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

March 13  

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalms 67

1 God be merciful unto us and bless us,
and cause His face to shine upon us,
2 that Thy way may be known upon earth,
Thy saving health among all nations.

3 Let the people praise Thee, O God;
let all the people praise Thee.
4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for Thou shalt judge the people righteously and govern the nations upon the earth.
5 Let the people praise Thee, O God;
let all the people praise Thee.
6 Then shall the earth yield her increase;
and God, even our own God, shall bless us.
7 God shall bless us,
and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

Matthew 21:33-46

33 "Hear another parable: There was a certain householder who planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen and went into a far country. 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one and killed another and stoned another. 36 Again, he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, `They will reverence my son.' 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, `This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.' 39 And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard and slew him. 40 When therefore the lord of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?"

41 They said unto Him, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons." 42 Jesus said unto them,

"Did ye never read in the Scriptures:
'The stone which the builders rejected,
the same is become the head of the corner.
This is the Lord's doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
43 Therefore say I unto you, the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

45 And when the chief priests and the Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spoke of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet.

Romans 7:13-25

13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin, that it might appear as sin, was working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do, I know not. For what I would do, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law, that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. 19 For the good that I would do, I do not; but the evil which I would not do, that I do. 20 Now if I do that which I would not do, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

21 I find then a law that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Numbers 22:41

41 And it came to pass on the morrow that Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.

Numbers 23:1-24

1 And Balaam said unto Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams." 2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram. 3 And Balaam said unto Balak, "Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee." And he went to a high place. 4 And God met Balaam; and he said unto Him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram." 5 And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak." 6 And he returned unto him, and lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable and said:

"Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying,
'Come, curse for me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.'
8 How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed?
Or how shall I defy whom the LORD hath not defied?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,
and from the hills I behold him;
lo, the people shall dwell alone,
and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,
and the number of the fourth part of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and let my last end be like his!"

11 And Balak said unto Balaam, "What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether." 12 And he answered and said, "Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?" 13 And Balak said unto him, "Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place from whence thou mayest see them. Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse them for me from thence." 14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. 15 And he said unto Balak, "Stand here by thy burnt offering while I meet the LORD yonder." 16 And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth and said, "Go again unto Balak, and say thus." 17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, "What hath the LORD spoken?" 18 And he took up his parable and said:

"Rise up, Balak, and hear;
hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor.
19 God is not a man, that He should lie;
neither the son of man, that He should repent.
Hath He said, and shall He not do it?
Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless;
and He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, 
neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel; 
the LORD his God is with him, 
and the shout of a King is among them. 
22 God brought them out of Egypt; 
he hath, as it were, the strength of a unicorn. 
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. 
According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, `What hath God wrought!' 
24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, 
and lift up himself as a young lion; 
he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey 
and drink the blood of the slain."

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 3:14

I know that whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever; 
nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. 
And God doeth it, 
that men should fear before Him.