Psalm 61

Assurance of God’s Protection

To the leader: with stringed instruments. Of David.

Psalm 62

Song of Trust in God Alone

To the leader: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

Psalm 62

Song of Trust in God Alone

To the leader: according to Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.

The New Life in Christ

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship.^{(A) 2} Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.^[a](B)

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.^{(C) 4} For as in one body we have many members and not all the members have the same function,^{(D) 5} so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. ⁶ We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith;^{(E) 7} ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching;^{(F) 8} the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.^(G)

Marks of the True Christian

⁹ Let love be genuine; hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good; ¹⁰ love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. ¹¹ Do not lag in zeal; be ardent in spirit; serve the Lord. ¹² Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer.^{(H) 13} Contribute to the needs of the saints; pursue hospitality to strangers.^(I)

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.^{(J) 15} Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep. ¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another; do not be arrogant, but associate with the lowly;^[b] do not claim to be wiser than you are.^{(K) 17} Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all.^{(L) 18} If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.^{(M) 19} Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God,^[c] for it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”^{(N) 20} Instead, “if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink, for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads.” ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Some Women Accompany Jesus

8 Soon afterward he went on through one town and village after another, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him,^{(A) 2} as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,^{(B) 3} and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them^[a] out of their own resources.

The Parable of the Sower

⁴ When a large crowd was gathering, as people were coming to him from town after town, he said in a parable: ⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell on a path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rock, and as it grew up it withered for lack of moisture. ⁷ Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. ⁸ Some fell into good soil, and when it grew it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”^(C)

The Purpose of the Parables

⁹ Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant.^{(D) 10} He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets^[b] of the kingdom of God, but to others I speak^[c] in parables, so that

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹¹ “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.^{(E) 12} The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. ¹⁴ As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁵ But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with endurance.

Some Women Accompany Jesus

8 Soon afterward he went on through one town and village after another, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve were with him,^{(A) 2} as well as some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,^{(B) 3} and Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza, and Susanna, and many others, who ministered to them^[a] out of their own resources.

The Parable of the Sower

⁴ When a large crowd was gathering, as people were coming to him from town after town, he said in a parable: ⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed, and as he sowed some fell on a path and was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. ⁶ Some fell on rock, and as it grew up it withered for lack of moisture. ⁷ Some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew with it and choked it. ⁸ Some fell into good soil, and when it grew it produced a hundredfold.” As he said this, he called out, “If you have ears to hear, then hear!”^(C)

The Purpose of the Parables

⁹ Then his disciples asked him what this parable meant.^{(D) 10} He said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets^[b] of the kingdom of God, but to others I speak^[c] in parables, so that

The Parable of the Sower Explained

¹¹ “Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.^{(E) 12} The ones on the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. ¹³ The ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe only for a while and in a time of testing fall away. ¹⁴ As for what fell among the thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁵ But as for that in the good soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with endurance.