Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.
35 And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul; and the Lord repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.
16 And the Lord said unto Samuel, “How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go. I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided Me a king among his sons.”
2 And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me.” And the Lord said, “Take a heifer with thee, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
3 And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto Me him whom I name unto thee.”
4 And Samuel did that which the Lord spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, “Comest thou peaceably?”
5 And he said, “Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice unto the Lord. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice.” And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.
6 And it came to pass, when they had come, that he looked on Eliab and said, “Surely the Lord’S anointed is before Him.”
7 But the Lord said unto Samuel, “Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the Lord seeth not as man seeth. For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, “Neither hath the Lord chosen this.”
9 Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, “Neither hath the Lord chosen this.”
10 Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, “The Lord hath not chosen these.”
11 And Samuel said unto Jesse, “Are here all thy children?” And he said, “There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep.” And Samuel said unto Jesse, “Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither.”
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and altogether of a beautiful countenance and goodly to look upon. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”
13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.
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.
6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord;
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
9 Therefore we labor, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted by Him.
10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad.
11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God, and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have something to answer those who glory in appearance and not in heart.
13 For if we be beside ourselves, it is for God; if we be soberminded, it is for your cause.
14 For the love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge that if One died for all, then all were dead;
15 and that He died for all, that those who live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again.
16 Therefore, henceforth know we no man according to the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now henceforth we know Him so no more.
17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things have become new.
26 And He said, “So is the Kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground,
27 and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how.
28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.
29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.”
30 And He said, “To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it?
31 It is like a grain of mustard seed which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth.
32 But when it is sown, it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.”
33 And with many such parables He spoke the Word unto them, as they were able to hear it;
34 but without a parable spoke He not unto them. And when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.