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

March 2

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 56

1 Be merciful unto me, O God, for man would swallow me up;
he, fighting daily, oppresseth me.
2 Mine enemies would daily swallow me up,
for they are many that fight against me, O Thou Most High.
3 In the time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.
4 In God I will praise His word,
in God I have put my trust;
I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

5 Every day they wrest my words;
all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6 They gather themselves together, they hide themselves,
they mark my steps as they lie in wait for my soul.
7 Shall they escape by iniquity?
In Thine anger cast down the people, O God.

8 Thou countest my wanderings;
put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?
9 When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies turn back!
This I know, for God is for me.
10 In God will I praise His word;
in the LORD will I praise His word.
11 In God have I put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

12 Thy vows are upon me, O God;
I will render praises unto Thee.
13 For Thou hast delivered my soul from death;
wilt Thou not deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

Matthew 18:21-35

21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?" 22 And Jesus said unto him,

"I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven.

23 "Therefore is the Kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king who would settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But inasmuch as he could not pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down and did homage to him, saying, `Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' 27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him and forgave him the debt. 28 But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pence. And he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, `Pay me what thou owest.' 29 And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, `Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.' 30 And he would not, but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, `O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me. 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?' 34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother's trespasses."

Romans 2:1-16

1 Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art who judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things. 2 But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who commit such things. 3 And thinkest thou this, O man, who judgest those who do such things and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? 4 Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? 5 But because of thy hardness and impenitence of heart, thou treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the Day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who will render to every man according to his deeds: 7 to those who by patient continuance in welldoing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; 8 but unto those who are contentious, and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man who doeth evil, upon the Jew first and also upon the Gentile; 10 but glory, honor and peace to every man who worketh good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile. 11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law. 13 (For it is not the hearers of the law who are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, they, not having the law, are a law unto themselves, 15 which shows the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts between accusing and excusing one another.) 16 Thus will it be on the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel.

Leviticus 19:1-4, 9-18

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, 2 "Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them: `Ye shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy. 3 Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God. 4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

9 "`And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. 10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard. Thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

11 "`Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another. 12 And ye shall not swear by My name falsely; neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

13 "`Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him. The wages of him that is hired shall not remain with thee all night until the morning. 14 Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

15 "`Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty, but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

16 "`Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am the LORD.

17 "`Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not let sin come upon him. 18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.

Words of Wisdom - Proverbs 10:4

He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand,
but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.