Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 130

A song for going up to worship.

The Creation of Man and Woman

⁴ This is the account of heaven and earth when they were created, at the time when Yahweh Elohim made earth and heaven.

⁵ Wild bushes and plants were not on the earth yet because Yahweh Elohim hadn’t sent rain on the earth. Also, there was no one to farm the land. ⁶ Instead, underground water would come up from the earth and water the entire surface of the ground.

⁷ Then Yahweh Elohim formed the man from the dust of the earth^[a] and blew the breath of life into his nostrils. The man became a living being.

⁸ Yahweh Elohim planted a garden in Eden, in the east. That’s where he put the man whom he had formed. ⁹ Yahweh Elohim made all the trees grow out of the ground. These trees were nice to look at, and their fruit was good to eat. The tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil grew in the middle of the garden.

¹⁰ A river flowed from Eden to water the garden. Outside the garden it divided into four rivers. ¹¹ The name of the first river is Pishon. This is the one that winds throughout Havilah, where there is gold. ¹² (The gold of that land is pure. Bdellium^[b] and onyx are also found there.) ¹³ The name of the second river is Gihon. This is the one that winds throughout Sudan. ¹⁴ The name of the third river is Tigris. This is the one that flows east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.

A Story about a Farmer^(A)

⁴ When a large crowd had gathered and people had come to Yeshua from every city, he used this story as an illustration: ⁵ “A farmer went to plant his seeds. Some seeds were planted along the road, were trampled, and were devoured by birds. ⁶ Others were planted on rocky soil. When the plants came up, they withered because they had no moisture. ⁷ Others were planted among thornbushes. The thornbushes grew up with them and choked them. ⁸ Others were planted on good ground. When they came up, they produced a hundred times as much as was planted.”

After he had said this, he called out, “Let the person who has ears listen!”

⁹ His disciples asked him what this story meant. ¹⁰ Yeshua answered, “Knowledge about the mysteries of the kingdom of God has been given directly to you. But it is given to others in stories. When they look, they don’t see, and when they hear, they don’t understand.

¹¹ “This is what the story illustrates: The seed is God’s word. ¹² Some people are like seeds that were planted along the road. They hear the word, but then the devil comes. He takes the word away from them so that they don’t believe and become saved. ¹³ Some people are like seeds on rocky soil. They welcome the word with joy whenever they hear it, but they don’t develop any roots. They believe for a while, but when their faith is tested, they abandon it. ¹⁴ The seeds that were planted among thornbushes are people who hear the word, but as life goes on the worries, riches, and pleasures of life choke them. So they don’t produce anything good. ¹⁵ The seeds that were planted on good ground are people who also hear the word. But they keep it in their good and honest hearts and produce what is good despite what life may bring.