Day 435 of 730

¹It happened soon afterwards, that he went about through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the Kingdom of God. With him were the twelve,

²and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary who was called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out;

³and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward; Susanna; and many others; who served them from their possessions.

⁴When a great multitude came together, and people from every city were coming to him, he spoke by a parable.

⁵"The farmer went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the road, and it was trampled under foot, and the birds of the sky devoured it.

⁶Other seed fell on the rock, and as soon as it grew, it withered away, because it had no moisture.

⁷Other fell amid the thorns, and the thorns grew with it, and choked it.

⁸Other fell into the good ground, and grew, and brought forth fruit one hundred times." As he said these things, he called out, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

⁹Then his disciples asked him, "What does this parable mean?"

¹⁰He said, "To you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, but to the rest in parables; that 'seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.'

¹¹Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God.

¹²Those along the road are those who hear, then the devil comes, and takes away the word from their heart, that they may not believe and be saved.

¹³Those on the rock are they who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; but these have no root, who believe for a while, then fall away in time of temptation.

¹⁴That which fell among the thorns, these are those who have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.

¹⁵That in the good ground, these are such as in an honest and good heart, having heard the word, hold it tightly, and bring forth fruit with patience.

¹⁶"No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a container, or puts it under a bed; but puts it on a stand, that those who enter in may see the light.

¹⁷For nothing is hidden, that will not be revealed; nor anything secret, that will not be known and come to light.

¹⁸Be careful therefore how you hear. For whoever has, to him will be given; and whoever does not have, from him will be taken away even that which he thinks he has."

¹⁹His mother and brothers came to him, and they could not come near him for the crowd.

²⁰It was told him by some saying, "Your mother and your brothers stand outside, desiring to see you."

²¹But he answered them, "My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God, and do it."

²²Now it happened on one of those days, that he entered into a boat, himself and his disciples, and he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side of the lake." So they launched out.

²³But as they sailed, he fell asleep. A wind storm came down on the lake, and they were taking on dangerous amounts of water.

²⁴So they came to him, and awoke him, saying, "Master, master, we are dying!" And he awoke, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water, and they ceased, and it was calm.

²⁵He said to them, "Where is your faith?" Being afraid they marveled, saying one to another, "Who is this, then, that he commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him?"

²⁶They arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee.

²⁷When Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man out of the city who had demons for a long time met him. He wore no clothes, and did not live in a house, but in the tombs.

²⁸When he saw Jesus, he shouted, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, "What do I have to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!"

²⁹For Jesus was commanding the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For the unclean spirit had often seized the man. He was kept under guard, and bound with chains and fetters. Breaking the bands apart, he was driven by the demon into the desert.

³⁰Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion," for many demons had entered into him.

³¹They begged him that he would not command them to go into the abyss.

³²Now there was there a herd of many pigs feeding on the mountain, and they begged him that he would allow them to enter into those. He allowed them.

³³The demons came out from the man, and entered into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned.

³⁴When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled, and told it in the city and in the country.

³⁵Then people went out to see what had happened. They came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

³⁶Those who saw it told them how he who had been possessed by demons was healed.

³⁷All the people of the surrounding country of the Geresenes asked him to depart from them, for they were very much afraid. He entered into the boat, and returned.

³⁸But the man from whom the demons had gone out begged him that he might go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying,

³⁹"Return to your house, and declare what great things God has done for you." He went his way, proclaiming throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him.

⁴⁰When Jesus returned, the multitude welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.

⁴¹Behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. He fell down at Jesus' feet, and begged him to come into his house,

⁴²for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as he went, the multitudes pressed against him.

⁴³A woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living on physicians, and could not be healed by any,

⁴⁴came behind him, and touched the fringe of his cloak, and immediately the flow of her blood stopped.

⁴⁵Jesus said, "Who touched me?" When all denied it, Peter said, "Master, the multitudes press and jostle you."

⁴⁶But Jesus said, "Someone did touch me, for I perceived that power has gone out of me."

⁴⁷When the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared to him in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

⁴⁸He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

⁴⁹While he still spoke, one from the ruler of the synagogue's house came, saying to him, "Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher."

⁵⁰But Jesus hearing it, answered him, "Do not be afraid. Only believe, and she will be healed."

⁵¹When he came to the house, he did not allow anyone to enter in with him, except Peter, John, Jacob, the father of the child, and her mother.

⁵²All were weeping and mourning her, but he said, "Do not weep. She is not dead, but sleeping."

⁵³They were ridiculing him, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴But he, taking her by the hand, called, saying, "Child, arise!"

⁵⁵Her spirit returned, and she rose up immediately. He commanded that something be given to her to eat.

⁵⁶Her parents were amazed, but he commanded them to tell no one what had been done.

¹Praise Yah! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you servants of the Lord,

²you who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of our God's house.

³Praise Yah, for the Lord is good. Sing praises to his name, for that is pleasant.

⁴For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself; Israel for his own possession.

⁵For I know that the Lord is great, that our Lord is above all gods.

⁶Whatever the Lord pleased, that he has done, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps;

⁷who causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth; who makes lightnings with the rain; who brings forth the wind out of his treasuries;

⁸Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and animal;

⁹Who sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his servants;

¹⁰who struck many nations, and killed mighty kings,

¹¹Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,

¹²and gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people.

¹³Your name, Lord, endures forever; your renown, Lord, throughout all generations.

¹⁴For the Lord will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants.

¹⁵The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

¹⁶They have mouths, but they can't speak. They have eyes, but they can't see.

¹⁷They have ears, but they can't hear; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

¹⁸Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.

¹⁹House of Israel, praise the Lord! House of Aaron, praise the Lord!

²⁰House of Levi, praise the Lord! You who fear the Lord, praise the Lord!

²¹Blessed be the Lord from Zion, Who dwells at Jerusalem. Praise Yah!

¹The proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel:

²to know wisdom and instruction; to discern the words of understanding;

³to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity;

⁴to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young man:

⁵that the wise man may hear, and increase in learning; that the man of understanding may attain to sound counsel:

⁶to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

⁷The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸My son, listen to your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching:

⁹for they will be a garland to grace your head, and chains around your neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

¹¹If they say, "Come with us, Let's lie in wait for blood; let's lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;

¹²let's swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit.

¹³We'll find all valuable wealth. We'll fill our houses with spoil.

¹⁴You shall cast your lot among us. We'll all have one purse."

¹⁵My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your foot from their path,

¹⁶for their feet run to evil. They hurry to shed blood.

¹⁷For in vain is the net spread in the sight of any bird:

¹⁸but these lie in wait for their own blood. They lurk secretly for their own lives.

¹⁹So are the ways of everyone who is greedy for gain. It takes away the life of its owners.

²⁰Wisdom calls aloud in the street. She utters her voice in the public squares.

²¹She calls at the head of noisy places. At the entrance of the city gates, she utters her words:

²²"How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity? How long will mockers delight themselves in mockery, and fools hate knowledge?

²³Turn at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you. I will make known my words to you.

²⁴Because I have called, and you have refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no one has paid attention;

²⁵but you have ignored all my counsel, and wanted none of my reproof;

²⁶I also will laugh at your disaster. I will mock when calamity overtakes you;

²⁷when calamity overtakes you like a storm, when your disaster comes on like a whirlwind; when distress and anguish come on you.

²⁸Then will they call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me;

²⁹because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord.

³⁰They wanted none of my counsel. They despised all my reproof.

³¹Therefore they will eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own schemes.

³²For the backsliding of the simple will kill them. The careless ease of fools will destroy them.

³³But whoever listens to me will dwell securely, and will be at ease, without fear of harm."