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

May 24

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 119:113-128

113 I hate vain thoughts,
but Thy law do I love.
114 Thou art my hiding place and my shield;
I hope in Thy word.
115 Depart from me, ye evildoers,
for I will keep the commandments of my God.
116 Uphold me according to Thy word, that I may live,
and let me not be ashamed of my hope.
117 Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe,
and I will have regard unto Thy statutes continually.
118 Thou hast trodden down all them that err from Thy statutes,
for their deceit is falsehood.
119 Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross;
therefore I love Thy testimonies.
120 My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee,
and I am afraid of Thy judgments.

121 I have done judgment and justice;
leave me not to mine oppressors.
122 Be surety for Thy servant for good;
let not the proud oppress me.
123 Mine eyes fail, seeking for Thy salvation
and for the word of Thy righteousness.
124 Deal with Thy servant according unto Thy mercy,
and teach me Thy statutes.
125 I am Thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies.
126 It is time for Thee, LORD, to work, for they have made void Thy law.
127 Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold,
yea, above fine gold.
128 Therefore I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right,
and I hate every false way.

Mark 10:28-34

28 Then Peter began to say unto Him, "Lo, we have left all and have followed Thee." 29 And Jesus answered and said, 

"Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for My sake and the Gospel's, 30 but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come, eternal life. 31 But many that are first shall be last, and the last first." 

32 And they were on the way going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went before them; and they were amazed, and as they followed, they were afraid. And He took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things would happen unto Him, 33 saying, 

"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles. 34 And they shall mock Him and shall scourge Him, and shall spit upon Him and shall kill Him. And the third day He shall rise again." 

2 Corinthians 9

1 Now concerning the ministering to the saints, it is superfluous for me to write to you. 2 For I know the forwardness of your thinking, for which I boast of you to those of Macedonia that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath called forth very many. 3 Yet I have sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you on this account should be in vain, that, as I said, ye may be ready; 4 lest it might happen, if those of Macedonia come with me and find you unprepared, that we (that we say not "ye") should be ashamed in this same confident boasting. 5 Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go ahead unto you and make up your bounty beforehand (whereof ye had notice beforehand), that the same might be ready as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.

6 But this I say: He who soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly, and he who soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 As every man purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or out of compulsion; for God loveth the cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound in every good work. 9 As it is written:

"He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor;
his righteousness remaineth for ever."

10 Now may He that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11 ye being enriched in everything to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God. 12 For the administration of this service not only supplieth the want of the saints, but is abundant also in much thanksgiving unto God, 13 while by the experience of this ministration they glorify God for your freely declared subjection unto the Gospel of Christ, and for your liberal distribution unto them and unto all men, 14 and by their prayer for you, they who long after you for the exceeding grace of God in you.

15 Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift!

2 Samuel 18:1-17

1 And David numbered the people who were with him, and set captains of thousands and captains of hundreds over them. 2 And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, "I will surely go forth with you myself also." 3 But the people answered, "Thou shalt not go forth; for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die will they care for us. But now thou art worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that thou succor us from the city." 4 And the king said unto them, "What seemeth to you best I will do." And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands. 5 And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

6 So the people went out into the field against Israel. And the battle was in the wood of Ephraim, 7 where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David; and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men. 8 For the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country; and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

9 And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule that was under him went away. 10 And a certain man saw it, and told Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak." 11 And Joab said unto the man who told him, "And behold, thou sawest him, and why did thou not smite him there to the ground? And I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a girdle." 12 And the man said unto Joab, "Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, `Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.' 13 Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life; for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me." 14 Then said Joab, "I may not tarry thus with thee." And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak. 15 And ten young men who bore Joab's armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

16 And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people. 17 And they took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him; and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 8:1

Who is as the wise man? And who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? 
A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed.