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

August 15

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 37:1-20

1 Fret not thyself because of evildoers,
neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.
2 For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
and wither as the green herb.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
4 Delight thyself also in the LORD,
and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

5 Commit thy way unto the LORD;
trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.
6 And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light,
and thy judgment as the noonday.

7 Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him;
fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.
9 For evildoers shall be cut off;
but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

10 For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be;
yea, thou shalt diligently look for his place, and it shall not be.
11 But the meek shall inherit the earth,
and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

12 The wicked plotteth against the just,
and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.
13 The Lord shall laugh at him,
for He seeth that his day is coming.
14 The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bows to cast down the poor and needy,
and to slay such as be of upright manner of living.
15 Their sword shall enter into their own heart,
and their bows shall be broken.

16 A little that a righteous man hath
is better than the riches of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken,
but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

18 The LORD knoweth the days of the upright;
and their inheritance shall be for ever.
19 They shall not be ashamed in the evil time,
and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.
20 But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs:
they shall be consumed; into smoke shall they be consumed away.

Luke 13:22-30

22 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then said one unto Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said unto them,

24 "Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able. 25 When once the master of the house is risen up and hath shut the door, and ye begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, `Lord, Lord, open unto us,' and He shall answer and say unto you, `I know you not from whence ye are,' 26 then shall ye begin to say, `We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets.' 27 But He shall say, `I tell you, I know you not from whence ye are. Depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity.' 28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. 29 And they shall come from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south, and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God. 30 And behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last."

1 Timothy 5:9-16

9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under three score years old, having been the wife of one man, 10 well reported of for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently followed every good work. 

11 But the younger widows refuse, for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry, 12 having damnation because they have cast off their first faith. 13 And besides they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. 14 It is my will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give no occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. 15 For some have already turned aside after Satan. 16 If any man or woman who believeth have widows, let them relieve them and let not the church be burdened, that it may assist those who are widows indeed.

Isaiah 40:1-17

1 "Comfort ye, comfort ye My people,
" saith your God.
2 "Speak ye comfortingly to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished,
that her iniquity is pardoned;
for she hath received from the LORD'S hand double for all her sins."

3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: "Prepare ye the way of the LORD;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low;
and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.
5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together;
for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

6 The voice said, "Cry!"
And he said, "What shall I cry?"
"All flesh is grass,
and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it;
surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth;
but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain;
O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength.
Lift it up, be not afraid;
say unto the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"
10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him;
behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.
11 He shall feed His flock like a shepherd;
He shall gather the lambs with His arm and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
and meted out heaven with the span,
and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure,
and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD,
or being His counselor hath taught Him?
14 With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment,
and taught Him knowledge, and showed to Him the way of understanding?
15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance;
behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.
16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn,
nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All nations before Him are as nothing,
and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity.

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiasticus 29:20

Help thy neighbor according to thy power, 
and beware that thou thyself fall not into the same.