¹⁶ But now you have turned around^(A) and profaned^(B) my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.

¹² “‘Do not swear falsely^(A) by my name^(B) and so profane^(C) the name of your God. I am the Lord.

²⁴ “But if a righteous person turns^(A) from their righteousness and commits sin and does the same detestable things the wicked person does, will they live? None of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness^(B) they are guilty of and because of the sins they have committed, they will die.^(C)

²⁰ “Again, when a righteous person turns^(A) from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block^(B) before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood.^(C)

¹¹ But afterward they changed their minds^(A) and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

¹¹ “I regret^(A) that I have made Saul king, because he has turned^(B) away from me and has not carried out my instructions.”^(C) Samuel was angry,^(D) and he cried out to the Lord all that night.

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.^{(A) 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^(B) 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.

²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[a] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.

²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’

³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.

³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.