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

March 12

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 66

1 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands!
2 Sing forth the honor of His name; make His praise glorious.
3 Say unto God, "How fearsome art Thou in Thy works!
Through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies submit themselves unto Thee.
4 All the earth shall worship Thee and shall sing unto Thee;
they shall sing to Thy name."

5 Come and see the works of God;
He is fearsome in His doings toward the children of men.
6 He turned the sea into dry land, they went through the flood on foot;
there did we rejoice in Him.
7 He ruleth by His power for ever, His eyes behold the nations;
let not the rebellious exalt themselves.

8 O bless our God, ye people;
and make the voice of His praise to be heard,
9 who holdeth our soul in life
and alloweth not our feet to be moved.
10 For Thou, O God, hast tried us;
Thou hast tried us as silver is tried.
11 Thou broughtest us into the net;
Thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12 Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water, but Thou broughtest us out into a fruitful place.

13 I will go into Thy house with burnt offerings;
I will pay Thee my vows,14 which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer unto Thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings
with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks and goats.

16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God,
and I will declare what He hath done for my soul.
17 I cried unto Him with my mouth,
and He was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I regard iniquity in my heart,
the Lord will not hear me.
19 But verily God hath heard me;
He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

20 Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer,
nor His mercy from me!

Matthew 21:23-32

23 And when He had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto Him as He was teaching and said, "By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?" 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them,

"I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell Me, I in like manner will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John: whence was it? From Heaven, or of men?"

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we shall say, 'From Heaven,' he will say unto us, 'Why did ye not then believe him?' 26 But if we shall say, 'Of men,' we fear the people, for all hold John to be a prophet." 27 And they answered Jesus and said, "We cannot tell." And He said unto them,

"Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 "But what think ye? A certain man had two sons. And he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in my vineyard.' 29 He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he repented and went. 30 And he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' and went not. 31 Which of those two did the will of his father?"

They said unto Him, "The first." Jesus said unto them,

"Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and harlots believed him. And ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

Romans 7:1-12

1 Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), how the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? 2 For the woman who hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of the husband. 3 So then, if while her husband liveth she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

4 Therefore, my brethren, ye also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 5 For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. 6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid! Nay, I would not have known sin, but through the law; for I would not have known lust, except that the law had said, "Thou shalt not covet." 8 But sin, taking occasion through the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence; for without the law sin was dead. 9 For I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died; 10 and the commandment, which was ordained to bring life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it slew me. 12 Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

Numbers 22:21-40

21 And Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. 22 And God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. 23 And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand. And the ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field, and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way. 24 But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that side. 25 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; and he smote her again. 26 And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. 27 And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. 28 And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?" 29 And Balaam said unto the ass, "Because thou hast mocked me. I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee." 30 And the ass said unto Balaam, "Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee?" And he said, "Nay."

31 Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. 32 And the angel of the LORD said unto him, "Why hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me. 33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times. Unless she had turned from me, surely now also I would have slain thee and saved her alive." 34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again." 35 And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, "Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that shalt thou speak." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

36 And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost border. 37 And Balak said unto Balaam, "Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? Why camest thou not unto me? Am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?" 38 And Balaam said unto Balak, "Lo, I have come unto thee. Have I now any power at all to say anything? The word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak." 39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth. 40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiasticus 7:24 

Hast thou daughters? Have concern for their chastity, 
and show not thyself indulgent toward them.