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

May 8

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

The Lectionary According to the Common Calendar

Psalm 111

1 Praise ye the LORD!
I will praise the LORD with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
2 The works of the LORD are great,
sought out by all them that have pleasure therein.
3 His work is honorable and glorious,
and His righteousness endureth for ever.
4 He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered;
the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.
5 He hath given meat unto them that fear Him;
He will ever be mindful of His covenant.
6 He hath shown His people the power of His works,
that He may give them the heritage of the heathen.

7 The works of His hands are verity and judgment;
all His commandments are sure.
8 They stand fast for ever and ever,
and are done in truth and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption unto His people;
He hath commanded His covenant for ever; holy and reverend is His name.

10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;
a good understanding have all they that do His commandments. His praise endureth for ever!

Mark 7:14-23 

14 And when He had called all the people unto Him, He said unto them, 

"Hearken unto Me every one of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing from outside a man that, entering into him, can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear." 

17 And when He had entered into the house away from the people, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 And He said unto them, 

"Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive that whatsoever thing from outside entereth into a man, it cannot defile him, 19 because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly and goeth out into the drain, thereby purging all meats?" 

20 And He said, 

"That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 all these evil things come from within and defile the man."

2 Corinthians 2:1-11

1 But I determined this within myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness. 2 For if I make you sorrowful, who is he then who maketh me glad, but the same who is made sorrowful by me? 3 And I wrote as I did unto you lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from those of whom I ought to rejoice, having confidence in you all that my joy is the joy of you all. 4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears, not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly for you.

5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part" that I may not overburden you all. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this censure, which was inflicted by many, 7 so that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. 8 Therefore I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him. 9 For to this end also did I write, that I might have proof from you, whether ye be obedient in all things. 10 To whom ye forgive anything, I forgive also; for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, I forgave it for your sakes in the person of Christ, 11 lest Satan should get an advantage over us. For we are not ignorant of his devices.

1 Samuel 17:1-27

1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies for battle and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched camp between Shochoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched camp by the Valley of Elah, and set up in battle array against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them. 4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. 6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a buckler of brass between his shoulders. 7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield went before him. 8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, "Why have ye come out to set up in battle array? Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 9 If he be able to fight with me and to kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us." 10 And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day! Give me a man, that we may fight together!" 11 When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

12 Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah whose name was Jesse and who had eight sons; and Jesse went among men as an old man in the days of Saul. 13 And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah. 14 And David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul, 15 but David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem. 16 And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

17 And Jesse said unto David his son, "Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren; 18 and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge."

19 Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines. 20 And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench as the host was going forth to the fight and was shouting for the battle. 21 For Israel and the Philistines had set up in battle array, army against army. 22 And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran unto the army, and came and saluted his brethren. 23 And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words; and David heard them.

24 And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid. 25 And the men of Israel said, "Have ye seen this man who has come up? Surely, to defy Israel has he come up; and it shall be that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel." 26 And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man who killeth this Philistine and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?" 27 And the people answered him in this manner, saying, "So shall it be done to the man who killeth him."

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiasticus 14:1

Blessed is the man that hath not slipped with his mouth, 
and is not pricked with the multitude of sins.