Day 9 of 365

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.

²Then he taught them many things in parables, and told them in his teaching,

³"Listen! Behold, the farmer went out to sow,

⁴and it happened, as 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.

⁶But when 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 brought forth 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.

¹¹And he said to them, "To you has been given the mystery of the Kingdom of God, 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 return and be forgiven.'"

¹³And he said to them, "Do you not 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 word which has been sown in them.

¹⁶These are those who 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.

¹⁸And others are those who are sown among the thorns; these are the ones who have heard the word,

¹⁹but the cares of the age, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

²⁰But those which were sown on the good ground are those who hear the word, and accept it, and bear fruit, some thirty times, some sixty times, and some one hundred times."

²¹And he said to them, "Is the lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is not it put on a stand?

²²For there is nothing hidden, except that it should be made known; neither was anything made secret, but that it should come to light.

²³If any man has ears to hear, let him hear."

²⁴And he said to them, "Take heed what you hear. With whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you, and more will be given to you.

²⁵For whoever has, more will be given, and he who does not have, even that which he has will be taken away from him."

²⁶And he said, "The Kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

²⁷and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he does not know how.

²⁸For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

²⁹But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts forth the sickle, because the harvest has come."

³⁰And he said, "To what will we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what parable will we use for it?

³¹It's like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

³²yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow."

³³With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

³⁴Without a parable he did not speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

³⁵On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go over to the other side."

³⁶Leaving the multitude, they took him with them, even as he was, in the boat. Other boats were also with him.

³⁷A big wind storm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so much that the boat was already filled.

³⁸He himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion, and they woke him up, and told him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are dying?"

³⁹And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" The wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

⁴⁰And he said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

⁴¹And they were greatly afraid, and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

¹They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes.

²When he had come out of the boat, immediately a man with an unclean spirit met him out of the tombs.

³He lived in the tombs. And no one could bind him any more, not even with chains,

⁴because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him, and the fetters broken in pieces. No one had the strength to tame him.

⁵Always, night and day, in the tombs and in the mountains, he was crying out, and cutting himself with stones.

⁶When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and bowed down to him,

⁷and crying out with a loud voice, he said, "What have I to do with you, Jesus, you Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me."

⁸For he said to him, "Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!"

⁹Then he asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

¹⁰And he begged him much that he would not send them away out of the region.

¹¹Now on the mountainside there was a great herd of pigs feeding.

¹²They begged him, saying, "Send us into the pigs, that we may enter into them."

¹³He gave them permission. The unclean spirits came out and entered into the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea, and they were drowned in the sea.

¹⁴Those who fed them fled, and told it in the city and in the country. The people came out to see what it was that had happened.

¹⁵They came to Jesus, and saw him who had been possessed by demons sitting, clothed, and in his right mind, even him who had the legion; and they were afraid.

¹⁶And those who saw it declared to them how it happened to him who was possessed by demons, and about the pigs.

¹⁷Then they began to beg him to depart from their region.

¹⁸As he was entering into the boat, he who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him.

¹⁹And he did not allow him, but said to him, "Go to your house, to your own, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how he had mercy on you."

²⁰So he went his way, and began to proclaim in Decapolis how Jesus had done great things for him, and everyone marveled.

²¹And when Jesus had crossed back over in the boat to the other side, a great multitude was gathered to him; and he was by the sea.

²²One of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, came; and seeing him, he fell at his feet,

²³and begged him much, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Please come and lay your hands on her, that she may be made healthy, and live."

²⁴And he went with him, and a great multitude followed him, and they pressed upon him on all sides.

²⁵Now a woman, who had an issue of blood for twelve years,

²⁶and had suffered many things by many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better, but rather grew worse,

²⁷having heard the things concerning Jesus, came up behind him in the crowd, and touched his clothes.

²⁸For she said, "If I just touch his clothes, I will be made well."

²⁹And immediately the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her affliction.

³⁰And immediately Jesus, perceiving in himself that the power had gone out from him, turned around in the crowd, and asked, "Who touched my clothes?"

³¹And his disciples said to him, "You see the multitude pressing against you, and you say, 'Who touched me?'"

³²He looked around to see her who had done this thing.

³³But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done to her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

³⁴And he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be cured of your disease."

³⁵While he was still speaking, people came from the synagogue ruler's house saying, "Your daughter is dead. Why bother the Teacher any more?"

³⁶But Jesus, overhearing the message spoken, said to the ruler of the synagogue, "Do not be afraid, only believe."

³⁷He allowed no one to follow him, except Peter, Jacob, and John the brother of Jacob.

³⁸And they came to the synagogue ruler's house, and he saw an uproar, weeping, and great wailing.

³⁹When he had entered in, he said to them, "Why do you make an uproar and weep? The child is not dead, but is asleep.

⁴⁰And they ridiculed him. But he, having put them all out, took the father of the child, her mother, and those who were with him, and went in where the child was.

⁴¹Taking the child by the hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum!" which means, being interpreted, "Girl, I tell you, get up!"

⁴²And immediately the girl rose up and walked, for she was twelve years old. They were amazed with great amazement.

⁴³And he strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and commanded that something should be given to her to eat.

¹And he went out from there and came into his own country, and his disciples followed him.

²When the Sabbath had come, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many hearing him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things?" and, "What is the wisdom that is given to this man, that such mighty works come about by his hands?

³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of Jacob, Joses, Judas, and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?" They were offended at him.

⁴Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relatives, and in his own house."

⁵And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people, and healed them.

⁶And He marveled because of their unbelief. And he went around the villages teaching.

⁷And he called to himself the twelve, and began to send them out two by two; and he gave them authority over the unclean spirits.

⁸And he commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, except a staff only: no bread, no wallet, no money in their purse,

⁹but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics.

¹⁰And he said to them, "Wherever you enter into a house, stay there until you depart from there.

¹¹Whoever will not receive you nor hear you, as you depart from there, shake off the dust that is under your feet for a testimony against them."

¹²So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent.

¹³They cast out many demons, and anointed many with oil who were sick, and healed them.

¹⁴King Herod heard this, for his name had become known, and he said, "John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."

¹⁵But others said, "He is Elijah." Others said, "He is a prophet, like one of the prophets."

¹⁶But Herod, when he heard this, said, "This is John, whom I beheaded. He has risen."

¹⁷For Herod himself had sent out and arrested John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, for he had married her.

¹⁸For John said to Herod, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."

¹⁹So Herodias set herself against him, and desired to kill him, but she could not,

²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he was very perplexed, but he heard him gladly.

²¹And then a convenient day came, that Herod on his birthday gave a supper for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee.

²²And when the daughter of Herodias herself came in and danced, she pleased Herod and those sitting with him. The king said to the young lady, "Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you."

²³And he swore to her, "Whatever you shall ask of me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom."

²⁴So she went out, and said to her mother, "What shall I ask?" And she said, "The head of John the Baptist."

²⁵And she came in immediately with haste to the king, and asked, "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."

²⁶And the king was exceedingly sorry, but for the sake of his oaths, and of his dinner guests, he did not wish to refuse her.

²⁷So immediately the king sent out a soldier of his guard, and commanded to bring John's head, and he went and beheaded him in the prison,

²⁸and brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the young lady; and the young lady gave it to her mother.

²⁹And when his disciples heard this, they came and took up his corpse, and placed it in a tomb.

³⁰Then the apostles gathered themselves together to Jesus, and they told him all things, whatever they had done, and whatever they had taught.

³¹And he said to them, "Come away by yourselves to an isolated place, and rest awhile." For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

³²So they went away in the boat to an isolated place by themselves.

³³But they saw them going, and many recognized him and ran there on foot from all the cities and they arrived before them.

³⁴And he came out, saw a great multitude, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things.

³⁵And when it was late in the day, his disciples came to him, and said, "This place is desolate, and it is late in the day.

³⁶Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages, and buy themselves something to eat."

³⁷But he answered them, "You give them something to eat." They asked him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread, and give them something to eat?"

³⁸He said to them, "How many loaves do you have? Go see." When they knew, they said, "Five, and two fish."

³⁹He commanded them that everyone should sit down in groups on the green grass.

⁴⁰They sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.

⁴¹He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, he blessed and broke the loaves, and he gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fish among them all.

⁴²They all ate, and were filled.

⁴³They took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and also of the fish.

⁴⁴Those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

⁴⁵And immediately he made his disciples get into the boat, and to go ahead to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he himself sent the multitude away.

⁴⁶After he had taken leave of them, he went up the mountain to pray.

⁴⁷When evening had come, the boat was in the midst of the sea, and he was alone on the land.

⁴⁸He saw them distressed in rowing, for the wind was against them, about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea, and he would have passed by them,

⁴⁹but they, when they saw him walking on the sea, supposed that it was a ghost, and began to scream;

⁵⁰for they all saw him, and were troubled. But he immediately spoke with them, and said to them, "Cheer up! It is I! Do not be afraid."

⁵¹He got into the boat with them; and the wind ceased, and they were very amazed among themselves;

⁵²for they had not understood about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

⁵³When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret, and moored to the shore.

⁵⁴When they had come out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him,

⁵⁵and ran around that whole region, and began to bring those who were sick, on their mats, to where they heard he was.

⁵⁶Wherever he entered, into villages, or into cities, or into the country, they placed the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that they might touch just the fringe of his garment; and as many as touched him were made well.

¹ALEPH I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart. I will tell of all your marvelous works.

²I will be glad and rejoice in you. I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.

³When my enemies turn back, they stumble and perish in your presence.

⁴For you have maintained my just cause. You sit on the throne judging righteously.

⁵You have rebuked the nations. You have destroyed the wicked. You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

⁶The enemy is overtaken by endless ruin. The very memory of the cities which you have overthrown has perished.

⁷But the Lord reigns forever. He has prepared his throne for judgment.

⁸He will judge the world in righteousness. He will administer judgment to the peoples in uprightness.

⁹The Lord will also be a high tower for the oppressed; a high tower in times of trouble.

¹⁰Those who know your name will put their trust in you, for you, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you.

¹¹Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion, and declare among the people what he has done.

¹²For he who avenges blood remembers them. He doesn't forget the cry of the afflicted.

¹³Have mercy on me, Lord. See my affliction by those who hate me, and lift me up from the gates of death;

¹⁴that I may show forth all your praise. In the gates of the daughter of Zion, I will rejoice in your salvation.

¹⁵The nations have sunk down in the pit that they made. In the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.

¹⁶The Lord has made himself known. He has executed judgment. The wicked is snared by the work of his own hands. Meditation. Selah.

¹⁷The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God.

¹⁸For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.

¹⁹Arise, Lord! Do not let man prevail. Let the nations be judged in your sight.

²⁰Put them in fear, Lord. Let the nations know that they are only men. Selah.

¹Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.

²She has prepared her meat. She has mixed her wine. She has also set her table.

³She has sent out her maidens. She cries from the highest places of the city:

⁴"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!" As for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

⁵"Come, eat some of my bread, Drink some of the wine which I have mixed!

⁶Leave your simple ways, and live. Walk in the way of understanding."

⁷He who corrects a mocker invites insult. He who reproves a wicked man invites abuse.

⁸Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you. Reprove a wise man, and he will love you.

⁹Instruct a wise man, and he will be still wiser. Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.

¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied. The years of your life will be increased.

¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself. If you mock, you alone will bear it.

¹³The foolish woman is loud, Undisciplined, and knows nothing.

¹⁴She sits at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city,

¹⁵To call to those who pass by, who go straight on their ways,

¹⁶"Whoever is simple, let him turn in here." as for him who is void of understanding, she says to him,

¹⁷"Stolen water is sweet. Food eaten in secret is pleasant."

¹⁸But he doesn't know that the dead are there, that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.