Psalm 68:1-16

New International Version

Psalm 68^[a]

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm. A song.

¹May God arise,^(A) may his enemies be scattered;^(B)
    may his foes flee^(C) before him.
²May you blow them away like smoke—^(D)
    as wax melts^(E) before the fire,
    may the wicked perish^(F) before God.
³But may the righteous be glad
    and rejoice^(G) before God;
    may they be happy and joyful.

⁴Sing to God, sing in praise of his name,^(H)
    extol him who rides on the clouds^[b]^(I);
    rejoice before him—his name is the Lord.^(J)
⁵A father to the fatherless,^(K) a defender of widows,^(L)
    is God in his holy dwelling.^(M)
⁶God sets the lonely^(N) in families,^[c]^(O)
    he leads out the prisoners^(P) with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.^(Q)

⁷When you, God, went out^(R) before your people,
    when you marched through the wilderness,^[d]^(S)
⁸the earth shook,^(T) the heavens poured down rain,^(U)
    before God, the One of Sinai,^(V)
    before God, the God of Israel.^(W)
⁹You gave abundant showers,^(X) O God;
    you refreshed your weary inheritance.
¹⁰Your people settled in it,
    and from your bounty,^(Y) God, you provided^(Z) for the poor.

¹¹The Lord announces the word,
    and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng:^(AA)
¹²“Kings and armies flee^(AB) in haste;
    the women at home divide the plunder.^(AC)
¹³Even while you sleep among the sheep pens,^[e]^(AD)
    the wings of my dove are sheathed with silver,
    its feathers with shining gold.”
¹⁴When the Almighty^[f] scattered^(AE) the kings in the land,
    it was like snow fallen on Mount Zalmon.^(AF)

¹⁵Mount Bashan,^(AG) majestic mountain,^(AH)
    Mount Bashan, rugged mountain,
¹⁶why gaze in envy, you rugged mountain,
    at the mountain where God chooses^(AI) to reign,
    where the Lord himself will dwell forever?^(AJ)

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Footnotes

Psalm 68:1 In Hebrew texts 68:1-35 is numbered 68:2-36.
Psalm 68:4 Or name, / prepare the way for him who rides through the deserts
Psalm 68:6 Or the desolate in a homeland
Psalm 68:7 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 19 and 32.
Psalm 68:13 Or the campfires; or the saddlebags
Psalm 68:14 Hebrew Shaddai

Matthew 13:36-58

New International Version

The Parable of the Weeds Explained

³⁶Then he left the crowd and went into the house. His disciples came to him and said, “Explain to us the parable^(A) of the weeds in the field.”

³⁷He answered, “The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.^(B) ³⁸The field is the world, and the good seed stands for the people of the kingdom. The weeds are the people of the evil one,^(C) ³⁹and the enemy who sows them is the devil. The harvest^(D) is the end of the age,^(E) and the harvesters are angels.^(F)

⁴⁰“As the weeds are pulled up and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹The Son of Man^(G) will send out his angels,^(H) and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. ⁴²They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^(I) ⁴³Then the righteous will shine like the sun^(J) in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear.^(K)

The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl

⁴⁴“The kingdom of heaven is like^(L) treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.^(M)

⁴⁵“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like^(N) a merchant looking for fine pearls. ⁴⁶When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Net

⁴⁷“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like^(O) a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds^(P) of fish. ⁴⁸When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous^(Q) ⁵⁰and throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.^(R)

⁵¹“Have you understood all these things?” Jesus asked.

“Yes,” they replied.

⁵²He said to them, “Therefore every teacher of the law who has become a disciple in the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”

A Prophet Without Honor^(S)

⁵³When Jesus had finished these parables,^(T) he moved on from there. ⁵⁴Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue,^(U) and they were amazed.^(V) “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. ⁵⁵“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?^(W) Isn’t his mother’s^(X) name Mary, and aren’t his brothers^(Y) James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? ⁵⁶Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” ⁵⁷And they took offense^(Z) at him.