Romans 6:5-11

[5]For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. [6]We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. [7]For whoever has died is freed from sin. [8]But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. [9]We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. [10]The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. [11]So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 130

[1] Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD.
[2] Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my supplications!

[3] If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
[4] But there is forgiveness with you,
so that you may be revered.

[5] I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
[6] my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning.

[7] O Israel, hope in the LORD!
For with the LORD there is steadfast love,
and with him is great power to redeem.
[8] It is he who will redeem Israel
from all its iniquities.

Psalm 36

[1]   Transgression speaks to the wicked  

          deep in their hearts;  

     there is no fear of God  

          before their eyes.  

[2]   For they flatter themselves in their own eyes  

          that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.  

[3]   The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit;  

          they have ceased to act wisely and do good.  

[4]   They plot mischief while on their beds;  

          they are set on a way that is not good;  

          they do not reject evil.

[5]   Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,  

          your faithfulness to the clouds.  

[6]   Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,  

          your judgments are like the great deep;  

          you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.

[7]   How precious is your steadfast love, O God!  

          All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.  

[8]   They feast on the abundance of your house,  

          and you give them drink from the river of your delights.  

[9]   For with you is the fountain of life;  

          in your light we see light.

[10]  O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,  

          and your salvation to the upright of heart!  

[11]  Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me,  

          or the hand of the wicked drive me away.  

[12]  There the evildoers lie prostrate;  

          they are thrust down, unable to rise.

Matthew 20:1-16

[1]"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. [2]After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. [3]When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; [4]and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. [5]When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. [6]And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?' [7]They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' [8]When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' [9]When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. [10]Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. [11]And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, [12]saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' [13]But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? [14]Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. [15]Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' [16]So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Psalm 123

[1]   To you I lift up my eyes,  

          O you who are enthroned in the heavens!  

[2]   As the eyes of servants  

          look to the hand of their master,  

     as the eyes of a maid  

          to the hand of her mistress,  

     so our eyes look to the LORD our God,  

          until he has mercy upon us.

[3]   Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us,  

          for we have had more than enough of contempt.  

[4]   Our soul has had more than its fill  

          of the scorn of those who are at ease,  

          of the contempt of the proud.

Psalm 122

[1] I was glad when they said to me,
"Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
[2] Our feet are standing
within your gates, O Jerusalem.

[3] Jerusalem -- built as a city
that is bound firmly together.
[4] To it the tribes go up,
the tribes of the LORD,
as was decreed for Israel,
to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
[5] For there the thrones for judgment were set up,
the thrones of the house of David.

[6] Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May they prosper who love you.
[7] Peace be within your walls,
and security within your towers."
[8] For the sake of my relatives and friends
I will say, "Peace be within you."
[9] For the sake of the house of the LORD our God,
I will seek your good.

Psalm 143

[1]   Hear my prayer, O LORD;  

          give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness;  

          answer me in your righteousness.  

[2]   Do not enter into judgment with your servant,  

          for no one living is righteous before you.

[3]   For the enemy has pursued me,  

          crushing my life to the ground,  

          making me sit in darkness like those long dead.  

[4]   Therefore my spirit faints within me;  

          my heart within me is appalled.

[5]   I remember the days of old,  

          I think about all your deeds,  

          I meditate on the works of your hands.  

[6]   I stretch out my hands to you;  

          my soul thirsts for you like a parched land                    Selah

[7]   Answer me quickly, O LORD;  

          my spirit fails.   

     Do not hide your face from me,  

          or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.  

[8]   Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,  

          for in you I put my trust.  

     Teach me the way I should go,  

          for to you I lift up my soul.

[9]   Save me, O LORD, from my enemies;  

          I have fled to you for refuge.  

[10]  Teach me to do your will,  

          for you are my God.  

     Let your good spirit lead me  

          on a level path.

[11]  For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life.  

          In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.  

[12]  In your steadfast love cut off my enemies,  

          and destroy all my adversaries,  

          for I am your servant.

Psalm 57

[1] Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me,
for in you my soul takes refuge;
in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge,
until the destroying storms pass by.
[2] I cry to God Most High,
to God who fulfills his purpose for me.
[3] He will send from heaven and save me,
he will put to shame those who trample on me. Selah
God will send forth his steadfast love and his faithfulness.

[4] I lie down among lions
that greedily devour human prey;
their teeth are spears and arrows,
their tongues sharp swords.

[5] Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.

[6] They set a net for my steps;
my soul was bowed down.
They dug a pit in my path,
but they have fallen into it themselves.
Selah
[7] My heart is steadfast, O God,
my heart is steadfast.
I will sing and make melody.
[8] Awake, my soul!
Awake, O harp and lyre!
I will awake the dawn.
[9] I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the peoples;
I will sing praises to you among the nations.
[10] For your steadfast love is as high as the heavens;
your faithfulness extends to the clouds.

[11] Be exalted, O God, above the heavens.
Let your glory be over all the earth.

Matthew 13:31-35

[31] He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a
mustard seed that someone took and sowed in his field; [32] it is the smallest
of all the seeds, but when it has grown it is the greatest of shrubs and
becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its
branches.” 

[33]   He told them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that
a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was
leavened.” 

[34]   Jesus told the crowds all these things in parables; without a parable
he told them nothing. [35] This was to fulfill what had been spoken through
the prophet: “I will open my mouth to speak in parables; I will proclaim what
has been hidden from the foundation of the world.”