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

May 31, 2008

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

The Lectionary According to the Christian Seasons

Zephaniah 3:14-20

14 Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel!
Be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The LORD hath taken away thy judgments;
He hath cast out thine enemy.
The King of Israel, even the LORD, is in the midst of thee;
thou shalt not see evil any more.
16 In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, "Fear thou not";
and to Zion, "Let not thine hands be slack.
17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy;
He will rest in His love,
He will joy over thee with singing."

18 "I will gather them that are sorrowful for the solemn assembly, who are of thee,
to whom the reproach of it was a burden.
19 Behold, at that time I will undo all that afflict thee;
and I will save her that is halt,
and gather her that was driven out;
and I will get them praise and fame in every land where they have been put to shame.
20 At that time will I bring you back,
even in the time that I gather you;
for I will make you a name and a praise among all people of the earth,
when I bring back your captives before your eyes," saith the LORD.

Isaiah 12

1 And in that day thou shalt say: "O LORD, I will praise Thee; 
though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comforted me. 
2 Behold, God is my salvation; 
I will trust and not be afraid; 
for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; 
He also has become my salvation." 

3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation;
4 and in that day shall ye say: 
"Praise the LORD! 
Call upon His name! 
Declare His doings among the people; 
make mention that His name is exalted. 
5 Sing unto the LORD, for He hath done excellent things; 
this is known in all the earth. 
6 Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion! 
For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee."

Words of Worship - Luke 1:45

And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

Luke 1:39-56

39 And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, 40 and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth. 41 And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost. 42 And she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. 43 And why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. 45 And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord." 46 And Mary said,

"My soul doth magnify the Lord,
47 and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden;
for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
49 For He that is mighty hath done to me great things,
and holy is His name.
50 And His mercy is on them that fear Him,
from generation to generation.
51 He hath shown strength with His arm;
He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats,
and exalted them of low degree.
53 He hath filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich He hath sent empty away.
54 He hath helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,
55 as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever."

56 And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

Words of Wisdom - Ecclesiastes 11:4

He that observeth the wind shall not sow, 
and he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.

Jesus Speaks Morals & Values - Luke 15:11-32
         (see UniversalJesusSpeaks.info for more information)

And He said,

"A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, `Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.' And he divided unto them his estate. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want. And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine ate, and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, `How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, "Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said unto him, `Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.' But the father said to his servants, `Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet. And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to be merry.

"Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing. And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant. And he said unto him, `Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.' And he was angry and would not go in; therefore came his father out and entreated him. And he answering said to his father, `Lo, these many years have I served thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this thy son was come who hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.' And he said unto him, `Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine. It was meet that we should make merry and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.'"