God Himself Is Judge

A Psalm of ^(A)Asaph.

1 The ^(A)vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem ^(B)in the days of ^(C)Uzziah, ^(D)Jotham, ^(E)Ahaz, and ^(F)Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

By Faith

11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of ^(A)things not seen. ² For by it the people of old received their commendation. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by ^(B)the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of ^(C)things that are visible.

⁸ By faith ^(A)Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place ^(B)that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he went to live in ^(C)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^(D)living in tents ^(E)with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to ^(F)the city that has ^(G)foundations, ^(H)whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith ^(I)Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered ^(J)him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and ^(K)him as good as dead, were born descendants ^(L)as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith, ^(M)not having received the things promised, but ^(N)having seen them and greeted them from afar, and ^(O)having acknowledged that they were ^(P)strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, ^(Q)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed ^(R)to be called their God, for ^(S)he has prepared for them a city.

A Woman with a Disabling Spirit

¹⁰ Now ^(A)he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. ¹¹ And behold, there was a woman who had had ^(B)a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” ¹³ And he ^(C)laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she ^(D)glorified God. ¹⁴ But ^(E)the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus ^(F)had healed on the Sabbath, said to the people, ^(G)“There are six days in which work ought to be done. Come on those days and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day.” ¹⁵ Then the Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! ^(H)Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from the manger and lead it away to water it? ¹⁶ And ought not this woman, ^(I)a daughter of Abraham whom ^(J)Satan bound for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?” ¹⁷ As he said these things, ^(K)all his adversaries were put to shame, and ^(L)all the people rejoiced at all the glorious things that were done by him.

The Mustard Seed and the Leaven

^18 (M)He said therefore, “What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? ¹⁹ It is like ^(N)a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.”

²⁰ And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? ^21 (O)It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in ^(P)three measures of flour, until it was ^(Q)all leavened.”