Psalm 12^[a]

For the director of music. According to sheminith.^[b] A psalm of David.

² Abram had become very wealthy^(A) in livestock^(B) and in silver and gold.

³ From the Negev^(C) he went from place to place until he came to Bethel,^(D) to the place between Bethel and Ai^(E) where his tent had been earlier ⁴ and where he had first built an altar.^(F) There Abram called on the name of the Lord.^(G)

⁵ Now Lot,^(H) who was moving about with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents. ⁶ But the land could not support them while they stayed together, for their possessions were so great that they were not able to stay together.^{(I) 7} And quarreling^(J) arose between Abram’s herders and Lot’s. The Canaanites^(K) and Perizzites^(L) were also living in the land^(M) at that time.

⁸ So Abram said to Lot,^(N) “Let’s not have any quarreling between you and me,^(O) or between your herders and mine, for we are close relatives.^{(P) 9} Is not the whole land before you? Let’s part company. If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right; if you go to the right, I’ll go to the left.”^(Q)

¹⁰ Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain^(R) of the Jordan toward Zoar^(S) was well watered, like the garden of the Lord,^(T) like the land of Egypt.^(U) (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom^(V) and Gomorrah.)^{(W) 11} So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east. The two men parted company: ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan,^(X) while Lot^(Y) lived among the cities of the plain^(Z) and pitched his tents near Sodom.^{(AA) 13} Now the people of Sodom^(AB) were wicked and were sinning greatly against the Lord.^(AC)

¹⁴ The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west.^{(AD) 15} All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring^[a] forever.^{(AE) 16} I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted.^{(AF) 17} Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land,^(AG) for I am giving it to you.”^(AH)

¹⁸ So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre^(AI) at Hebron,^(AJ) where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.^(AK)

Bringing Back the Ark^(A)

13 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. ² He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. ³ Let us bring the ark of our God back to us,^(B) for we did not inquire^(C) of^[a] it^[b] during the reign of Saul.” ⁴ The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people.

⁵ So David assembled all Israel,^(D) from the Shihor River^(E) in Egypt to Lebo Hamath,^(F) to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim.^{(G) 6} David and all Israel went to Baalah^(H) of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim^(I)—the ark that is called by the Name.

⁷ They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s^(J) house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. ⁸ David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets.^(K)

⁹ When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. ¹⁰ The Lord’s anger^(L) burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down^(M) because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God.

¹¹ Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah.^[c](N)

¹² David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” ¹³ He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom^(O) the Gittite. ¹⁴ The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household^(P) and everything he had.

⁴ While a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after town, he told this parable: ⁵ “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.”

When he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”^(A)

⁹ His disciples asked him what this parable meant. ¹⁰ He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you,^(B) but to others I speak in parables, so that,

¹¹ “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.^{(D) 12} Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away.^{(E) 14} The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches^(F) and pleasures, and they do not mature. ¹⁵ But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.

A Lamp on a Stand

¹⁶ “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light.^{(G) 17} For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.^{(H) 18} Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what they think they have will be taken from them.”^(I)

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers^(J)

¹⁹ Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. ²⁰ Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers^(K) are standing outside, wanting to see you.”

²¹ He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”^(L)