Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Description of a Citizen of Zion.
A Psalm of David.
15 O Lord, who may [a]abide (A)in Your tent?
Who may dwell on Your (B)holy hill?
2 He who (C)walks with integrity, and works righteousness,
And (D)speaks truth in his heart.
3 He (E)does not slander [b]with his tongue,
Nor (F)does evil to his neighbor,
Nor (G)takes up a reproach against his friend;
4 In [c]whose eyes a reprobate is despised,
But [d]who (H)honors those who fear the Lord;
He (I)swears to his own hurt and does not change;
5 He (J)does not put out his money [e]at interest,
Nor (K)does he take a bribe against the innocent.
(L)He who does these things will never be shaken.
War of the Kings
14 And it came about in the days of Amraphel king of (A)Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of (B)Elam, and Tidal king of [a]Goiim, 2 that they made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of (C)Admah, and Shemeber king of (D)Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, (E)Zoar). 3 All these [b]came as allies to (F)the valley of Siddim (that is, (G)the Salt Sea). 4 Twelve years they had served Chedorlaomer, but the thirteenth year they rebelled. 5 In the fourteenth year Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, came and [c]defeated the (H)Rephaim in (I)Ashteroth-karnaim and the Zuzim in Ham and the Emim in [d](J)Shaveh-kiriathaim, 6 and the (K)Horites in their Mount Seir, as far as (L)El-paran, which is by the wilderness. 7 Then they turned back and came to En-mishpat (that is, (M)Kadesh), and [e]conquered all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites, who lived in (N)Hazazon-tamar. 8 And the king of Sodom and the king of Gomorrah and the king of Admah and the king of Zeboiim and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar) came out; and they arrayed for battle against them in (O)the valley of Siddim, 9 against Chedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of [f]Goiim and Amraphel king of Shinar and Arioch king of Ellasar—four kings against five. 10 Now the valley of Siddim was full of tar pits; and (P)the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and they fell [g]into them. But those who survived fled to the (Q)hill country. 11 Then they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their food supply, and departed. 12 They also took Lot, (R)Abram’s nephew, and his possessions and departed, (S)for he was living in Sodom.
13 Then [h]a fugitive came and told Abram the (T)Hebrew. Now he was [i]living by the [j](U)oaks of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, and these were [k](V)allies with Abram. 14 When Abram heard that (W)his [l]relative had been taken captive, he [m]led out his trained men, (X)born in his house, three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as (Y)Dan. 15 (Z)He divided [n]his forces against them by night, he and his servants, and [o]defeated them, and pursued them as far as Hobah, which is [p]north of (AA)Damascus. 16 He (AB)brought back all the goods, and also brought back (AC)his [q]relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the people.
Parable of the Sower
4 (A)When a large crowd was coming together, and those from the various cities were journeying to Him, He spoke by way of a parable: 5 “The sower went out to sow his seed; and as he sowed, some fell beside the road, and it was trampled under foot and the birds of the [a]air ate it up. 6 Other seed fell on rocky soil, and as soon as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among the thorns; and the thorns grew up with it and choked it out. 8 Other seed fell into the good soil, and grew up, and produced a crop a hundred times as great.” As He said these things, He would call out, “(B)He who has ears to hear, [b]let him hear.”
9 (C)His disciples began questioning Him as to what this parable meant. 10 And He said, “(D)To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but to the rest it is in parables, so that (E)seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.
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