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

February 14

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 40

1 I waited patiently for the LORD;
and He inclined unto me and heard my cry.
2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.
3 And He hath put a new song in my mouth; even praise unto our God;
many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

4 Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust,
and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.
5 Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done;
and Thy thoughts which are directed toward us, they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee.
If I would declare and speak of them,
they are more than can be numbered.
6 Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire; mine ears hast Thou opened;
burnt offering and sin offering hast Thou not required.

7 Then said I, "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me:
8 I delight to do Thy will, O my God; yea, Thy law is within my heart."
9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation;
lo, I have not restrained my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.
10 I have not hid Thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation;
I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.

11 Withhold not Thou Thy tender mercies from me, O LORD;
let Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth continually preserve me.
12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about;
mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up.
They are more than the hairs of mine head;
therefore my heart faileth me.

13 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me!
14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it;
let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.
15 Let them be desolate as a reward for their shame, that say unto me, "Aha, aha!"

16 Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee;
let those that love Thy salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!"
17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh of me.
Thou art my help and my deliverer; do not tarry, O my God!

Matthew 14:1-12

1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus 2 and said unto his servants, "This is John the Baptist. He is risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works show forth themselves in him." 3 For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife. 4 For John said unto him, "It is not lawful for thee to have her." 5 And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6 But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod, 7 whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8 And she, being beforehand instructed by her mother, said, "Give me here John the Baptist's head on a charger." 9 And the king was sorry; nevertheless for the oath's sake, and those who sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 10 And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 11 And his head was brought on a charger and given to the damsel, and she brought it to her mother. 12 And his disciples came, and took up the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

Acts 20:17-38

17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called for the elders of the church. 18 And when they had come to him, he said unto them, "Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, in what manner I have been with you in all seasons, 19 serving the Lord in all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations which befell me through the lying in wait of the Jews; 20 and how I kept back nothing that was profitable for you, but have shown you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, 21 testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. 22 And now behold, bound by the Spirit, I go unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there, 23 save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. 24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God.

25 "And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. 26 Therefore I attest to you this day that I am pure from the blood of all men, 27 for I have not shrunk from declaring unto you all the counsel of God.

28 "Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this: that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.

32 "And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. 34 Yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my own necessities, and also to those who were with me. 35 I have shown you all things, how that by so laboring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, `It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all. 37 And they all wept sorely and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, 38 sorrowing most of all because of the words which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.

Exodus 11

1 And the LORD said unto Moses, "Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterwards he will let you go hence. When he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. 2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow from his neighbor, and every woman from her neighbor, jewels of silver and jewels of gold." 3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people.

4 And Moses said, "Thus saith the LORD: `About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of beasts. 6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more. 7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast, that ye may know how the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.' 8 And all these thy servants shall come down unto me and bow down themselves unto me, saying, `Get thee out, and all the people who follow thee!' And after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger. 9 And the LORD said unto Moses, "Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."

10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 1:8b-10

The eye is not satisfied with seeing,
nor the ear filled with hearing.
The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done, is that which shall be done;
and there is no new thing under the sun.
Is there any thing whereof it may be said, "See, this is new"?
It hath been already in olden times which were before us.