Psalm 18^[a](A)

For the director of music. Of David the servant of the Lord. He sang to the Lord the words of this song when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said:

David Spares Saul’s Life

24 ^[a]After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.^(A)” ² So Saul took three thousand able young men from all Israel and set out to look^(B) for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

³ He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave^(C) was there, and Saul went in to relieve^(D) himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. ⁴ The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke^(E) of when he said^[b] to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’”^(F) Then David crept up unnoticed and cut^(G) off a corner of Saul’s robe.

⁵ Afterward, David was conscience-stricken^(H) for having cut off a corner of his robe. ⁶ He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed,^(I) or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.” ⁷ With these words David sharply rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

⁸ Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, “My lord the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.^{(J) 9} He said to Saul, “Why do you listen^(K) when men say, ‘David is bent on harming^(L) you’? ¹⁰ This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared^(M) you; I said, ‘I will not lay my hand on my lord, because he is the Lord’s anointed.’ ¹¹ See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut^(N) off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. See that there is nothing in my hand to indicate that I am guilty^(O) of wrongdoing^(P) or rebellion. I have not wronged^(Q) you, but you are hunting^(R) me down to take my life.^{(S) 12} May the Lord judge^(T) between you and me. And may the Lord avenge^(U) the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. ¹³ As the old saying goes, ‘From evildoers come evil deeds,^(V)’ so my hand will not touch you.

¹⁴ “Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Who are you pursuing? A dead dog?^(W) A flea?^{(X) 15} May the Lord be our judge^(Y) and decide^(Z) between us. May he consider my cause and uphold^(AA) it; may he vindicate^(AB) me by delivering^(AC) me from your hand.”

¹⁶ When David finished saying this, Saul asked, “Is that your voice,^(AD) David my son?” And he wept aloud. ¹⁷ “You are more righteous than I,”^(AE) he said. “You have treated me well,^(AF) but I have treated you badly.^{(AG) 18} You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered^(AH) me into your hands, but you did not kill me. ¹⁹ When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward^(AI) you well for the way you treated me today. ²⁰ I know that you will surely be king^(AJ) and that the kingdom^(AK) of Israel will be established in your hands. ²¹ Now swear^(AL) to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.^(AM)”

²² So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.^(AN)

⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. ⁴⁵ When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying^(A) and heaped abuse^(B) on him.

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first.^(C) Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.^{(D) 47} For this is what the Lord has commanded us:

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord;^(G) and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.

⁴⁹ The word of the Lord^(H) spread through the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.^{(I) 51} So they shook the dust off their feet^(J) as a warning to them and went to Iconium.^{(K) 52} And the disciples^(L) were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.^(M)

The Parable of the Sower^(A)(B)

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.^(C) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things by parables,^(D) and in his teaching said: ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.^{(E) 4} As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”^(F)

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”^(G)

¹⁰ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God^(H) has been given to you. But to those on the outside^(I) everything is said in parables ¹² so that,

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? ¹⁴ The farmer sows the word.^{(K) 15} Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan^(L) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. ¹⁶ Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸ Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; ¹⁹ but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth^(M) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²⁰ Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”