Mark 4:1-20; 2 Samuel 9; 2 Samuel 10; Daniel 5

Mark 4:1-20

1 Again He began to teach by the sea, and a very large crowd gathered around Him. So He got into a boat on the sea and sat down, while the whole crowd was on the shore facing the sea.

2 He taught them many things in parables, and in His teaching He said to them:

3 "Listen! Consider the sower who went out to sow.

4 As he sowed, this occurred: Some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up.

5 Other seed fell on rocky ground where it didn't have much soil, and it sprang up right away, since it didn't have deep soil.

6 When the sun came up, it was scorched, and since it didn't have a root, it withered.

7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns came up and choked it, and it didn't produce a crop.

8 Still others fell on good ground and produced a crop that increased 30, 60, and 100 times [what was sown]."

9 Then He said, "Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!"

10 When He was alone with the Twelve, those who were around Him asked Him about the parables.

11 He answered them, "The secret does not mean "mystery" in the Eng sense; it means what we can know only by divine revelation. of the kingdom of God has been granted to you, but to those outside, everything comes in parables

12 so that they may look and look, yet not perceive; they may listen and listen, yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back- and be forgiven. "

13 Then He said to them: "Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand any of the parables?

14 The sower sows the word.

15 These are the ones along the path where the word is sown: when they hear, immediately Satan comes and takes away the word sown in them.

16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: when they hear the word, immediately they receive it with joy.

17 But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When affliction or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble.

18 Others are sown among thorns; these are the ones who hear the word,

19 but the worries of this age, the seduction of wealth, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

20 But the ones sown on good ground are those who hear the word, welcome it, and produce a crop: 30, 60, and 100 times [what was sown]."

2 Samuel 9

1 David asked, "Is there anyone remaining from Saul's family I can show kindness to because of Jonathan?"

2 There was a servant of Saul's family named Ziba. They summoned him to David, and the king said to him, "Are you Ziba?" "[I am] your servant," he replied.

3 So the king asked, "Is there anyone left of Saul's family I can show the kindness of God to?" Ziba said to the king, "There is still Jonathan's son who is lame in both feet."

4 The king asked him, "Where is he?" Ziba answered the king, "You'll find him in Lo-debar at the house of Machir son of Ammiel."

5 So King David had him brought from the house of Machir son of Ammiel in Lo-debar.

6 Mephibosheth son of Jonathan son of Saul came to David, bowed down to the ground and paid homage. David said, "Mephibosheth!" "I am your servant," he replied.

7 "Don't be afraid," David said to him, "since I intend to show you kindness because of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all your grandfather Saul's fields, and you will always eat meals at my table."

8 Mephibosheth bowed down and said, "What is your servant that you take an interest in a dead dog like me?"

9 Then the king summoned Saul's attendant Ziba and said to him, "I have given to your master's grandson all that belonged to Saul and his family.

10 You, your sons, and your servants are to work the ground for him, and you are to bring in [the crops] so your master's grandson will have food to eat. But Mephibosheth, your master's grandson, is always to eat at my table." Now Ziba had 15 sons and 20 servants.

11 Ziba said to the king, "Your servant will do all my lord the king commands." So Mephibosheth ate at David's table just like one of the king's sons.

12 Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Mica. All those living in Ziba's house were Mephibosheth's servants.

13 However, Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem because he always ate at the king's table. He was lame in both feet.

2 Samuel 10

1 Some time later the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun became king in his place.

2 Then David said, "I'll show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me." So David sent his emissaries to console Hanun concerning his father. However, when they arrived in the land of the Ammonites,

3 the Ammonite leaders said to Hanun their lord, "Just because David has sent men with condolences for you, do you really believe he's showing respect for your father? Instead, hasn't David sent his emissaries in order to scout out the city, spy on it, and overthrow it?"

4 So Hanun took David's emissaries, shaved off half their beards, cut their clothes in half at the hips, and sent them away.

5 When this was reported to David, he sent [someone] to meet them, since they were deeply humiliated. The king said, "Stay in Jericho until your beards grow back; then return."

6 When the Ammonites realized they had become repulsive to David, they hired 20,000 foot soldiers from the Arameans of Beth-rehob and Zobah, 1,000 men from the king of Maacah, and 12,000 men from Tob.

7 David heard about it and sent Joab and all the fighting men.

8 The Ammonites marched out and lined up in battle formation at the entrance to the city gate while the Arameans of Zobah and Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were in the field by themselves.

9 When Joab saw that there was a battle line in front of him and another behind him, he chose some men out of all the elite troops of Israel and lined up in battle formation to engage the Arameans.

10 He placed the rest of the forces under the command of his brother Abishai who lined up in battle formation to engage the Ammonites.

11 "If the Arameans are too strong for me," Joab said, "then you will be my help. However, if the Ammonites are too strong for you, I'll come to help you.

12 Be strong! We must prove ourselves strong for our people and for the cities of our God. May the Lord's will be done."

13 Joab and his troops advanced to fight against the Arameans, and they fled before him.

14 When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they too fled before Abishai and entered the city. So Joab withdrew from the attack against the Ammonites and went to Jerusalem.

15 When the Arameans saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they regrouped.

16 Hadadezer sent [messengers] to bring the Arameans who were across the Euphrates River, and they came to Helam with Shobach, commander of Hadadezer's army, leading them.

17 When this was reported to David, he gathered all Israel, crossed the Jordan, and went to Helam. Then the Arameans lined up in formation to engage David in battle and fought against him.

18 But the Arameans fled before Israel, and David killed 700 of their charioteers and 40,000 foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobach commander of their army, who died there.

19 When all the kings who were Hadadezer's subjects saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became their subjects. After this, the Arameans were afraid to ever help the Ammonites again.

Daniel 5

1 King Belshazzar held a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles and drank wine in their presence.

2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them.

3 So they brought in the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them.

4 They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 At that moment the fingers of a man's hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king's palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand that was writing,

6 his face turned pale, and his thoughts so terrified him that his hip joints shook and his knees knocked together.

7 The king called out to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. He said to these wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom."

8 So all the king's wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make known its interpretation to him.

9 Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale, and his nobles were bewildered.

10 Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen came to the banquet hall. "May the king live forever," she said. "Don't let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.

11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your predecessor he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the diviners, mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers. Your own predecessor, the king,

12 [did this] because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and perception, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems. Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation."

13 Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, "Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brought from Judah?

14 I've heard that you have the spirit of the gods in you, and that you have insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom.

15 Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation.

16 However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom."

17 Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him.

18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar.

19 Because of the greatness He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted.

20 But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him.

21 He was driven away from people, his mind was like an animal's, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until he acknowledged that the Most High God is ruler over the kingdom of men and sets anyone He wants over it.

22 "But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this.

23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life.

24 Therefore, He sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed.

25 "This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

26 This is the interpretation of the message: MENE [means that] God has numbered [the days of] your kingdom and brought it to an end.

27 TEKEL [means that] you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient.

28 PERES [means that] your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians."

29 Then Belshazzar gave an order, and they clothed Daniel in purple, [placed] a gold chain around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed,

31 and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of 62.