Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
5 One night in Gibeon the Lord appeared[a] to Solomon in a dream. God said, “Tell[b] me what I should give you.” 6 Solomon replied, “You demonstrated[c] great loyalty to your servant, my father David, as he served[d] you faithfully, properly, and sincerely.[e] You have maintained this great loyalty to this day by allowing his son to sit on his throne.[f] 7 Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in my father David’s place, even though I am only a young man and am inexperienced.[g] 8 Your servant stands[h] among your chosen people;[i] they are a great nation that is too numerous to count or number. 9 So give your servant a discerning mind[j] so he can make judicial decisions for[k] your people and distinguish right from wrong.[l] Otherwise[m] no one is able[n] to make judicial decisions for[o] this great nation of yours.”[p] 10 The Lord[q] was pleased that Solomon made this request.[r] 11 God said to him, “Because you asked for the ability to make wise judicial decisions, and not for long life, or riches, or vengeance on your enemies,[s] 12 I[t] grant your request[u] and give[v] you a wise and discerning mind[w] superior to that of anyone who has preceded or will succeed you.[x]
פ (Pe)
129 Your rules are marvelous.
Therefore I observe them.
130 Your instructions are a doorway through which light shines.[a]
They give[b] insight to the untrained.[c]
131 I open my mouth and pant,
because I long[d] for your commands.
132 Turn toward me and extend mercy to me,
as you typically do to your loyal followers.[e]
133 Direct my steps by your word.[f]
Do not let any sin dominate me.
134 Deliver me[g] from oppressive men,
so that I can keep[h] your precepts.
135 Smile[i] on your servant.
Teach me your statutes!
136 Tears stream down from my eyes,[j]
because people[k] do not keep your law.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray,[a] but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 27 And he[b] who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit[c] intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will. 28 And we know that all things work together[d] for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, 29 because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son[e] would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.[f] 30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 Indeed, he who[g] did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect?[h] It is God who justifies. 34 Who is the one who will condemn? Christ[i] is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?[j] 36 As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”[k] 37 No, in all these things we have complete victory[l] through him[m] who loved us! 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers,[n] nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
31 He gave[a] them another parable:[b] “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed[c] 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 garden plant and becomes a tree,[d] so that the wild birds[e] come and nest in its branches.”[f]
The Parable of the Yeast
33 He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with[g] three measures[h] of flour until all the dough had risen.”[i]
Parables on the Kingdom of Heaven
44 “The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, hidden in a field, that a person found and hid. Then because of joy he went and sold all that he had and bought that field.
45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. 46 When he found a pearl of great value, he went out and sold everything he had and bought it.
47 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was cast into the sea that caught all kinds of fish. 48 When it was full, they pulled it ashore, sat down, and put the good fish into containers and threw the bad away. 49 It will be this way at the end of the age. Angels will come and separate the evil from the righteous 50 and throw them into the fiery furnace,[a] where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
51 “Have you understood all these things?” They replied, “Yes.” 52 Then he said to them, “Therefore every expert in the law[b] who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his treasure what is new and old.”
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