Reading: Genesis 33, Mark 4

¹ And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.² And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost.³ And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother.⁴ And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.⁵ And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.⁶ Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.⁷ And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves.⁸ And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord.⁹ And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself.¹⁰ And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.¹¹ Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.¹² And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.¹³ And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.¹⁴ Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.¹⁵ And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord.¹⁶ So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.¹⁷ And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth.¹⁸ And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.¹⁹ And he bought a parcel of a field, where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for an hundred pieces of money.²⁰ And he erected there an altar, and called it Elelohe-Israel.

¹ And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.² And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine,³ Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:⁴ And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.⁵ And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:⁶ But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.⁸ And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.⁹ And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.¹⁰ And when he was alone, they that were about him with the twelve asked of him the parable.¹¹ And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:¹² That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and their sins should be forgiven them.¹³ And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables?¹⁴ The sower soweth the word.¹⁵ And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.¹⁶ And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;¹⁷ And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.¹⁸ And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,¹⁹ And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.²⁰ And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.²¹ And he said unto them, Is a candle brought to be put under a bushel, or under a bed? and not to be set on a candlestick?²² For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad.²³ If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.²⁴ And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.²⁵ For he that hath, to him shall be given: and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath.²⁶ And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground;²⁷ And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how.²⁸ For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.²⁹ But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come.³⁰ And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it?³¹ It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth:³² But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it.³³ And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.³⁴ But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.³⁵ And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.³⁶ And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.³⁷ And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.³⁸ And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?³⁹ And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.⁴⁰ And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?⁴¹ And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?