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

February 18

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 44

1 We have heard with our ears, O God,
our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days, in the times of old:
2 how Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thy hand, and planted them;
how Thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.
3 For they got not the land in possession by their own sword,
neither did their own arm save them,
but by Thy right hand and Thine arm and the light of Thy countenance,
because Thou hadst favor unto them.

4 Thou art my King, O God;
command deliverances for Jacob.
5 Through Thee will we push down our enemies;
through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.
6 For I will not trust in my bow,
neither shall my sword save me;
7 but Thou hast saved us from our enemies,
and hast put them to shame that hated us.
8 In God we boast all the day long,
and praise Thy name for ever.

9 But Thou hast cast us off and put us to shame,
and goest not forth with our armies.
10 Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy,
and they that hate us despoil us for themselves.
11 Thou hast given us up like sheep appointed for slaughter, and hast scattered us among the heathen.
12 Thou sellest Thy people for nought,
and dost not increase Thy wealth by their price.
13 Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors,
a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.
14 Thou makest us a byword among the heathen,
a shaking of the head among the people.

15 My confusion is continually before me,
and the shame of my face hath covered me,
16 for the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth
by reason of the enemy and avenger.

17 All this has come upon us; yet have we not forgotten Thee,
neither have we dealt falsely in Thy covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
neither have our steps turned from Thy way,
19 though Thou hast sorely broken us in the place of dragons,
and covered us with the shadow of death.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God,
or stretched out our hands to a strange god,
21 shall not God search this out?
For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.
22 Yea, for Thy sake are we killed all the day long;
we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

23 Awake! Why sleepest Thou, O Lord?
Arise! Cast us not off for ever.
24 Why hidest Thou Thy face,
and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
our belly cleaveth unto the earth.
26 Arise for our help,
and redeem us for Thy mercies' sake.

Matthew 15:10-20

10 And He called the multitude and said unto them,

"Hear and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

12 Then came His disciples and said unto Him, "Knowest Thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying?" 13 But He answered and said,

"Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

15 Then answered Peter and said unto Him, "Explain to us this parable." 16 And Jesus said,

"Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do ye not yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the drain? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 these are the things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man."

Acts 22:17-29

17 "And it came to pass that when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance 18 and saw Him saying unto me, `Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning Me.' 19 And I said, `Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in Thee. 20 And when the blood of Thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting unto his death and kept the raiment of those who slew him.' 21 And He said unto me, `Depart, for I will send thee far hence, unto the Gentiles.'"

22 And the crowd gave him an audience up to this word; and then they lifted up their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live!" 23 And as they cried out and cast off their clothes and threw dust into the air, 24 the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging, so that he might find out why they cried so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?" 26 When the centurion heard this, he went and told the chief captain, saying, "Take heed what thou doest, for this man is a Roman." 27 Then the chief captain came and said unto him, "Tell me, art thou a Roman?" And he said, "Yea." 28 And the chief captain answered, "With a great sum I obtained this freedom." And Paul said, "But I was free born." 29 Then straightway those who should have examined him departed from him, and the chief captain also was afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

Exodus 15:1-13, 19-27

1 Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spoke, saying,

"I will sing unto the LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea. 
2 The LORD is my strength and song, 
and He has become my salvation; 
He is my God, and I will prepare Him a habitation; 
my father's God, and I will exalt Him. 
3 The LORD is a man of war; 
the LORD is His name. 
4 Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath He cast into the sea; 
his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea. 
5 The depths have covered them; they sank into the bottom as a stone.

6 Thy right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power; 
Thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy. 
7 And in the greatness of Thine excellency Thou hast overthrown them that rose up against Thee; 
Thou sentest forth Thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble. 
8 And with the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, 
the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea. 
9 The enemy said, `I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; 
my lust shall be satisfied upon them. 
I will draw my sword; 
my hand shall destroy them.' 
10 Thou didst blow with Thy wind, the sea covered them; 
they sank as lead in the mighty waters. 

11 "Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? 
Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? 
12 Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand; 
the earth swallowed them. 
13 Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people whom Thou hast redeemed; 
Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation.

19 For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea. 20 And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam answered them:

"Sing ye to the LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea!"

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. 23 And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah [that is, Bitterness]. 24 And the people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?" 25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He put them to the proof, 26 and said, "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD that healeth thee."

27 And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water and threescore and ten palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters.

Words of Wisdom - Proverbs 4:14-15

Enter not into the path of the wicked,
and go not in the way of evil men;
avoid it, pass not by it;
turn from it and pass away.