Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Praise for Jehovah’s goodness.

A Psalm, a Song for the sabbath day.

14 In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel began Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah to reign. ² He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem. ³ And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, yet not like David his father: he did according to all that Joash his father had done. ⁴ Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. ⁵ And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he slew his servants who had slain the king his father: ⁶ but the children of the murderers he put not to death; according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as Jehovah commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin. ⁷ He slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took ^[a]Sela by war, and called the name of it Joktheel, unto this day.

⁸ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. ⁹ And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The ^[b]thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle. ¹⁰ Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thy heart hath lifted thee up: glory thereof, and abide at home; for why shouldest thou ^[c]meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

¹¹ But Amaziah would not hear. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah. ¹² And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to his tent. ¹³ And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits. ¹⁴ And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

4 And again he began to teach by the sea side. And there is gathered unto him a very great multitude, so that he entered into a boat, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude were by the sea on the land. ² And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his teaching, ³ Hearken: Behold, the sower went forth to sow: ⁴ and it came to pass, as he sowed, some seed fell by the way side, and the birds came and devoured it. ⁵ And other fell on the rocky ground, where it had not much earth; and straightway it sprang up, because it had no deepness of earth: ⁶ and when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. ⁷ And other fell among the thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. ⁸ And others fell into the good ground, and yielded fruit, growing up and increasing; and brought forth, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold. ⁹ And he said, Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁰ And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parables. ¹¹ And he said unto them, Unto you is given the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all things are done in parables: ¹² that seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest haply they should turn again, and it should be forgiven them. ¹³ And he saith unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how shall ye know all the parables? ¹⁴ The sower soweth the word. ¹⁵ And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; and when they have heard, straightway cometh Satan, and taketh away the word which hath been sown in them. ¹⁶ And these in like manner are they that are sown upon the rocky places, who, when they have heard the word, straightway receive it with joy; ¹⁷ and they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, straightway they stumble. ¹⁸ And others are they that are sown among the thorns; these are they that have heard the word, ¹⁹ and the cares of the ^[a]world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. ²⁰ And those are they that were sown upon the good ground; such as hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, thirtyfold, and sixtyfold, and a hundredfold.