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

July 1

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Baruch 4:1-8, 17-23, 27-29

1 This is the book of the commandments of God, 
and the law that endureth for ever. 
All they that keep it shall come to life, 
but such as leave it shall die. 
2 Turn thee, O Jacob, and take heed of it; 
walk in the presence of the light thereof, that thou mayest be illuminated. 
3 Give not thine honor to another, 
nor the things that are profitable unto thee to a strange nation. 
4 O Israel, happy are we, 
for things that are pleasing to God are made known unto us. 

5 Be of good cheer, my people, 
the memorial of Israel. 
6 Ye were sold to the nations, not for your destruction; 
but because you moved God to wrath, ye were delivered unto the enemies. 
7 For ye provoked Him that made you by sacrificing unto devils, 
and not to God. 
8 Ye have forgotten the everlasting God, that brought you up; 
and ye have grieved Jerusalem, that nursed you. 

17 "But how can I help you? 
18 For He that brought these plagues upon you will deliver you from the hands of your enemies. 
19 Go your way, O my children, go your way; 
for I am left desolate. 
20 I have put off the clothing of peace, and put upon me the sackcloth of my prayer; 
I will cry unto the Everlasting in my days. 

21 "Be of good cheer, O my children, cry unto the Lord; 
and He will deliver you from the power and hand of the enemies. 
22 For my hope is in the Everlasting, 
that He will save you; 
and joy is come unto me from the Holy One, 
because of the mercy which shall soon come unto you from the Everlasting, our Savior. 
23 For I sent you out with mourning and weeping;
but God will give you to me again with joy and gladness for ever. 

27 "Be of good comfort, O my children, and cry unto God; 
for ye shall be remembered by Him that brought these things upon you. 
28 For as it was your mind to go astray from God, 
so, being returned, seek Him ten times more. 
29 For He that hath brought these plagues upon you 
shall bring you everlasting joy again with your salvation."

Luke 2:41-52

41 Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the Feast. 43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and His mother knew not of it. 44 But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances. 45 And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him. 46 And it came to pass that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers. 48 And when they saw Him they were amazed, and His mother said unto Him, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing." 49 And He said unto them,

"How is it that ye sought Me? Knew ye not that I must be about My Father's business?"

50 And they understood not the saying which He spoke unto them. 51 And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. But His mother kept all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Ephesians 5:15-21 

15 See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil. 17 Therefore, be ye not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

Nehemiah 1

1 The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in the palace at Shushan, 2 that Hanani one of my brethren came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who were left behind from the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem. 3 And they said unto me, "The remnant who are left behind from the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire."

4 And it came to pass when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven 5 and said: "I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and fearsome God, who keepeth covenant and mercy for those who love Him and observe His commandments, 6 let Thine ear now be attentive and Thine eyes open, that Thou mayest hear the prayer of Thy servant, which I pray before Thee now day and night for the children of Israel Thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against Thee. Both I and my father's house have sinned. 7 We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments which Thou commanded Thy servant Moses. 8 Remember, I beseech Thee, the word that Thou commanded Thy servant Moses, saying, `If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations; 9 but if ye turn unto Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though there were some of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set My name there.' 10 Now these are Thy servants and Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy great power and by Thy strong hand. 11 O Lord, I beseech Thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant, and to the prayer of Thy servants who desire to fear Thy name; and prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer.

Words of Wisdom -  Ecclesiasticus 22:1

A slothful man is compared to a filthy stone, 
and every one will hiss him out to his disgrace.