Wednesday 24 January 2024

4That same night, the Lord’s word came to Nathan, saying,5“Go and tell my servant David,‘The Lord says, “Should you build me a house for me to dwell in?6For I have not lived in a house since the daythat I brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt,even to this day, but have moved around in a tentand in a tabernacle.7In all places inwhich I have walked with all the children of Israel,did I say a word to anyone from the tribes of Israelwhom I commanded to be shepherd of my people Israel,saying, ‘Why have you not built me a house of cedar?’”’8Now therefore tell my servant David this:‘The Lord of Armies says,“I took you from the sheep pen,from following the sheep,to be prince over my people, over Israel.9I have been with you wherever you went,and have cut off all your enemies from before you.I will make you a great name,like the name of the great ones who are on the earth.10I will appoint a place for my people Israel,and will plant them,that they may dwell in their own placeand be moved no more.The children of wickedness will not afflict them any more, as at the first,11and as from the daythat I commanded judges to be over my people Israel.I will cause you to rest from all your enemies.Moreover the Lord tells youthat the Lord will make you a house.12When your days are fulfilledand you sleep with your fathers,I will set up your offspring after you,who will proceed out of your body,and I will establish his kingdom.13He will build a house for my name,and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.14I will be his father, and he will be my son.If he commits iniquity,I will chasten him with the rod of menand with the stripes of the children of men;15but my loving kindness will not depart from him,as I took it from Saul,whom I put away before you.16Your house and your kingdom will be made sure forever before you.Your throne will be established forever.”’”17Nathan spoke to David all these words,and according to all this vision.

4“I have made a covenant with my chosen one,I have sworn to David, my servant,5‘I will establish your offspring forever,and build up your throne to all generations.’”

27He will call to me, ‘You are my Father,my God, and the rock of my salvation!’28I will also appoint him my firstborn,the highest of the kings of the earth.

29I will keep my loving kindness for him forever more.My covenant will stand firm with him.30I will also make his offspring endure forever,and his throne as the days of heaven.

1Again he began to teach by the seaside.A great multitude was gathered to him,so that he entered into a boat in the sea and sat down.All the multitude were on the land by the sea.2He taught them many things in parables,and told them in his teaching,3“Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow.4As he sowed, some seed fell by the road,and the birds came and devoured it.5Others fell on the rocky ground,where it had little soil,and immediately it sprang up,because it had no depth of soil.6When the sun had risen, it was scorched;and because it had no root, it withered away.7Others fell among the thorns,and the thorns grew up and choked it,and it yielded no fruit.8Others fell into the good ground and yielded fruit,growing up and increasing.Some produced thirty times,some sixty times, and some one hundred times as much.”9He said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let him hear.”

10When he was alone,those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables.11He said to them, “To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom,but to those who are outside,all things are done in parables,12that ‘seeing they may see and not perceive,and hearing they may hear and not understand,lest perhaps they should turn again,and their sins should be forgiven them.’”

13He said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable?How will you understand all of the parables?14The farmer sows the word.15The ones by the road are the ones where the word is sown;and when they have heard,immediately Satan comes and takes away the wordwhich has been sown in them.16These in the same way are thosewho are sown on the rocky places,who, when they have heard the word,immediately receive it with joy.17They have no root in themselves, but are short-lived.When oppression or persecution arises because of the word,immediately they stumble.18Others are those who are sown among the thorns.These are those who have heard the word,19and the cares of this age,and the deceitfulness of riches,and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word,and it becomes unfruitful.20Those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word,accept it, and bear fruit,some thirty times,some sixty times, and some one hundred times.”