Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and language groups who were living in all the land: “Peace and prosperity!

O LORD, we have been humiliated – our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors – because we have sinned against you.

The businessmen love to cheat; they use dishonest scales.

When Ephraim spoke, there was terror; he was exalted in Israel, but he became guilty by worshiping Baal and died.

They charge like warriors; they scale walls like soldiers. Each one proceeds on his course; they do not alter their path.

In all the vineyards there will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst,” says the Lord.

Don’t spread the news in Gath! Don’t shed even a single tear! In Beth Leaphrah sit in the dust!

I will remove the sorcery that you practice, and you will no longer have omen readers living among you.

You too will act like drunkards; you will go into hiding; you too will seek refuge from the enemy.

You are bound for judgment because you are robbing me – this whole nation is guilty.

The herdsmen ran off, went into the town, and told everything that had happened to the demon-possessed men.

How much more valuable is a person than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.”

Although Herod wanted to kill John, he feared the crowd because they accepted John as a prophet.

Meanwhile the boat, already far from land, was taking a beating from the waves because the wind was against it.

Leave them! They are blind guides. If someone who is blind leads another who is blind, both will fall into a pit.”

If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.

But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.

In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law and elders – were mocking him:

After they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and anchored there.