1.31.2014

Today's Bible story

January 31, 2014

We hope that today is a good day.

◇Daily Readings January 31, 2014
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/013114.cfm

◇January 31, 2014 Daily Mass Reading
http://ccc.usccb.org/cccradio/NABPodcasts/14_01_31.mp3

The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)
http://www.usccb.org/bible/books-of-the-bible/index.cfm

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◇The World English Bible
http://ebible.org/web/

Gospel Mark 4:26-34

26 He said, "God's Kingdom is as if a man should cast seed on the earth,

27 and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he doesn't know how.

28 For the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.

29 But when the fruit is ripe, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."

30 He said, "How will we liken God's Kingdom? Or with what parable will we illustrate it?

31 It's like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, though it is less than all the seeds that are on the earth,

32 yet when it is sown, grows up, and becomes greater than all the herbs, and puts out great branches, so that the birds of the sky can lodge under its shadow."

33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it.

34 Without a parable he didn't speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.

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2 Samuel 11:1-4a, 4c-10a 13-17

1 At the return of the year, at the time when kings go out, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

2 At evening, David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. From the roof, he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to look at.

3 David sent and enquired after the woman. One said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, Uriah the Hittite's wife?"

4ac David sent messengers, and took her;

and she returned to her house.

5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am with child."

6 David sent to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." Joab sent Uriah to David.

7 When Uriah had come to him, David asked him how Joab did, and how the people fared, and how the war prospered.

8 David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." Uriah departed out of the king's house, and a gift from the king was sent after him.

9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and didn't go down to his house.

10a When they had told David, saying, "Uriah didn't go down to his house,"

13 When David had called him, he ate and drink before him; and he made him drunk. At evening, he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but didn't go down to his house.

14 In the morning, David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

15 He wrote in the letter, saying, "Send Uriah to the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck, and die."

16 When Joab kept watch on the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew that valiant men were.

17 The men of the city went out, and fought with Joab. Some of the people fell, even of David's servants; and Uriah the Hittite died also.

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◇King James Version Bible Online
http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/book.php?book=Mark&chapter=4&verse=

◇Zondervan King James Audio Bible
http://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dramatized/kjv/Mark.4

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◇Douay-Rheims Bible
http://www.drbo.org/

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