Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
20 The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob defend thee!
2 May He send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion.
3 May He remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice. Selah
4 May He grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel.
5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners; the Lord fulfill all thy petitions!
6 Now I know that the Lord saveth His anointed; He will hear him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.
7 Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.
8 They are brought down and fallen; but we are risen and stand upright.
9 Save us, Lord! Let the King hear us when we call.
13 Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,
2 Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and on Mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.
3 And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, “Let the Hebrews hear!”
4 And all Israel heard it said that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was held in abomination by the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.
5 And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and pitched camp in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.
6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves and in thickets and in rocks and in high places and in pits.
7 And some of the Hebrews went over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.
8 And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel came not to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.
9 And Saul said, “Bring hither a burnt offering to me and peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 And it came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.
11 And Samuel said, “What hast thou done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash,
12 therefore said I, ‘The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the Lord.’ I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.”
13 And Samuel said to Saul, “Thou hast done foolishly. Thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God which He commanded thee, for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.
14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue. The Lord hath sought Him a man after His own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.”
15 And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.
4 And He began again to teach by the seaside. And there was gathered unto Him a great multitude, so that He entered into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.
2 And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine:
3 “Hearken! Behold, there went out a sower to sow.
4 And it came to pass as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.
5 And some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth.
6 But when the sun was up, 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 other fell on good ground; and it yielded fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth: some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundredfold.”
9 And He said unto them, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
10 And when He was alone, those who were about Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.
11 And He said unto them, “Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these 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 said unto them, “Know you not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables?
14 The sower soweth the Word.
15 And these are they by the wayside, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts.
16 And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness;
17 but they have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word’s sake, immediately they are offended.
18 And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the Word,
19 but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful.
20 And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the Word and receive it and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.”
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