Saul Tries to Kill David

1 And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David. But Jonathan, Saul’s son, ^rdelighted much in David. 2 And Jonathan told David, “Saul my father ^sseeks to kill you. Therefore be on your guard in the morning. Stay in a secret place and hide yourself. 3 And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where you are, and I will speak to my father about you. And if I learn anything I will tell you.” 4 And Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you. 5 For he took his life in his hand and he struck down the Philistine, and the Lord worked a great salvation for all Israel. You saw it, and rejoiced. Why then will you sin against innocent blood by killing David without cause?” 6 And Saul listened to the voice of Jonathan. Saul swore, “As the Lord lives, he shall not be put to death.” 7 And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan reported to him all these things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence ^tas before.

8 And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. 9 Then a ^uharmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was ^vplaying the lyre. 10 And Saul ^wsought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

11 ^xSaul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” 12 So Michal let David down ^ythrough the window, and he fled away and escaped. 13 Michal took an image¹ and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. 14 And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” 15 Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” 16 And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. 17 Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. Why should I kill you?’”

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at ^zRamah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, ^aand they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, ^b“Is Saul also among the prophets?”

Rescue the Weak and Needy

A Psalm of Asaph.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast

1 ^pAnd again Jesus spoke to them in ^qparables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a ^rwedding ^sfeast for his son, 3 and sent his servants¹ to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. 4 ^tAgain he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and ^ukilled them. 7 The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, ^vbut those invited were not worthy. 9 Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’ 10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11 “But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no ^wwedding garment. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and ^xcast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but ^yfew are chosen.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

15 ^zThen the Pharisees went and plotted how ^ato entangle him in his words. 16 And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, ^bwe know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for ^cyou are not swayed by ^dappearances.² 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay ^etaxes to Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you ^fhypocrites? 19 Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.³ 20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” 21 They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore ^grender to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they left him and went away.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

23 ^hThe same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no ⁱresurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ^j‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ^k‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the crowd heard it, they were ^lastonished at his teaching.

The Great Commandment

34 ^mBut when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And he said to him, ⁿ“You shall ^olove the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ^pYou shall ^qlove your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend ^rall the Law and the Prophets.”

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41 ^sNow while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The ^tson of David.” 43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

45 If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” 46 And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.

Seven Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees

1 ^vThen Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on ^wMoses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,⁴ and lay them on people’s shoulders, but ^xthey themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be ^yseen by others. For they make their ^zphylacteries broad and their ^afringes long, 6 and they love the ^bplace of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and ^cgreetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi⁵ by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.⁶ 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have ^done Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 ^eThe greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 ^fWhoever exalts himself will be humbled, and ^gwhoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, ^hhypocrites! For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you neither ⁱenter yourselves nor allow those who would enter to go in.⁷ 15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell⁸ as yourselves.

16 “Woe to you, ^jblind guides, who say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is ^kbound by his oath.’ 17 You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that has made the gold sacred? 18 And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it is nothing, but if anyone swears by the gift that is on the altar, he is bound by his oath.’ 19 You blind men! For which is greater, the gift or the altar ^lthat makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and by ^mhim who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by ⁿheaven swears by the throne of God and by him who sits upon it.

23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you ^otithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the ^pweightier matters of the law: ^qjustice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others. 24 You blind guides, straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside they are full of ^rgreed and self-indulgence. 26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.

27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like ^swhitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people’s bones and all ^tuncleanness. 28 So you also outwardly appear righteous to others, but within you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 saying, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have taken part with them in ^ushedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 Thus you witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 ^vFill up, then, the measure of your fathers. 33 You serpents, you ^wbrood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? 34 Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your ^xsynagogues and ^ypersecute from town to town, 35 so that ^zon you may come all the ^arighteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous ^bAbel to the blood of ^cZechariah the son of Barachiah,⁹ whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. 36 Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.

Lament over Jerusalem

37 ^d“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that ^ekills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a ^fhen gathers her brood under her wings, and ^gyou were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you ^hdesolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ⁱ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

1 ^jJesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 But he answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will ^knot be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

3 ^lAs he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your ^mcoming and of ⁿthe ^oend of the age?” 4 And Jesus answered them, “See that no one leads you astray. 5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will lead many astray. 6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 ^p“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to ^qdeath, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then many will fall away¹⁰ and betray one another and hate one another. 11 And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. 12 And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. 13 ^rBut the one who endures to the end will be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be ^sproclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then ^tthe end will come.

The Abomination of Desolation

15 ^u“So when you see ^vthe abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet ^wDaniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee ^xto the mountains. 17 ^yLet the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and ^zlet the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And ^aalas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be ^bgreat tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. 23 ^cThen if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great ^dsigns and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as the ^elightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 ^fWherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

The Coming of the Son of Man

29 ^g“Immediately after the tribulation of those days ^hthe sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the ⁱstars will fall from heaven, and the ^jpowers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then ^kall the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man ^lcoming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud ^mtrumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

32 ⁿ“From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is ^onear, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, ^pthis generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day and Hour

36 ^q“But concerning that day and hour ^rno one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,¹¹ but the Father only. 37 For as were the ^sdays of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, ^tuntil the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, ^ustay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that ^vif the master of the house had known in what part of the night the ^wthief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

45 ^x“Who then is the faithful and wise servant,¹² whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants¹³ and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be ^yweeping and gnashing of teeth.