Repent or Perish

13 Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate^(A) had mixed with their sacrifices. ² Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way?^{(B) 3} I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. ⁴ Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam^(C) fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? ⁵ I tell you, no! But unless you repent,^(D) you too will all perish.”

⁶ Then he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree growing in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it but did not find any.^{(E) 7} So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I’ve been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down!^(F) Why should it use up the soil?’

⁸ “‘Sir,’ the man replied, ‘leave it alone for one more year, and I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. ⁹ If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.’”

Jesus Heals a Crippled Woman on the Sabbath

¹⁰ On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues,^{(G) 11} and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years.^(H) She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. ¹² When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” ¹³ Then he put his hands on her,^(I) and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

¹⁴ Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath,^(J) the synagogue leader^(K) said to the people, “There are six days for work.^(L) So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

¹⁵ The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?^{(M) 16} Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham,^(N) whom Satan^(O) has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

¹⁷ When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated,^(P) but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed and the Yeast^(Q)(R)

¹⁸ Then Jesus asked, “What is the kingdom of God^(S) like?^(T) What shall I compare it to? ¹⁹ It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree,^(U) and the birds perched in its branches.”^(V)

²⁰ Again he asked, “What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? ²¹ It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into about sixty pounds^[a] of flour until it worked all through the dough.”^(W)

The Narrow Door

²² Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.^{(X) 23} Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,^(Y) because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. ²⁵ Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’^(Z)

²⁶ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

²⁷ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’^(AA)

²⁸ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth,^(AB) when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ People will come from east and west^(AC) and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”^(AD)

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem^(AE)(AF)

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod^(AG) wants to kill you.”

³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’^{(AH) 33} In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet^(AI) can die outside Jerusalem!

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(AJ) and you were not willing. ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate.^(AK) I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[b]”^(AL)

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

David’s House and Family^(A)

14 Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, along with cedar logs,^(B) stonemasons and carpenters to build a palace for him. ² And David knew that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that his kingdom had been highly exalted^(C) for the sake of his people Israel.

³ In Jerusalem David took more wives and became the father of more sons^(D) and daughters. ⁴ These are the names of the children born to him there:^(E) Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, ⁵ Ibhar, Elishua, Elpelet, ⁶ Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, ⁷ Elishama, Beeliada^[a] and Eliphelet.

David Defeats the Philistines^(F)

⁸ When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel,^(G) they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went out to meet them. ⁹ Now the Philistines had come and raided the Valley^(H) of Rephaim; ¹⁰ so David inquired of God: “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, I will deliver them into your hands.”

¹¹ So David and his men went up to Baal Perazim,^(I) and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, God has broken out against my enemies by my hand.” So that place was called Baal Perazim.^{[b] 12} The Philistines had abandoned their gods there, and David gave orders to burn^(J) them in the fire.^(K)

¹³ Once more the Philistines raided the valley;^{(L) 14} so David inquired of God again, and God answered him, “Do not go directly after them, but circle around them and attack them in front of the poplar trees. ¹⁵ As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move out to battle, because that will mean God has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” ¹⁶ So David did as God commanded him, and they struck down the Philistine army, all the way from Gibeon^(M) to Gezer.^(N)

¹⁷ So David’s fame^(O) spread throughout every land, and the Lord made all the nations fear^(P) him.

The Ark Brought to Jerusalem^(Q)

15 After David had constructed buildings for himself in the City of David, he prepared^(R) a place for the ark of God and pitched^(S) a tent for it. ² Then David said, “No one but the Levites^(T) may carry^(U) the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister^(V) before him forever.”

³ David assembled all Israel^(W) in Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the Lord to the place he had prepared for it. ⁴ He called together the descendants of Aaron and the Levites:^(X)

¹¹ Then David summoned Zadok^(AB) and Abiathar^(AC) the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. ¹² He said to them, “You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate^(AD) yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. ¹³ It was because you, the Levites,^(AE) did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us.^(AF) We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.^(AG)” ¹⁴ So the priests and Levites consecrated themselves in order to bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel. ¹⁵ And the Levites carried the ark of God with the poles on their shoulders, as Moses had commanded^(AH) in accordance with the word of the Lord.^(AI)

¹⁶ David^(AJ) told the leaders of the Levites^(AK) to appoint their fellow Levites as musicians^(AL) to make a joyful sound with musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals.^(AM)

¹⁷ So the Levites appointed Heman^(AN) son of Joel; from his relatives, Asaph^(AO) son of Berekiah; and from their relatives the Merarites,^(AP) Ethan son of Kushaiah; ¹⁸ and with them their relatives next in rank: Zechariah,^[d] Jaaziel, Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom^(AQ) and Jeiel,^[e] the gatekeepers.

¹⁹ The musicians Heman,^(AR) Asaph and Ethan were to sound the bronze cymbals; ²⁰ Zechariah, Jaaziel,^[f] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Unni, Eliab, Maaseiah and Benaiah were to play the lyres according to alamoth,^{[g] 21} and Mattithiah, Eliphelehu, Mikneiah, Obed-Edom, Jeiel and Azaziah were to play the harps, directing according to sheminith.^{[h] 22} Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it.

²³ Berekiah and Elkanah were to be doorkeepers for the ark. ²⁴ Shebaniah, Joshaphat, Nethanel, Amasai, Zechariah, Benaiah and Eliezer the priests were to blow trumpets^(AS) before the ark of God. Obed-Edom and Jehiah were also to be doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵ So David and the elders of Israel and the commanders of units of a thousand went to bring up the ark^(AT) of the covenant of the Lord from the house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. ²⁶ Because God had helped the Levites who were carrying the ark of the covenant of the Lord, seven bulls and seven rams^(AU) were sacrificed. ²⁷ Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod.^{(AV) 28} So all Israel^(AW) brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts,^(AX) with the sounding of rams’ horns^(AY) and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.

²⁹ As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

Ministering Before the Ark^(AZ)(BA)(BB)

16 They brought the ark of God and set it inside the tent that David had pitched^(BC) for it, and they presented burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before God. ² After David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed^(BD) the people in the name of the Lord. ³ Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins^(BE) to each Israelite man and woman.

⁴ He appointed some of the Levites to minister^(BF) before the ark of the Lord, to extol,^[i] thank, and praise the Lord, the God of Israel: ⁵ Asaph was the chief, and next to him in rank were Zechariah, then Jaaziel,^[j] Shemiramoth, Jehiel, Mattithiah, Eliab, Benaiah, Obed-Edom and Jeiel. They were to play the lyres and harps, Asaph was to sound the cymbals, ⁶ and Benaiah and Jahaziel the priests were to blow the trumpets regularly before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷ That day David first appointed Asaph and his associates to give praise^(BG) to the Lord in this manner:

Then all the people said “Amen” and “Praise the Lord.”

³⁷ David left Asaph and his associates before the ark of the covenant of the Lord to minister there regularly, according to each day’s requirements.^{(CS) 38} He also left Obed-Edom^(CT) and his sixty-eight associates to minister with them. Obed-Edom son of Jeduthun, and also Hosah,^(CU) were gatekeepers.

³⁹ David left Zadok^(CV) the priest and his fellow priests before the tabernacle of the Lord at the high place in Gibeon^{(CW) 40} to present burnt offerings to the Lord on the altar of burnt offering regularly, morning and evening, in accordance with everything written in the Law^(CX) of the Lord, which he had given Israel. ⁴¹ With them were Heman^(CY) and Jeduthun and the rest of those chosen and designated by name to give thanks to the Lord, “for his love endures forever.” ⁴² Heman and Jeduthun were responsible for the sounding of the trumpets and cymbals and for the playing of the other instruments for sacred song.^(CZ) The sons of Jeduthun^(DA) were stationed at the gate.

⁴³ Then all the people left, each for their own home, and David returned home to bless his family.