The Lord Calls Samuel
1 Now the boy Samuel was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli. And pthe word of the Lord was rare in those days; there was no frequent vision.
2 At that time Eli, qwhose eyesight had begun to grow dim so that he could not see, was lying down in his own place. 3 The rlamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was.
4 Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, s“Here I am!” 5 and ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call; lie down again.” So he went and lay down.
6 And the Lord called again, “Samuel!” and Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But he said, “I did not call, my son; lie down again.” 7 Now Samuel did not yet tknow the Lord, and the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go, lie down, and if he calls you, you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant hears.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
10 And the Lord came and stood, calling as at other times, u“Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.” 11 Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do a thing in Israel at which the two vears of everyone who hears it will tingle. 12 On that day I will fulfill against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 And I declare to him that I am about to punish his house forever, for the iniquity that he knew, because his sons were blaspheming God,1 and he did not restrain them. 14 Therefore I swear to the house of Eli that wthe iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be atoned for by sacrifice or offering forever.”
15 Samuel lay until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. And Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. 16 But Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he said, “Here I am.” 17 And Eli said, “What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. And he said, “It is the Lord. Let him do what seems good to him.”
19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him xand let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Israel yfrom Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established as a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord appeared again at Shiloh, for the Lord revealed himself to Samuel at Shiloh by the word of the Lord.
God Will Judge with Equity
To the choirmaster: according to Do Not Destroy. A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
1 kWe give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is near.
We1 recount your wondrous deeds.
2 “At the set time that I appoint
I will judge with equity.
3 When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its pillars. Selah
4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
and lto the wicked, ‘Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with haughty neck.’”
6 For not from the east or from the west
and not from the wilderness comes lifting up,
7 but it is mGod who executes judgment,
nputting down one and lifting up another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a ocup
with foaming wine, well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall pdrain it down to the dregs.
9 But I will declare it forever;
I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off,
but the horns of the righteous shall be lifted up.
The Temptation of Jesus
1 yThen Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the zwilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And after afasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the bSon of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he answered, “It is written,
c“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
dbut by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
e“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
f“‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, g‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” 8 Again, the devil took him to a hvery high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you iwill fall down and jworship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
k“‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’”
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, langels came and were ministering to him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
12 mNow when he heard that John had been narrested, he withdrew into Galilee. 13 And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in oCapernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, 14 so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be pfulfilled:
15 q“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—
16 the people dwelling in darkness
have seen a great light,
and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death,
on them a light has rdawned.”
17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, s“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is tat hand.”1
Jesus Calls the First Disciples
18 uWhile walking by the vSea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 19 And he said to them, w“Follow me, and I will make you xfishers of men.”2 20 Immediately they yleft their nets and followed him. 21 And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. 22 Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus Ministers to Great Crowds
23 zAnd he went throughout all Galilee, ateaching in their synagogues and bproclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. 24 So his cfame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having dseizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. 25 And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.
The Sermon on the Mount
1 eSeeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:
3 “Blessed are the fpoor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be gcomforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for hthey shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who ihunger and thirst for jrighteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the kmerciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the lpure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the mpeacemakers, for they shall be ncalled sons3 of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are opersecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 pRejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Salt and Light
13 q“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.
14 “You are the rlight of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 sNor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that4 they may tsee your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Christ Came to Fulfill the Law
17 “Do not think that I have come to uabolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to vfulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, wnot an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes xone of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called yleast in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never zenter the kingdom of heaven.
Anger
21 “You have heard that it was said to those of old, a‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ 22 bBut I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother5 will be liable to judgment; whoever insults6 his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell7 of fire. 23 So cif you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 25 dCome to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. 26 Truly, I say to you, you will never get out euntil you have paid the last penny.8
Lust
27 “You have heard that it was said, f‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I say to you that everyone who glooks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 hIf your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell.
Divorce
31 “It was also said, i‘Whoever jdivorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that keveryone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, l‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34 But I say to you, mDo not take an oath at all, either by nheaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the ocity of the great pKing. 36 And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37 qLet what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.9
Retaliation
38 r“You have heard that it was said, s‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. tBut if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic,10 let him have your cloak as well. 41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. 42 uGive to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
Love Your Enemies
43 “You have heard that it was said, v‘You shall wlove your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, xLove your enemies and ypray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and zsends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers,11 what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be aperfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Giving to the Needy
1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be bseen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be cpraised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
The Lord’s Prayer
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
7 d“And when you pray, do not eheap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their fmany words. 8 Do not be like them, gfor your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven,
10 Your ikingdom come,
on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our kdaily bread,14
12 and lforgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And mlead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.15
14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 nbut if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Fasting
16 “And owhen you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their pfasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.
Lay Up Treasures in Heaven
19 q“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where rmoth and rust16 destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves streasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22 t“The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24 u“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.17
Do Not Be Anxious
25 v“Therefore I tell you, do not be wanxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the xbirds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of ymore value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can zadd a single hour to his span of life?18 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even aSolomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the bgrass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, cO you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and dyour heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 eBut seek first the kingdom of God and his frighteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about gtomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
