

Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies

that people utter will be forgiven them.

But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit

will never have forgiveness,

but is guilty of an everlasting sin.”

For they had said, “He has an unclean spirit.”