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

April 3

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 83

1 Keep Thou not silence, O God; 
hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God. 
2 For lo, Thine enemies make a tumult, 
and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head. 
3 They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, 
and consulted against Thy hidden ones. 
4 They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, 
that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance." 
5 For they have consulted together with one accord; 
they are confederate against Thee: 
6 the tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites, 
of Moab and the Hagarites, 
7 Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, 
the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre. 
8 Assyria also has joined with them; 
they have helped the children of Lot. Selah

9 Do unto them as unto the Midianites, 
as to Sisera, as to Jabin at the Brook of Kishon, 
10 who perished at Endor; 
they became as dung for the earth. 
11 Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, 
yea, all their princes as Zebah and as Zalmunna, 
12 who said, "Let us take to ourselves 
the houses of God in possession."

13 O my God, make them like a wheel, 
as the stubble before the wind. 
14 As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire, 
15 so persecute them with Thy tempest, and make them afraid with Thy storm. 
16 Fill their faces with shame, 
that they may seek Thy name, O LORD. 
17 Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; 
yea, let them be put to shame and perish, 
18 that men may know that Thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, 
art the Most High over all the earth.

Matthew 26:47-56

47 And while He yet spoke, lo, Judas, one of the twelve came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. 48 Now he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying, "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He; hold Him fast." 49 And forthwith he came to Jesus and said, "Hail, Master!" and kissed Him. 50 And Jesus said unto him,

"Friend, why art thou come?"

Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him. 51 And behold, one of those who was with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest and smote off his ear. 52 Then said Jesus unto him,

"Put up again thy sword into his place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword. 53 Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall at once give Me more than twelve legions of angels? 54 But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?"

55 In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes,

"Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves to take Me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on Me. 56 But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled."

Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

1 Corinthians 1:20-31

20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, 24 but unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 

26 For ye see in your calling, brethren, how not many wise men according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 and base things of the world and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things which are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But because of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who from God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption, 31 that according as it is written:

"He that glorieth, 
let him glory in the Lord."

Joshua 1

1 Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying, 2 "Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3 Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border. 5 There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee. 6 Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I swore unto their fathers to give them. 7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 9 Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

10 Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 "Pass through the host and command the people, saying, `Prepare you victuals, for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.'"

12 And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh spoke Joshua, saying, 13 "Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, `The LORD your God hath given you rest and hath given you this land.' 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them 15 until the LORD shall have given your brethren rest, as He hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them. Then ye shall return unto the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising." 16 And they answered Joshua, saying, "All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go. 17 According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee; only the LORD thy God be with thee, as He was with Moses. 18 Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death. Only be strong and of a good courage."

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 5:1 

Guard thy feet when thou goest into the house of God; 
and be more ready to hear than to make the sacrifice of fools, for they consider not that they do evil.