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

February 26

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 52

1 Why boastest thou in thine own mischief, O mighty man?
The goodness of God endureth continually.
2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3 Thou lovest evil more than good, and lying rather than speaking righteousness.
4 Thou lovest all devouring words,
O thou deceitful tongue.

5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever;
He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living.

6 The righteous also shall see this and fear, and shall laugh at him:
7 "Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his own wickedness."

8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God;
I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9 I will praise Thee for ever, because Thou hast done it,
and I will wait on Thy name, for it is good before Thy saints.

Matthew 17:24-27

24 And when they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the tribute money came to Peter and said, "Doth not your master pay tribute?" 25 He said, "Yes." And when he had come into the house, Jesus preceded him, saying,

"What thinkest thou, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? From their own children, or from strangers?"

26 Peter said unto Him, "From strangers." Jesus said unto him,

"Then are the children free. 27 Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up. And when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. That take, and give unto them for Me and thee."

Acts 28:1-15

1 And when they had escaped, they then learned that the island was called Malta. 2 And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness, for they kindled a fire and received us every one, because of the present rain and because of the cold. 3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hanging from his hand, they said among themselves, "No doubt this man is a murderer whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live." 5 And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm. 6 Now they were expecting that he should have swollen or suddenly fallen down dead; but after watching a great while and seeing no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

7 In the same quarters were the possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and lodged us three days courteously. 8 And it came to pass that the father of Publius lay sick with a fever and a bloody flux. Paul entered in and prayed and laid his hands on him, and healed him. 9 So when this was done, others also on the island who had diseases, came and were healed. 10 These also honored us with many honors; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

11 And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered on the isle and whose sign was Castor and Pollux. 12 And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. 13 And from thence we followed a circiutous course and came to Rhegium. And a day later the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli. 14 There we found brethren and were invited to tarry with them seven days; and so we went toward Rome. 15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as the Appii Forum and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

Exodus 32:15-35

15 And Moses turned and went down from the mount, and the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. 16 And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets. 17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp." 18 And Moses said, "It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome; but the noise of them that sing do I hear." 19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them beneath the mount. 20 And he took the calf which they had made and burned it in the fire and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water and made the children of Israel drink of it.

21 And Moses said unto Aaron, "What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?" 22 And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord wax hot. Thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. 23 For they said unto me, `Make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him.' 24 And I said unto them, `Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off.' So they gave it to me. Then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf."

25 And when Moses saw that the people were naked (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, "Who is on the LORD'S side? Let him come unto me." And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. 27 And he said unto them, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: `Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.'" 28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 29 For Moses had said, "Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, even every man upon his son and upon his brother, that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day." 30 And it came to pass on the morrow that Moses said unto the people, "Ye have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up unto the LORD. Perhaps I shall make an atonement for your sin." 31 And Moses returned unto the LORD and said, "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin -- and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written!" 33 And the LORD said unto Moses, "Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. 34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, Mine angel shall go before thee. Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them." 35 And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf which Aaron made.

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 2:13

Then I saw that wisdom excelleth folly 
as far as light excelleth darkness.