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

April 26

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 104:1-23

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul!
O LORD my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty--
2 who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment,
who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;
3 who layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters, who maketh the clouds His chariot,
who walketh upon the wings of the wind;
4 who maketh His angels spirits,
His ministers a flaming fire;
5 who laid the foundations of the earth,
that it should never be removed.
6 Thou covered it with the deep as with a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Thy rebuke they fled;
at the voice of Thy thunder they hastened away.
8 They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys
unto the place which Thou hast founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a boundary that they may not pass over,
that they turn not again to cover the earth.

10 He sendeth the springs into the valleys,
which run among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
the wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them shall the fowls of the heavens have their habitation,
which sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the hills from His chambers;
the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Thy works.

14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle
and herbs for the service of man,
that he may bring forth food out of the earth,
15 and wine that maketh glad the heart of man,
and oil to make his face to shine,
and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

16 The trees of the LORD are full of sap,
the cedars of Lebanon which He hath planted,
17 where the birds make their nests;
as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats,
and the rocks for the conies.

19 He appointed the moon for seasons;
the sun knoweth his time to go down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night,
wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey
and seek their meat from God.
22 When the sun ariseth, they gather themselves together
and lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work
and to his labor until the evening.

Mark 4:30-34

30 And He said, 

"To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth. 32 But when it is sown, it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it." 

33 And with many such parables He spoke the Word unto them, as they were able to hear it; 34 but without a parable spoke He not unto them. And when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.

1 Corinthians 14:13-25

13 Therefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. 14 For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. 15 What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also; I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. 16 Else, when thou shalt bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say "Amen" at thy giving of thanks, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest? 17 For thou verily givest thanks well, but the other is not edified. 18 I thank my God that I speak with tongues more than ye all. 19 Yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

20 Brethren, be not children in understanding. Nonetheless, in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men. 21 In the law it is written:

"With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people;
and yet for all that they will not hear Me,"

saith the Lord. 22 Therefore tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to those who believe not; but prophesying serveth not those who believe not, but those who believe. 23 If therefore the whole church come together into one place and all speak with tongues, and there come in those who are unlearned or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad? 24 But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not or is unlearned, he is convinced by all and is judged by all, 25 and thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest; and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you in truth.

1 Samuel 2:12-26

12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. 13 And the priests' custom with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand. 14 And he struck it into the pan or kettle, or caldron or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites who came thither. 15 Also before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came and said to the man who sacrificed, "Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh from thee, but raw." 16 And if any man said unto him, "Let them not fail to burn the fat presently and then take as much as thy soul desireth," then he would answer him, "Nay, but thou shalt give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force." 17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD." And they went unto their own home. 21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, "Why do ye such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear. Ye make the LORD'S people to transgress. 25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him. But if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him?" Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the LORD and also with men.

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiasticus 12:2

Do good to the godly man, and thou shalt find a recompense;
and if not from him, yet from the Most High.