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

July 23

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 18:1-30 

1 I will love Thee, O LORD, my strength. 
2 The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; 
my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; 
my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
3 I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; 
so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

4 The sorrows of death encompassed me, 
and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. 
5 The sorrows of hell compassed me about; 
the snares of death lay before me. 
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD 
and cried unto my God; 
He heard my voice out of His temple, 
and my cry came before Him, even unto His ears. 
7 Then the earth shook and trembled; 
the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because He was wroth. 
8 There went up smoke out of His nostrils, and a devouring fire out of His mouth; 
coals were kindled by it. 
9 He bowed the heavens also and came down; 
and darkness was under His feet. 
10 And He rode upon a cherub and flew; 
yea, He flew upon the wings of the wind. 
11 He made darkness His secret place; 
His pavilion round about Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies. 
12 At the brightness that was before Him, His thick clouds passed, 
hail stones and coals of fire.
13 The LORD also thundered in the heavens, 
and the Highest uttered His voice with hail stones and coals of fire. 
14 Yea, He sent out His arrows and scattered them; 
and He shot out lightnings and discomfited them. 
15 Then the channels of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered 
at Thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils.

16 He sent from above, He took me; 
He drew me out of many waters. 
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me, 
for they were too strong for me. 
18 They came against me in the day of my calamity; 
but the LORD was my stay. 
19 He brought me forth also into a large place; 
He delivered me, because He delighted in me.

20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; 
according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me. 
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, 
and have not wickedly departed from my God. 
22 For all His judgments were before me, 
and I did not put away His statutes from me. 
23 I was also upright before Him, 
and I kept myself from mine iniquity. 
24 Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, 
according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

25 With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful; 
with an upright man Thou wilt show Thyself upright; 
26 with the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure; 
and with the froward Thou wilt show Thyself froward. 
27 For Thou wilt save the afflicted people, 
but wilt bring down haughty looks. 
28 For Thou wilt light my candle; 
the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness. 
29 For by Thee I have run through a troop; 
and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

30 As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proved; 
He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him.

Luke 8:26-39

26 And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He went forth to land, there met Him from the city a certain man who had had devils a long time, and wore no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God Most High? I beseech Thee, torment me not!" 29 (For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him, and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he broke the bands and was driven by the devil into the wilderness.) 30 And Jesus asked him, saying,

"What is thy name?"

And he said, "Legion," because many devils had entered into him. 31 And they besought Him that He would not command them to go out into the deep. 32 And there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain. And they besought Him that He would suffer them to enter into them. And He suffered them. 33 Then went the devils out of the man and entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently down a steep slope into the lake and were choked. 34 When those who fed them saw what was done, they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then they went out to see what was done. And they came to Jesus, and found the man out of whom the devils had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those also who had seen it told them by what means he that had been possessed by the devils was healed. 37 Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes and round about besought Him to depart from them, for they were taken with great fear. And He went up into the boat, and returned back again.

38 Now the man out of whom the devils had departed besought Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,

39 "Return to thine own house, and show what great things God hath done unto thee."

And he went his way, and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done unto him.

Colossians 4

1 Masters, give unto your servants that which is just and equitable, knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven. 2 Continue in prayer and watch therein with thanksgiving, 3 besides praying also for us that God would open unto us a door of utterance to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds, 4 that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak. 5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outsiders, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

7 Tychicus, who is a beloved brother and a faithful minister and fellow servant in the Lord, shall declare unto you all my circumstances. 8 I have sent him unto you for the same purpose, that he might know your state and comfort your hearts, 9 and with him Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, who is one of you. They shall make known unto you all things which are done here.

10 Aristarchus my fellow prisoner saluteth you, and also Mark, Barnabas' sister's son (concerning whom ye received instructions that if he come unto you, receive him), 11 and Jesus who is called Justus, who are of the Circumcision. These only are my fellow workers for the Kingdom of God, who have been a comfort unto me. 12 Epaphras, a servant of Christ who is one of you, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. 13 For I bear him record that he hath a great zeal for you and for those who are in Laodicea and those in Hierapolis. 14 Luke, the beloved physician, and Demas greet you. 15 Salute the brethren who are in Laodicea, and Nymphas and the church which is in his house. 16 And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans, and likewise read the epistle from Laodicea. 17 And say to Archippus, "Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it."

18 The salutation by the hand of me, Paul. Remember my bonds. Grace be with you.

Amen.

Job 38:1-21, 33-38

1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said: 2 "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?
3 Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Me.
4 Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Declare, if thou hast understanding.

5 Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest?
Or who hath stretched the line upon it?
6 "Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof,
7 when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
8 Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as if it had issued out of the womb;
9 when I made the cloud the garment thereof and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,
10 and broke up for it My decreed place, and set bars and doors, 11 and said,
'Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed'?

12 "Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days,
and caused the dayspring to know his place,
13 that it might take hold of the ends of the earth,
that the wicked might be shaken out of it?
14 It is turned as clay under the seal; and they stand out as a garment.
15 And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the high arm shall be broken.

16 "Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea?
Or hast thou walked in the search of the depths?
17 Have the gates of death been opened unto thee?
Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?
18 Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth?
Declare if thou knowest it all.

19 "Where is the way where light dwelleth?
And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,
20 that thou shouldest take it to the boundary thereof,
and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?
21 Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born,
or because the number of thy days is great?

33 Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? 
Canst thou set the dominion thereof over the earth? 

34 "Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee? 
35 Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, `Here we are'? 
36 Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts, 
or who hath given understanding to the heart? 
37 Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can stay the bottles of heaven, 
38 when the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

Words of Wisdom - Isaiah 33:22

For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, 
the LORD is our king; He will save us.