Daily Scripture Reading for the
Liturgical Calendar Year
(beginning the 1st Sunday of Advent)

August 20, 2008

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

The Lectionary According to the Christian Seasons

Ezekiel 34:1-16 

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, `Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks? 3 Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe yourselves with the wool, ye kill the ones that are fed; but ye feed not the flock. 4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. 5 And they were scattered because there is no shepherd, and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered. 6 My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill; yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them. 

7 "`Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD: 8 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because My flock became a prey and My flock became meat to every beast of the field because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and fed not My flock, 9 therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD. 10 Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more. For I will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them. 

11 "`For thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold I, even I, will both search My sheep and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock on the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek out My sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered on the cloudy and dark day. 13 And I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers and in all the inhabited places of the country. 14 I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. 15 I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD. 16 I will seek that which was lost and bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong: I will feed them with judgment.

Psalm 23

1 The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul;
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Words of Worship - Hebrews 4:12

For the Word of God is living and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Matthew 20:1-16

1 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard. 2 And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said unto them, 'Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you.' And they went their way. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did likewise. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said unto them, 'Why stand ye here all the day idle?' 7 They said unto him, 'Because no man hath hired us.' He said unto them, 'Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.'

8 So when evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.' 9 And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10 But when the first came, they supposed they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11 And when they had received it, they murmured against the master of the house, 12 saying, 'These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.' 13 But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst thou not agree with me for a penny? 14 Take that which is thine and go thy way. I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?' 16 So the last shall be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiasticus 32:23

In every good work trust thy own soul, 
for this is the keeping of the commandments.

Jesus Speaks Morals & Values - Matthew 13:45-46
         (see UniversalJesusSpeaks.info for more information)

"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.