Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

15 LORD, who shall dwell in Your Tabernacle? Who shall rest on Your Holy Mountain?

² He who walks uprightly and works righteousness and speaks the truth in his heart;

³ he who does not slander with his tongue, nor do evil to his neighbor, nor receive a false report against his neighbor;

⁴ in whose eyes a vile person is despised; but honors those who fear the LORD. He who swears to his own injury yet does not change.

⁵ He who does not give his money to usury, nor takes reward against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved. Michtam of David.

14 And it happened that in the days of Amraphel (King of Shinar), Arioch (King of Ellasar), Chedorlaomer (King of Elam), and Tidal (King of the Nations),

² they made war with Bera (King of Sodom) and with Birsha (King of Gomorrah), Shinab (King of Admah), and Shemeber (King of Zeboiim), and the King of Bela (which is Zoar).

³ All these joined together in the valley of Siddim (which is the Salt Sea).

⁴ They were subject to Chedorlaomer for twelve years; but in the thirteenth year, they rebelled.

⁵ And in the fourteenth year, Chedorlaomer came (and the kings who were with him) and struck the Rephaims in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzims in Ham, and the Emims in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

⁶ and the Horites on their Mount Seir, to the plain of El Paran (which is by the wilderness).

⁷ And they returned and came to En Mishpat (which is Kadesh) and struck all the country of the Amalekites, and also the Amorites who dwelled in Hazezon Tamar.

⁸ Then, the King of Sodom went out, and the King of Gomorrah, and the King of Admah, and the King of Zeboiim, and the King of Bela (which is Zoar); and they joined battle with them in the valley of Siddim

⁹ —that is, with Chedorlaomer (King of Elam), and Tidal (King of Nations), and Amraphel (King of Shinar), and Arioch (King of Ellasar) — four kings against five.

¹⁰ Now, the valley of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the Kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, and fell there. And the residue fled to the mountain.

¹¹ And they took all the substance of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their supplies, and went their way.

¹² They also took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, and his substance (for he dwelt at Sodom) and departed.

¹³ Then one who had escaped came and told Abram the Hebrew, who dwelt on the plain of Mamre the Amorite (brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner, who were allies of Abram).

¹⁴ When Abram heard that his brother was taken, he brought forth three hundred and eighteen of those who were born and brought up in his own house and pursued them to Dan.

¹⁵ Then he and his servants divided themselves against them at night, and struck them, and pursued them to Hobah (which is on the left side of Damascus).

¹⁶ And he recovered all the substance, and also brought back his brother Lot and his goods, and also the women and the people.

⁴ Now when many people had gathered together and come to Him out of all the cities, He spoke a parable.

⁵ “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside. And it was trampled underfoot, and the birds of heaven devoured it.

⁶ “And some fell on the stones. And after it sprang up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture.

⁷ “And some fell among thorns. And the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.

⁸ “And some fell on good ground. And it sprang up and bore fruit, a hundredfold.” And as He said these things, He cried, “The one who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

⁹ Then His disciples asked Him what parable that was.

¹⁰ And He said, “To you it is given to know the secrets of the Kingdom of God. But to others they come in parables. So that when they see, they will not see. And when they hear, they will not understand.