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

August 24

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 45

1 My heart is composing a goodly matter; I speak of the verses which I have made concerning the King;
my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

2 Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into Thy lips;
therefore God hath blessed Thee for ever.
3 Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most Mighty,
with Thy glory and Thy majesty.
4 And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness;
and Thy right hand shall teach Thee fearsome things.
5 Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies,
whereby the people fall under Thee.

6 Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever;
the scepter of Thy Kingdom is a righteous scepter.
7 Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness;
therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.
8 All Thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia,
out of the ivory palaces whereby they have made Thee glad.
9 Kings' daughters were among Thy honorable women;
at Thy right hand stood the queen in gold of Ophir.

10 Hearken, O daughter, and consider and incline thine ear;
forget also thine own people and thy father's house.
11 So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty,
for He is thy Lord; worship thou Him.
12 And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift;
even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.

13 The King's daughter is all glorious within;
her clothing is of wrought gold.
14 She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework;
the virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought unto Thee.
15 With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought;
they shall enter into the King's palace.

16 Instead of Thy fathers shall be Thy children,
whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.
17 I will make Thy name to be remembered in all generations; therefore shall the people praise Thee for ever and ever.

Luke 16:19-31

19 "There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. 20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores 21 and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried. 23 And in hell, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 And he cried and said, `Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.' 25 But Abraham said, `Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and thou art tormented. 26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there.' 27 Then he said, `I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house, 28 for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment.' 29 Abraham said unto him, `They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.' 30 And he said, `Nay, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.' 31 And Abraham said unto him, `If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.'"

2 Timothy 2:8-15

8 Remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my Gospel, 9 wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds. But the Word of God is not bound. 10 Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sake, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory. 

11 It is a faithful saying: 

For if we be dead with Him, 
we shall also live with Him; 
12 if we suffer, 
we shall also reign with Him. 
If we deny Him, 
He also will deny us; 
13 if we believe not, 
yet He abideth faithful; He cannot deny Himself.

14 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit but to the subverting of the hearers. 15 Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Isaiah 55

1 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat;
yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
2 Why do ye spend money for that which is not bread,
and your labor for that which satisfieth not?
Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good,
and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
3 Incline your ear, and come unto Me;
hear, and your soul shall live;
and I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
even the sure mercies of David.
4 Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people,
a leader and commander to the people.
5 Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not,
and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God,
and for the Holy One of Israel;
for He hath glorified thee."

6 Seek ye the LORD while He may be found,
call ye upon Him while He is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake his way
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
and let him return unto the LORD,
and He will have mercy upon him,
and to our God,
for He will abundantly pardon.

8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways My ways," saith the LORD.
9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.
10 For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth,
and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11 so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: It shall not return unto Me void,
but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

12 "For ye shall go out with joy,
and be led forth with peace;
the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
13 Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree,
and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree;
and it shall be to the LORD for a name,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiasticus 30:13

Chastise thy son, and hold him to labor, 
lest his lewd behavior be an offense unto thee.