The Parable of the Sower^(A)

4 And ^(B)again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. ² Then He taught them many things by parables, ^(C)and said to them in His teaching:

³ “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds ^[a]of the air came and devoured it. ⁵ Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. ⁷ And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no ^[b]crop. ⁸ But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

⁹ And He said ^[c]to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables^(D)

^10 (E)But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. ¹¹ And He said to them, “To you it has been given to ^(F)know the ^[d]mystery of the kingdom of God; but to ^(G)those who are outside, all things come in parables, ¹² so that

The Parable of the Sower Explained^(I)

¹³ And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? ^14 (J)The sower sows the word. ¹⁵ And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. ¹⁶ These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; ¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. ¹⁸ Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹ and the ^(K)cares of this world, ^(L)the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰ But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, ^[e]accept it, and bear ^(M)fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”

Live as You Are Called

¹⁷ But as God has distributed to each one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk. And ^(A)so I ^[a]ordain in all the churches. ¹⁸ Was anyone called while circumcised? Let him not become uncircumcised. Was anyone called while uncircumcised? ^(B)Let him not be circumcised. ^19 (C)Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but ^(D)keeping the commandments of God is what matters. ²⁰ Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called. ²¹ Were you called while a slave? Do not be concerned about it; but if you can be made free, rather use it. ²² For he who is called in the Lord while a slave is ^(E)the Lord’s freedman. Likewise he who is called while free is ^(F)Christ’s slave. ^23 (G)You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. ²⁴ Brethren, let each one remain with ^(H)God in that state in which he was called.

To the Unmarried and Widows

²⁵ Now concerning virgins: ^(I)I have no commandment from the Lord; yet I give judgment as one ^(J)whom the Lord in His mercy has made ^(K)trustworthy. ²⁶ I suppose therefore that this is good because of the present distress—^(L)that it is good for a man to remain as he is: ²⁷ Are you bound to a wife? Do not seek to be loosed. Are you loosed from a wife? Do not seek a wife. ²⁸ But even if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Nevertheless such will have trouble in the flesh, but I would spare you.

²⁹ But ^(M)this I say, brethren, the time is short, so that from now on even those who have wives should be as though they had none, ³⁰ those who weep as though they did not weep, those who rejoice as though they did not rejoice, those who buy as though they did not possess, ³¹ and those who use this world as not ^(N)misusing it. For ^(O)the form of this world is passing away.

³² But I want you to be without ^[b]care. ^(P)He who is unmarried ^[c]cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. ³³ But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. ³⁴ There is a difference between a wife and a virgin. The unmarried woman ^(Q)cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. ³⁵ And this I say for your own profit, not that I may put a leash on you, but for what is proper, and that you may serve the Lord without distraction.

³⁶ But if any man thinks he is behaving improperly toward his ^[d]virgin, if she is past the flower of youth, and thus it must be, let him do what he wishes. He does not sin; let them marry. ³⁷ Nevertheless he who stands steadfast in his heart, having no necessity, but has power over his own will, and has so determined in his heart that he will keep his ^[e]virgin, does well. ^38 (R)So then he who gives ^[f]her in marriage does well, but he who does not give her in marriage does better.

^39 (S)A wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at liberty to be married to whom she wishes, ^(T)only in the Lord. ⁴⁰ But she is happier if she remains as she is, ^(U)according to my judgment—and ^(V)I think I also have the Spirit of God.

Prayer for Israel’s Restoration

To the Chief Musician. ^(A)Set to ^[a]“The Lilies.” A ^[b]Testimony of Asaph. A Psalm.

Eastern Tribes Return to Their Lands

22 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, ² and said to them: “You have kept ^(A)all that Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, ^(B)and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. ³ You have not ^[a]left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the Lord your God. ⁴ And now the Lord your God has given ^(C)rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, ^(D)which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. ⁵ But ^(E)take^[b] careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, ^(F)to love the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” ⁶ So Joshua ^(G)blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents.

⁷ Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, ^(H)but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, ⁸ and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. ^(I)Divide the ^[c]spoil of your enemies with your brethren.”

⁹ So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to ^(J)the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the Lord by the hand of Moses.

An Altar by the Jordan

¹⁰ And when they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan—a great, impressive altar. ¹¹ Now the children of Israel ^(K)heard someone say, “Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the ^[d]frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.” ¹² And when the children of Israel heard of it, ^(L)the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.

¹³ Then the children of Israel ^(M)sent ^(N)Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, ¹⁴ and with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief house of every tribe of Israel; and ^(O)each one was the head of the house of his father among the ^[e]divisions of Israel. ¹⁵ Then they came to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, ¹⁶ “Thus says the whole congregation of the Lord: ‘What ^(P)treachery^[f] is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the Lord, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, ^(Q)that you might rebel this day against the Lord? ¹⁷ Is the iniquity ^(R)of Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the Lord, ¹⁸ but that you must turn away this day from following the Lord? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the Lord, that tomorrow ^(S)He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel. ^19 [g]Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the Lord, ^(T)where the Lord’s tabernacle stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the Lord, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God. ^20 (U)Did not Achan the son of Zerah ^[h]commit a trespass in the ^[i]accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”

²¹ Then the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the ^[j]divisions of Israel: ²² “The Lord ^(V)God of gods, the Lord God of gods, He ^(W)knows, and let Israel itself know—if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the Lord, do not save us this day. ²³ If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the Lord, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the Lord Himself ^(X)require an account. ²⁴ But in fact we have done it ^[k]for fear, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your descendants may speak to our descendants, saying, “What have you to do with the Lord God of Israel? ²⁵ For the Lord has made the Jordan a border between you and us, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the Lord.” So your descendants would make our descendants cease fearing the Lord.’ ²⁶ Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, ²⁷ but that it may be ^(Y)a ^[l]witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may ^(Z)perform the service of the Lord before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, “You have no part in the Lord.” ’ ²⁸ Therefore we said that it will be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the Lord which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.’ ²⁹ Far be it from us that we should rebel against the Lord, and turn from following the Lord this day, ^(AA)to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the Lord our God which is before His tabernacle.”

³⁰ Now when Phinehas the priest and the rulers of the congregation, the heads of the ^[m]divisions of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. ³¹ Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the Lord is ^(AB)among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the Lord. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the Lord.”

³² And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them. ³³ So the thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel ^(AC)blessed God; they spoke no more of going against them in battle, to destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

³⁴ The children of Reuben and the children of ^[n]Gad called the altar, Witness, “For it is a witness between us that the Lord is God.”

Joshua’s Farewell Address

23 Now it came to pass, a long time after the Lord ^(AD)had given rest to Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua ^(AE)was old, advanced in age. ² And Joshua ^(AF)called for all Israel, for their elders, for their heads, for their judges, and for their officers, and said to them:

“I am old, advanced in age. ³ You have seen all that the ^(AG)Lord your God has done to all these nations because of you, for the ^(AH)Lord your God is He who has fought for you. ⁴ See, ^(AI)I have divided to you by lot these nations that remain, to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, as far as the Great Sea westward. ⁵ And the Lord your God ^(AJ)will expel them from before you and drive them out of your sight. So you shall possess their land, ^(AK)as the Lord your God promised you. ^6 (AL)Therefore be very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, ^(AM)lest you turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left, ⁷ and lest you ^(AN)go^[o] among these nations, these who remain among you. You shall not ^(AO)make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to ^(AP)swear by them; you shall not ^(AQ)serve them nor bow down to them, ⁸ but you shall ^(AR)hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have done to this day. ^9 (AS)For the Lord has ^[p]driven out from before you great and strong nations; but as for you, no one has been able to stand against you to this day. ^10 (AT)One man of you shall chase a thousand, for the Lord your God is He who fights for you, ^(AU)as He promised you. ^11 (AV)Therefore take careful heed to yourselves, that you love the Lord your God. ¹² Or else, if indeed you do ^(AW)go back, and cling to the remnant of these nations—these that remain among you—and ^(AX)make marriages with them, and go in to them and they to you, ¹³ know for certain that ^(AY)the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations from before you. ^(AZ)But they shall be snares and traps to you, and scourges on your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land which the Lord your God has given you.

¹⁴ “Behold, this day ^(BA)I^[q] am going the way of all the earth. And you know in all your hearts and in all your souls that ^(BB)not one thing has failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spoke concerning you. All have come to pass for you; not one word of them has failed. ^15 (BC)Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all the good things have come upon you which the Lord your God promised you, so the Lord will bring upon you ^(BD)all harmful things, until He has destroyed you from this good land which the Lord your God has given you. ^16 [r]When you have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed down to them, then the ^(BE)anger of the Lord will burn against you, and you shall perish quickly from the good land which He has given you.”