January 28, 2026

4But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan: 5Go and tell David my servant, Thus says the LORD: Is it you who would build me a house to dwell in? 6I have never dwelt in a house from the day I brought Israel up from Egypt to this day, but I have been going about in a tent or a tabernacle. 7As long as I have wandered about among the Israelites, did I ever say a word to any of the judges whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel: Why have you not built me a house of cedar? 8Now then, speak thus to my servant David, Thus says the LORD of hosts: I took you from the pasture, from following the flock, to become ruler over my people Israel. 9I was with you wherever you went, and I cut down all your enemies before you. And I will make your name like that of the greatest on earth. 10I will assign a place for my people Israel and I will plant them in it to dwell there; they will never again be disturbed, nor shall the wicked ever again oppress them, as they did at the beginning, 11and from the day when I appointed judges over my people Israel. I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the LORD also declares to you that the LORD will make a house for you: 12when your days have been completed and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, sprung from your loins, and I will establish his kingdom. 13He it is who shall build a house for my name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. 14I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. If he does wrong, I will reprove him with a human rod and with human punishments; 15but I will not withdraw my favor from him as I withdrew it from Saul who was before you. 16Your house and your kingdom are firm forever before me; your throne shall be firmly established forever. 17In accordance with all these words and this whole vision Nathan spoke to David.

4I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: 5I will make your dynasty stand forever and establish your throne through all ages.” Selah 27He shall cry to me, ‘You are my father, my God, the Rock of my salvation!’ 28I myself make him the firstborn, Most High over the kings of the earth. 29Forever I will maintain my mercy for him; my covenant with him stands firm. 30I will establish his dynasty forever, his throne as the days of the heavens.

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1On another occasion he began to teach by the sea. A very large crowd gathered around him so that he got into a boat on the sea and sat down. And the whole crowd was beside the sea on land. 2And he taught them at length in parables, and in the course of his instruction he said to them, 3“Hear this! A sower went out to sow. 4And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Other seed fell on rocky ground where it had little soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. 6And when the sun rose, it was scorched and it withered for lack of roots. 7Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it and it produced no grain. 8And some seed fell on rich soil and produced fruit. It came up and grew and yielded thirty, sixty, and a hundredfold.” 9He added, “Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear.” 10The Purpose of the Parables. And when he was alone, those present along with the Twelve questioned him about the parables. 11He answered them, “The mystery of the kingdom of God has been granted to you. But to those outside everything comes in parables, 12so that ‘they may look and see but not perceive, and hear and listen but not understand, in order that they may not be converted and be forgiven.’” 13Jesus said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? Then how will you understand any of the parables? 14The sower sows the word. 15These are the ones on the path where the word is sown. As soon as they hear, Satan comes at once and takes away the word sown in them. 16And these are the ones sown on rocky ground who, when they hear the word, receive it at once with joy. 17But they have no root; they last only for a time. Then when tribulation or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 18Those sown among thorns are another sort. They are the people who hear the word, 19but worldly anxiety, the lure of riches, and the craving for other things intrude and choke the word, and it bears no fruit. 20But those sown on rich soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit thirty and sixty and a hundredfold.”