Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

20 Unto the end. A psalm for David.

² In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.

³ Thou hast given him his heart's desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.

⁴ For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.

⁵ He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.

⁶ His glory is great in thy salvation: glory and great beauty shalt thou lay upon him.

⁷ For thou shalt give him to be a blessing for ever and ever: thou shalt make him joyful in gladness with thy countenance.

⁸ For the king hopeth in the Lord: and through the mercy of the most High he shall not be moved.

⁹ Let thy hand be found by all thy enemies: let thy right hand find out all them that hate thee.

¹⁰ Thou shalt make them as an oven of fire, in the time of thy anger: the Lord shall trouble them in his wrath, and fire shall devour them.

¹¹ Their fruit shalt thou destroy from the earth: and their seed from among the children of men.

¹² For they have intended evils against thee: they have devised counsels which they have not been able to establish.

¹³ For thou shalt make them turn their back: in thy remnants thou shalt prepare their face.

¹⁴ Be thou exalted, O Lord, in thy own strength: we will sing and praise thy power.

13 Saul was a child of one year when he began to reign, and he reigned two years over Israel.

² And Saul chose him three thousand men of Israel: and two thousand were with Saul in Machmas, and in mount Bethel: and a thousand with Jonathan in Gabaa of Benjamin, and the rest of the people he sent back every man to their dwellings.

³ And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines which was in Gabaa. And when the Philistines had heard of it, Saul sounded the trumpet over all the land, saying: Let the Hebrews hear.

⁴ And all Israel heard this report: Saul hath smitten the garrison of the Philistines: and Israel took courage against the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Galgal.

⁵ The Philistines also were assembled to fight against Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and a multitude of people besides, like the sand on the sea shore for number. And going up they camped in Machmas at the east of Bethaven.

⁶ And when the men of Israel saw that they were straitened, (for the people were distressed,) they hid themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in dens, and in pits.

⁷ And some of the Hebrews passed over the Jordan into the land of Gad and Galaad. And when Saul was yet in Galgal, all the people that followed him were greatly afraid.

⁸ And he waited seven days according to the appointment of Samuel, I and Samuel came not to Galgal, and the people slipt away from him.

⁹ Then Saul said: Bring me the holocaust, and the peace offerings. And he offered the holocaust.

¹⁰ And when he had made an end of offering the holocaust, behold Samuel came: and Saul went forth to meet him and salute him.

¹¹ And Samuel said to him: What hast thou done? Saul answered: Because I saw that the people slipt from me, and thou wast not come according to the days appointed, and the Philistines were gathered together in Machmas,

¹² I said: Now will the Philistines come down upon me to Galgal, and I have not appeased the face of the Lord. Forced by necessity, I offered the holocaust.

¹³ And Samuel said to Saul: Thou hast done foolishly, and hast not kept the commandments of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee. And if thou hadst not done thus, the Lord would now have established thy kingdom over Israel for ever.

¹⁴ But thy kingdom shall not continue. The Lord hath sought him a man according to his own heart: and him hath the Lord commanded to be prince over his people, because thou hast not observed that which the Lord commanded.

¹⁵ And Samuel arose and went up from Galgal to Gabaa of Benjamin. And the rest of the people went up after Saul, to meet the people who fought against them, going from Galgal to Gabaa in the hill of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people, that were found with him, about six hundred men.

4 And again he began to teach by the sea side; and a great multitude was gathered together unto him, so that he went up into a ship, and sat in the sea; and all the multitude was upon the land by the sea side.

² And he taught them many things in parables, and said unto them in his doctrine:

³ Hear ye: Behold, the sower went out to sow.

⁴ And whilst he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the birds of the air came and ate it up.

⁵ And other some fell upon stony ground, where it had not much earth; and it shot up immediately, because it had no depth of earth.

⁶ And when the sun was risen, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

⁷ And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

⁸ And some fell upon good ground; and brought forth fruit that grew up, and increased and yielded, one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.

⁹ And he said: He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁰ And when he was alone, the twelve that were with him asked him the parable.

¹¹ And he said to them: To you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but to 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 at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.

¹³ And he saith to them: Are you ignorant of this parable? and how shall you know all parables?

¹⁴ He that soweth, soweth the word.

¹⁵ And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown, and as soon as they have heard, immediately Satan cometh and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

¹⁶ And these likewise are they that are sown on the stony ground: who when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with joy.

¹⁷ And they have no root in themselves, but are only for a time: and then when tribulation and persecution ariseth for the word they are presently scandalized.

¹⁸ And others there are who are sown among thorns: these are they that hear the word,

¹⁹ And the cares of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts after other things entering in choke the word, and it is made fruitless.

²⁰ And these are they who are sown upon the good ground, who hear the word, and receive it, and yield fruit, the one thirty, another sixty, and another a hundred.