Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, while Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day he[a] died, Samuel did not see Saul again. Samuel did, however, mourn for Saul, but the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.
Samuel Anoints David as King
16 The Lord said to Samuel, “How long do you intend to mourn for Saul? I have rejected him as king over Israel.[b] Fill your horn with olive oil and go. I am sending you to Jesse in Bethlehem, for I have selected a king for myself from among his sons.”[c]
2 Samuel replied, “How can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me!” But the Lord said, “Take a heifer with you[d] and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’ 3 Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you should do. You will anoint for me the one I point out[e] to you.”
4 Samuel did what the Lord told him.[f] When he arrived in Bethlehem, the elders of the city were afraid to meet him. They[g] said, “Do you come in peace?” 5 He replied, “Yes, in peace. I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” So he consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.
6 When they arrived, Samuel[h] noticed[i] Eliab and said to himself,[j] “Surely, here before the Lord stands his chosen king.”[k] 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by[l] his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way people do.[m] People look on the outward appearance,[n] but the Lord looks at the heart.”
8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and presented him to Samuel.[o] But Samuel[p] said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 9 Then Jesse presented[q] Shammah. But Samuel said, “The Lord has not chosen this one either.” 10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel.[r] But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all the young men?” Jesse[s] replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.”
12 So Jesse had him brought in.[t] Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
Psalm 20[a]
For the music director, a psalm of David.
20 May the Lord answer[b] you[c] when you are in trouble;[d]
may the God of Jacob[e] make you secure.
2 May he send you help from his temple;[f]
from Zion may he give you support.
3 May he take notice of[g] all your offerings;
may he accept[h] your burnt sacrifice. (Selah)
4 May he grant your heart’s desire;[i]
may he bring all your plans to pass.[j]
5 Then we will shout for joy over your[k] victory;
we will rejoice[l] in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
6 Now I am sure[m] that the Lord will deliver[n] his chosen king;[o]
he will intervene for him[p] from his holy, heavenly temple,[q]
and display his mighty ability to deliver.[r]
7 Some trust in chariots and others in horses,[s]
but we[t] depend on[u] the Lord our God.
8 They will fall down,[v]
but we[w] will stand firm.[x]
9 The Lord will deliver the king;[y]
he will answer us[z] when we call to him for help![aa]
6 Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth[a] we are absent from the Lord— 7 for we live[b] by faith, not by sight. 8 Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away[c] from the body and at home with the Lord. 9 So then whether we are alive[d] or away, we make it our ambition to please him.[e] 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,[f] so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.[g]
The Message of Reconciliation
11 Therefore, because we know the fear of the Lord,[a] we try to persuade[b] people,[c] but we are well known[d] to God, and I hope we are well known to your consciences too. 12 We are not trying to commend[e] ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us,[f] so that you may be able to answer those who take pride[g] in outward appearance[h] and not in what is in the heart. 13 For if we are out of our minds, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you.
14 For the love of Christ[a] controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ[b] died for all; therefore all have died. 15 And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.[c] 16 So then from now on we acknowledge[d] no one from an outward human point of view.[e] Even though we have known Christ from such a human point of view,[f] now we do not know him in that way any longer. 17 So then, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; what is old has passed away[g]—look, what is new[h] has come![i]
The Parable of the Growing Seed
26 He also said, “The kingdom of God[a] is like someone who spreads seed on the ground. 27 He goes to sleep and gets up, night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. 28 By itself the soil produces a crop, first the stalk, then the head, then the full grain[b] in the head. 29 And when the grain is ripe, he sends in the sickle[c] because the harvest has come.”[d]
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 He also asked, “To what can we compare the kingdom of God,[e] or what parable can we use to present it? 31 It is like a mustard seed[f] that when sown in the ground, even though it is the smallest of all the seeds in the ground— 32 when it is sown, it grows up,[g] becomes the greatest of all garden plants, and grows large branches so that the wild birds[h] can nest in its shade.”[i]
The Use of Parables
33 So[j] with many parables like these, he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable. But privately he explained everything to his own disciples.
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