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

January 16  

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 16

1 Preserve me, O God,
for in Thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD,
"Thou art my Lord; my goodness extendeth not to Thee,
3 but to the saints that are on the earth,
and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight."

4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied,
that hasten after another god;
their drink offerings of blood will I not offer,
nor take up their names upon my lips.

5 The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup;
Thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the LORD who hath given me counsel;
my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

8 I have set the LORD always before me;
because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoiceth;
my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell;
neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy;
at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Matthew 6:14-23

14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 "Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. 17 But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face, 18 that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. 

19 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. 

22 "The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

Acts 8:1b-25

1b And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church. Entering into every house and haling men and women, he committed them to prison.

4 Therefore those who were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word. 5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed with them; and many taken with palsies and who were lame, were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city.

9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who earlier in the same city had used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, 10 to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is great with the power of God." 11 And for him they had regard, because for a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries. 12 But when they believed Philip's preaching of the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

14 Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John, 15 who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. 16 (For as yet, He had fallen upon none of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 17 Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost. 18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, "Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost." 20 But Peter said unto him, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money! 21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God that perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity." 24 Then Simon answered and said, "Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me." 25 And they, when they had testified and preached the Word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem and preached the Gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

Genesis 17:1-16

1 And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram and said unto him, "I am the Almighty God. Walk before Me, and be thou perfect. 2 And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly." 3 And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying, 4 "As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. 5 Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. 6 And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. 7 And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. 8 And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God." 

9 And God said unto Abraham, "Thou shalt keep My covenant, therefore, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations. 10 This is My covenant which ye shall keep between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every manchild among you shall be circumcised. 11 And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between Me and you. 12 And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every manchild in your generations, he that is born in the house or bought with money from any stranger who is not of thy seed. 13 He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. 14 And the uncircumcised manchild whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant." 

15 And God said unto Abraham, "As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. 16 And I will bless her and give thee a son also by her. Yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her." 

Words of Wisdom - Proverbs 2:6-7

For the LORD giveth wisdom;
out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.
He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous;
He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.