22 One day Jesus said to his
disciples, “Let us go over to the other side of the lake.” So they got into a
boat and set out. 23 As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall
came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in
great danger.
24 The
disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!”
He
got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all
was calm. 25 “Where is your faith?” he asked his disciples.
In
fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the
winds and the water, and they obey him.”
19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers
came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone
told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.”
21 He
replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into
practice.”
After
this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming
the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and
also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called
Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the
wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others.
These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
4 While
a large crowd was gathering and people were coming to Jesus from town after
town, he told this parable: 5 “A farmer went out to sow his
seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled
on, and the birds ate it up. 6 Some fell on rocky ground, and
when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other
seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still
other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times
more than was sown.”
When
he said this, he called out, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
9 His
disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The
knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to
others I speak in parables, so that,
“‘though
seeing, they may not see;
though hearing, they may not understand.’[a]
11 “This
is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those
along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away
the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those
on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear
it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing
they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for
those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries,
riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed
on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word,
retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.
Now
the Philistines fought against Israel; the Israelites fled before them, and
many fell dead on Mount Gilboa. 2 The Philistines were in hot
pursuit of Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and
Malki-Shua. 3 The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when
the archers overtook him, they wounded him.
4 Saul
said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword and run me through, or these
uncircumcised fellows will come and abuse me.”
But
his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword
and fell on it. 5 When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead,
he too fell on his sword and died. 6 So Saul and his three sons
died, and all his house died together.
7 When
all the Israelites in the valley saw that the army had fled and that Saul and
his sons had died, they abandoned their towns and fled. And the Philistines
came and occupied them.
8 The
next day, when the Philistines came to strip the dead, they found Saul and his
sons fallen on Mount Gilboa. 9 They stripped him and took his
head and his armor, and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines
to proclaim the news among their idols and their people. 10 They
put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of
Dagon.
11 When
all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard what the Philistines had done to
Saul, 12 all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul
and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the
great tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.
13 Saul
died because he was unfaithful to the Lord;
he did not keep the word of the Lord
and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 and did not
inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the
kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
