¹⁸ On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do this and you will live, for I fear God:^{(A) 19} If you are honest men,^(B) let one of your brothers stay here in prison,^(C) while the rest of you go and take grain back for your starving households.^{(D) 20} But you must bring your youngest brother to me,^(E) so that your words may be verified and that you may not die.” This they proceeded to do.

²¹ They said to one another, “Surely we are being punished because of our brother.^(F) We saw how distressed he was when he pleaded with us for his life, but we would not listen; that’s why this distress^(G) has come on us.”

²² Reuben replied, “Didn’t I tell you not to sin against the boy?^(H) But you wouldn’t listen! Now we must give an accounting^(I) for his blood.”^{(J) 23} They did not realize^(K) that Joseph could understand them,^(L) since he was using an interpreter.

²⁴ He turned away from them and began to weep,^(M) but then came back and spoke to them again. He had Simeon taken from them and bound before their eyes.^(N)

²⁵ Joseph gave orders to fill their bags with grain,^(O) to put each man’s silver back in his sack,^(P) and to give them provisions^(Q) for their journey.^(R) After this was done for them, ²⁶ they loaded their grain on their donkeys^(S) and left.

²⁷ At the place where they stopped for the night one of them opened his sack to get feed for his donkey,^(T) and he saw his silver in the mouth of his sack.^{(U) 28} “My silver has been returned,” he said to his brothers. “Here it is in my sack.”

Their hearts sank^(V) and they turned to each other trembling^(W) and said, “What is this that God has done to us?”^(X)

⁹ I wrote to you in my letter not to associate^(A) with sexually immoral people— ¹⁰ not at all meaning the people of this world^(B) who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. ¹¹ But now I am writing to you that you must not associate with anyone who claims to be a brother or sister^[a](C) but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater^(D) or slanderer, a drunkard or swindler. Do not even eat with such people.^(E)

¹² What business is it of mine to judge those outside^(F) the church? Are you not to judge those inside?^{(G) 13} God will judge those outside. “Expel the wicked person from among you.”^[b](H)

Lawsuits Among Believers

6 If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?^{(I) 2} Or do you not know that the Lord’s people will judge the world?^(J) And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? ³ Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! ⁴ Therefore, if you have disputes about such matters, do you ask for a ruling from those whose way of life is scorned in the church? ⁵ I say this to shame you.^(K) Is it possible that there is nobody among you wise enough to judge a dispute between believers?^{(L) 6} But instead, one brother^(M) takes another to court—and this in front of unbelievers!^(N)

⁷ The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?^{(O) 8} Instead, you yourselves cheat and do wrong, and you do this to your brothers and sisters.^(P)

The Parable of the Sower^(A)(B)

4 Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.^(C) The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ² He taught them many things by parables,^(D) and in his teaching said: ³ “Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.^{(E) 4} As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵ Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶ But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷ Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸ Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, some multiplying thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times.”^(F)

⁹ Then Jesus said, “Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”^(G)

¹⁰ When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹ He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God^(H) has been given to you. But to those on the outside^(I) everything is said in parables ¹² so that,

¹³ Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? ¹⁴ The farmer sows the word.^{(K) 15} Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan^(L) comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. ¹⁶ Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. ¹⁷ But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸ Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; ¹⁹ but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth^(M) and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²⁰ Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.”