Scripture Reading for the
Common Calendar Year
(beginning January 1st)

April 16

Text taken from the
Third Millennium Bible^® (TMB^®)
(New Authorized Version^TM NAV^TM)

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 94

1 O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth--
O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show Thyself.
2 Lift up Thyself, Thou judge of the earth;
render to the proud their due reward.

3 LORD, how long shall the wicked--how long shall the wicked triumph?
4 How long shall they utter and speak hard things, and all the workers of iniquity boast?
5 They break in pieces Thy people, O LORD,
and afflict Thine heritage.
6 They slay the widow and the stranger,
and murder the fatherless.
7 Yet they say, "The LORD shall not see,
neither shall the God of Jacob regard it."

8 Understand, ye brutish among the people;
and ye fools, when will ye be wise?
9 He that planted the ear, shall He not hear?
He that formed the eye, shall He not see?
10 He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not He correct?
He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not He know?
11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man,
that they are vanity.

12 Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O LORD,
and teachest him out of Thy law,
13 that Thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity,
until the pit be dug for the wicked.
14 For the LORD will not cast off His people,
neither will He forsake His inheritance.
15 But judgment shall return unto righteousness,
and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

16 Who will rise up for me against the evildoers?
Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?
17 Unless the LORD had been my help,
my soul had almost dwelt in silence.
18 When I said, "My foot slippeth,"
Thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.
19 In the multitude of my thoughts within me,
Thy comforts delight my soul.
20 Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with Thee,
which frameth mischief by a law?
21 They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous,
and condemn the innocent blood.
22 But the LORD is my defense,
and my God is the rock of my refuge.
23 And He shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness;
yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off!

Mark 1:29-39 

29 And forthwith when they had come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and at once they told Him of her. 31 And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them. 

32 And at evening, when the sun had set, they brought unto Him all who were diseased and those who were possessed with devils. 33 And all the city was gathered together at the door. 34 And He healed many who were sick with divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and He suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him.

35 And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with Him followed after Him. 37 And when they had found Him, they said unto Him, "All men seek for Thee." 38 And He said unto them, 

"Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also; for therefore came I forth." 

39 And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

1 Corinthians 9:1-15 

1 Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? Are not you my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle unto others, yet doubtless I am to you. For ye are the seal of mine apostleship in the Lord. 3 Mine answer to those who examine me is this: 4 Have we not power to eat and to drink? 5 Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as do other apostles and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas? 6 Or is it I only and Barnabas who have not power to forbear working? 7 Who goeth to war at any time at his own expense? Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Or who feedeth a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock? 8 Say I these things as a man, or saith not the law the same also? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses: "Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn." Doth God take care for oxen, 10 or doth He say it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope, and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope. 11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it so great a thing if we should reap your worldly things? 12 If others are partakers of this power over you, are we not even more? Nevertheless we have not used this power, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the Gospel of Christ. 

13 Do ye not know that those who minister concerning holy things live of the things of the temple, and those who wait upon the altar are partakers with the altar? 14 Even so hath the Lord ordained that those who preach the Gospel should live from the Gospel. 15 But I have used none of these things; neither have I written, that these things should be so done unto me. For it would be better for me to die than that any man should make my glorying void.

Judges 13:1-14, 24-25

1 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

2 And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and bore not. 3 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman and said unto her, "Behold now, thou art barren and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive and bear a son. 4 Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing. 5 For, lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb. And he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines." 6 Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very fearsome; but I asked him not from whence he was, neither told he me his name. 7 But he said unto me, `Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son. And now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"

8 Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, "O my Lord, let the man of God which Thou didst send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born." 9 And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her. 10 And the woman made haste and ran, and showed her husband and said unto him, "Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day." 11 And Manoah arose and went after his wife, and came to the man and said unto him, "Art thou the man that spokest unto the woman?" And he said, "I am." 12 And Manoah said, "Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?" 13 And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, "Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware. 14 She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe." 

24 And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. 25 And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

Words of Wisdom - Proverbs 12:10 

A righteous man hath regard for the life of his beast, 
but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.