The Parable of the Sower
1 zThat same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in aparables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the bsun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a chundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has dears,1 let him hear.”
The Purpose of the Parables
10 eThen the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, f“To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For gto the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
h“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people’s heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But iblessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people jlonged to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.
The Parable of the Sower Explained
18 k“Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the levil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or mpersecution arises on account of the word, immediately he nfalls away.2 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the ocares of the world and the pdeceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed qbears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Paul Returns to Antioch
18 After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers1 and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had icut his hair, for he was junder a kvow. 19 And they came to Ephesus, and he left them there, but he himself went into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. 20 When they asked him to stay for a longer period, he declined. 21 But on taking leave of them he said, “I will return to you if God wills,” and he set sail from Ephesus.
22 When he had landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church, and then went down to Antioch. 23 After spending some time there, he departed and went from one place to the next through the region of Galatia and Phrygia, strengthening all the disciples.
Apollos Speaks Boldly in Ephesus
24 Now a Jew named lApollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an meloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. 25 He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit,2 he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the nbaptism of John. 26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. 27 And owhen he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, 28 for he powerfully prefuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the qChrist was Jesus.
Joy Comes with the Morning
A Psalm of David. A song at the hdedication of the temple.
1 iI will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have jhealed me.
3 O Lord, you have kbrought up my soul from Sheol;
you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.1
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and lgive thanks to his holy name.2
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.3
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
you made my mountain stand strong;
you mhid your face;
I was dismayed.
8 To you, O Lord, I cry,
and to the Lord I nplead for mercy:
9 “What profit is there in my death,4
if I go down to the pit?5
oWill the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 pHear, O Lord, and be merciful to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
11 You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
12 that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, qI will give thanks to you forever!
Israel at Mount Sinai
1 dOn the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2 They set out from Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before ethe mountain, 3 while Moses fwent up to God. gThe Lord called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4 h‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I ibore you jon eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my ktreasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a lkingdom of priests and a mholy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
7 So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the Lord had commanded him. 8 All the people answered together and said, n“All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the Lord. 9 And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you oin a thick cloud, that pthe people may hear when I speak with you, and may also believe you forever.”
When Moses told the words of the people to the Lord, 10 the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and qconsecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them rwash their garments 11 and be ready for the third day. For on the third day sthe Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 And tyou shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it. uWhoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot;1 whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet vsounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14 So Moses wwent down from the mountain to the people and consecrated the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; xdo not go near a woman.”
16 yOn the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp trembled. 17 Then zMoses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had adescended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and bthe whole mountain trembled greatly. 19 And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. 20 The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, clest they break through to the Lord to look and many of them perish. 22 Also let the priests who come near to the Lord consecrate themselves, lest the Lord dbreak out against them.” 23 And Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying, ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” 24 And the Lord said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest he break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them.
The Ten Commandments
1 eAnd God spoke all these words, saying,
2 f“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 g“You shall have no other gods before2 me.
4 h“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 iYou shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jjealous God, kvisiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but lshowing steadfast love to thousands3 of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 m“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 n“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 oSix days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For pin six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and qrested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
12 r“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
14 t“You shall not commit adultery.
15 u“You shall not steal.
16 v“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 w“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
18 Now when all the people saw the xthunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid5 and trembled, and they stood far off 19 and said to Moses, y“You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to ztest you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21 The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the athick darkness where God was.
Laws About Altars
22 And the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the people of Israel: ‘You have seen for yourselves that bI have talked with you from heaven. 23 cYou shall not dmake gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold. 24 eAn altar of earth you shall make for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered I will come to you and bless you. 25 fIf you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. 26 And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.’
