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

March 14

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 68:1-20

1 Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered;
let them also that hate Him flee before Him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away;
as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3 But let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before God;
yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

4 Sing unto God, sing praises to His name!
Extol Him that rideth upon the heavens by His name Jehovah; and rejoice before Him.
5 A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows,
is God in His holy habitation.
6 God setteth the solitary in families, He bringeth out those who are bound with chains;
but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.
7 O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people,
when Thou didst march through the wilderness,
8 the earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God;
even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain,
whereby Thou didst confirm Thine inheritance when it was weary.
10 Thy congregation hath dwelt therein;
Thou, O God, hast prepared of Thy goodness for the poor.

11 The Lord gave the word; 
great was the company of those that proclaimed it. 
12 Kings and armies did flee apace, 
and she that tarried at home divided the spoil. 
13 Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove, 
covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold. 
14 When the Almighty scattered kings in it, 
it was white as snow in Zalmon.

15 The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan, 
a high hill as the hill of Bashan. 
16 Why leap ye, ye high hills? 
This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.

17 The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels;
the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place.
18 Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts for men,
yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits,
even the God of our salvation.
20 He that is our God is the God of salvation;
and unto GOD the Lord belongeth the discharge from death.

Matthew 22:1-14

1 And Jesus answered and spoke unto them again in parables and said,

2 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king, who made a marriage for his son. 3 And he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come. 4 Again he sent forth other servants, saying, 'Tell them that are bidden, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come unto the marriage."' 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise, 6 and the remnant took his servants and treated them spitefully and slew them. 7 But when the king heard thereof he was wroth, and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city. 8 Then said he to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. 9 Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.' 10 So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered all together as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests.

11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who did not have on a wedding garment. 12 And he said unto him, 'Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?' And he was speechless. 13 Then said the king to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' 14 For many are called, but few are chosen."

Romans 8:1-11

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who are according to the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace, 7 because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so it be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His. 10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Numbers 23:25-30

25 And Balak said unto Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all." 26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, "Told not I thee, saying, `All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do'?" 27 And Balak said unto Balaam, "Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place. Perhaps it will please God that thou mayest curse them for me from thence." 28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon. 29 And Balaam said unto Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams." 30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

Numbers 24:1-6, 10-19, 25

1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek out enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness. 2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him. 3 And he took up his parable and said:

"Balaam the son of Beor hath said,
and the man whose eyes are open hath said,
4 he hath said, who heard the words of God, who saw the vision of the Almighty,
falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,
and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6 As the valleys are they spread forth,
as gardens by the river's side,
as the trees of lignaloes which the LORD hath planted,
and as cedar trees beside the waters.

10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, "I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times. 11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place. I thought to promote thee unto great honor, but lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honor." 12 And Balaam said unto Balak, "Spoke I not also to thy messengers whom thou sentest unto me, saying, 13 `If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak'? 14 And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days." 15 And he took up his parable and said:

"Balaam the son of Beor hath said,
and the man whose eyes are open hath said,
16 he hath said, who heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High,
who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17 I shall see Him, but not now;
I shall behold Him, but not nigh.
There shall come a Star out of Jacob,
and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel,
and shall smite the corners of Moab
and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18 And Edom shall be a possession;
Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies, and Israel shall do valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob shall come He that shall have dominion,
and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city."

25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

Words of Wisdom - Proverbs 10:29 

The way of the LORD is strength to the upright, 
but destruction shall come to the workers of iniquity.