Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
5 The Lord appeared to Solomon that night in a dream at Gibeon. God said, “Ask me for whatever you want.” 6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, David, my father, because he walked before you in fidelity and righteousness. His heart was upright before you. You have even continued to show him this great kindness by having given him a son to sit upon his throne up to this very day. 7 Now, O Lord, my God, you have established your servant as king in the place of David, my father, but I am only a small child and do not know how to go out and come in. 8 Your servant is among the people you have chosen, a great people. There are so many of them that they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore, give your servant a discerning heart to judge your people and to distinguish between what is good and what is bad, for who would be able to judge this, your great people?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked for this. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked for this thing, and you have not asked for a long life for yourself, or that you be rich, or for the life of your enemies, but you asked for understanding to discern what is just, 12 behold, I am fulfilling your request. I will give you such a wise and understanding heart that there was never anyone like you before your times, nor will anyone like you rise up afterwards.[a]
129 [a]Wonderful are your statutes;
therefore, I willingly observe them.
130 The explanation[b] of your words gives light
and imparts understanding to the simple.
131 I open wide my mouth and sigh,[c]
longing eagerly for your precepts.
132 [d]Turn and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.[e]
133 Guide my steps in accord with your word
and never let evil triumph over me.
134 Rescue me from the oppression of men
so that I may observe your commandments.
135 Allow your face to shine[f] upon your servant
and teach me your decrees.
136 Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because your law is disregarded.[g]
Sadhe
26 In the same way, even the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs that cannot be put into words. 27 And the one who searches hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.
28 We know that God makes all things work together for good for those who love him[a] and who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son so that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.
31 Who Can Separate Us from the Love of Christ? What then can we say in response to all this? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He did not spare his own Son but gave him up for all of us. How then can he fail also to give us everything else along with him?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who acquits. 34 Who will condemn? Christ Jesus, who died, or rather rose again, who is at God’s right hand and intercedes for us?[b] 35 Who then can separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? 36 As it is written,
“For your sake we are being slain all day long;
we are treated like sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, throughout all these things we are conquerors because of him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth,[c] nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
31 The Parable of the Mustard Seed.[a] He proposed still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of plants and becomes a tree large enough for the birds to come and make nests in its branches.”[b]
33 The Parable of the Yeast.[c] And he offered them yet another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flour until it was completely leavened.”
44 The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl.[a]“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure buried in a field, which a man found and buried again. Then in his joy he went off and sold everything he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went off and sold everything he had and bought it.
47 The Parable of the Net.[b]“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net cast into the sea where it caught fish of every kind. 48 When it was full, they hauled it ashore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish into baskets but discarded those that were worthless. 49 Thus will it be at the end of the world. The angels will go forth and separate the wicked from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 Conclusion.[c]“Have you understood all this?” he asked. They answered, “Yes.” 52 Then he said to them, “Therefore, every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings forth from his storeroom new treasures as well as old.”
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