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

May 17

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 119:1-16

1 Blessed are the undefiled in the way,
who walk in the law of the LORD.
2 Blessed are they that keep His testimonies
and that seek Him with the whole heart.
3 They also do no iniquity;
they walk in His ways.
4 Thou hast commanded us to keep Thy precepts diligently;
5 O that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes!
6 Then shall I not be ashamed
when I have respect unto all Thy commandments.
7 I will praise Thee with uprightness of heart
when I shall have learned Thy righteous judgments.
8 I will keep Thy statutes;
O forsake me not utterly!

9 How shall a young man cleanse his way?
By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.
10 With my whole heart have I sought Thee;
O let me not wander from Thy commandments!
11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against Thee.
12 Blessed art Thou, O LORD;
teach me Thy statutes.
13 With my lips have I declared all the judgments of Thy mouth.
14 I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.
15 I will meditate on Thy precepts
and attend unto Thy ways.
16 I will delight myself in Thy statutes;
I will not forget Thy word.

Mark 9:14-29 

14 And when He came to His disciples, He saw a great multitude about them and the scribes questioning with them. 15 And straightway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed; and running to Him, they greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, 

"What question ye with them?" 

17 And one of the multitude answered and said, "Master, I have brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit. 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth and gnasheth his teeth and pineth away. And I spoke to thy disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not." 19 Jesus answered him and said, 

"O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto Me." 

20 And they brought the boy unto Him. And when the spirit saw Him, straightway he tore the boy; and he fell on the ground and wallowed about foaming. 21 And He asked his father, 

"How long is it ago since this came unto him?" 

And he said, "From childhood. 22 And oftentimes it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him; but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us and help us." 23 Jesus said unto him, 

"If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth." 

24 And straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief!" 25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, 

"Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him and enter no more into him." 

26 And the spirit cried, and rent the boy sorely and came out of him; and he was as one dead, insomuch that many said, "He is dead." 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 

28 And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could not we cast him out?" 29 And He said unto them, 

"This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting."

2 Corinthians 6:1-10

1 We then, as workers together with Him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. 2 (For He saith,

"I have heard thee at an accepted time,
and in the day of salvation have I succored thee."

Behold, now is the accepted time! Behold, now is the day of salvation!)

3 Give no offense in anything, that the ministry be not blamed; 4 but in all things commending ourselves as the ministers of God in much patience: in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through evil report and good report; though counted as deceivers and yet true, 9 as unknown and yet well known, as dying and yet behold we live, as chastened and not killed, 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing; as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.

2 Samuel 1:1-17, 19-27

1 Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag-- 2 it came even to pass on the third day that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent and earth upon his head; and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth and did obeisance. 3 And David said unto him, "From whence comest thou?" And he said unto him, "Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped." 4 And David said unto him, "How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me." And he answered, "The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also." 5 And David said unto the young man who told him, "How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?" 6 And the young man who told him said, "As I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him. 7 And when he looked behind him, he saw me and called unto me. And I answered, `Here am I.' 8 And he said unto me, `Who art thou?' And I answered him, `I am an Amalekite.' 9 And he said unto me again, `Stand, I pray thee, upon me and slay me; for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.' 10 So I stood upon him and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after he was fallen. And I took the crown that was upon his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord."

11 Then David took hold on his clothes and rent them, and likewise all the men who were with him. 12 And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword. 13 And David said unto the young man who told him, "From whence art thou?" And he answered, "I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite." 14 And David said unto him, "How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?" 15 And David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and fall upon him." And he smote him so that he died. 16 And David said unto him, "Thy blood be upon thy head, for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, `I have slain the LORD'S anointed.'"

17 And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son 

19 "The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places! 
How are the mighty fallen! 
20 Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, 
lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph. 

21 "Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, 
neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings. 
For there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, 
the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil. 

22 "From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, 
the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. 

23 "Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, 
and in their death they were not divided; 
they were swifter than eagles, 
they were stronger than lions. 

24 "Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, 
who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. 

25 "How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! 
O Jonathan, thou was slain in thine high places. 
26 I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; 
very pleasant hast thou been unto me. 
Thy love to me was wonderful, 
passing the love of women. 

27 "How are the mighty fallen, 
and the weapons of war perished!"

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiasticus 16:6

In the congregation of the ungodly shall a fire be kindled, 
and in a rebellious nation wrath is set on fire.