Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

³⁴ Samuel went to Ramah,^(A) and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah^(B) of Saul. ³⁵ Even to the day of his death, Samuel never saw Saul again.^(C) Samuel mourned for Saul,^(D) and the Lord regretted he had made Saul king over Israel.

Samuel Anoints David

16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul,^(E) since I have rejected him as king over Israel?^(F) Fill your horn with oil^(G) and go. I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem^(H) because I have selected for myself a king from his sons.”

² Samuel asked, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!”

The Lord answered, “Take a young cow with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’^{(I) 3} Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you are to do.^(J) You are to anoint for me the one I indicate to you.”^(K)

⁴ Samuel did what the Lord directed and went to Bethlehem.^(L) When the elders of the town met him, they trembled^[a] and asked, “Do^[b] you come in peace?” ^(M)

⁵ “In peace,” he replied. “I’ve come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves^(N) and come with me to the sacrifice.”^[c] Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice. ⁶ When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab^(O) and said, “Certainly the Lord’s anointed one is here before him.”

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees,^[d] for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”^(P)

⁸ Jesse called Abinadab^(Q) and presented him to Samuel. “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either,” Samuel said. ⁹ Then Jesse presented Shammah,^(R) but Samuel said, “The Lord hasn’t chosen this one either.” ¹⁰ After Jesse presented seven of his sons to him, Samuel told Jesse, “The Lord hasn’t chosen any of these.” ¹¹ Samuel asked him, “Are these all the sons you have?”

“There is still the youngest,”^(S) he answered, “but right now he’s tending the sheep.” Samuel told Jesse, “Send for him. We won’t sit down to eat until he gets here.” ¹² So Jesse sent for him. He had beautiful eyes and a healthy,^[e] handsome appearance.^(T)

Then the Lord said, “Anoint him, for he is the one.”^{(U) 13} So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him^(V) in the presence of his brothers, and the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully on David from that day forward.^(W) Then Samuel set out and went to Ramah.

Psalm 20

Deliverance in Battle

For the choir director. A psalm of David.

⁶ So we are always confident and know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. ⁷ For we walk by faith,^(A) not by sight.^{(B) 8} In fact, we are confident, and we would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.^{(C) 9} Therefore, whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to be pleasing^(D) to him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat^(E) of Christ,^(F) so that each may be repaid^(G) for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

¹¹ Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord,^(A) we try to persuade people. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your consciences. ¹² We are not commending ourselves to you again, but giving you an opportunity to be proud of us, so that you may have a reply for those who take pride in outward appearance rather than in the heart. ¹³ For if we are out of our mind,^(B) it is for God; if we are in our right mind,^(C) it is for you.

¹⁴ For the love of Christ compels us, since we have reached this conclusion, that one died for all,^(A) and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all^(B) so that those who live should no longer live for themselves,^(C) but for the one^(D) who died for them and was raised.

The Ministry of Reconciliation

¹⁶ From now on, then, we do not know anyone from a worldly perspective.^[a] Even if we have known Christ from a worldly perspective,^[b] yet now we no longer know him in this way. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;^(E) the old has passed away, and see,^(F) the new has^[c] come!^(G)

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶ “The kingdom of God^(A) is like this,” he said. “A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷ He sleeps^(B) and rises^(C) night^(D) and day; the seed sprouts and grows, although he doesn’t know how. ²⁸ The soil produces a crop^(E) by itself—first the blade, then the head, and then the full grain^(F) on the head. ²⁹ As soon as the crop is ready, he sends for the sickle,^(G) because the harvest^(H) has come.”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰ And^(I) he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God,^(J) or what parable^(K) can we use to describe it? ³¹ It’s like a mustard seed^(L) that, when sown upon the soil, is the smallest of all the seeds on the ground. ³² And when sown,^(M) it comes up and grows taller than all the garden plants,^(N) and produces large branches, so that the birds of the sky^(O) can nest in its shade.”

Using Parables

³³ He was speaking the word^(P) to them with many parables^(Q) like these, as they were able to understand.^{(R) 34} He did not speak to them without a parable. Privately, however, he explained everything to his own disciples.^(S)