Psalm 128

New International Version

Psalm 128

A song of ascents.

¹Blessed are all who fear the Lord,^(A)
    who walk in obedience to him.^(B)
²You will eat the fruit of your labor;^(C)
    blessings and prosperity^(D) will be yours.
³Your wife will be like a fruitful vine^(E)
    within your house;
your children^(F) will be like olive shoots^(G)
    around your table.
⁴Yes, this will be the blessing^(H)
    for the man who fears the Lord.^(I)

⁵May the Lord bless you from Zion;^(J)
    may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem^(K)
    all the days of your life.
⁶May you live to see your children’s children—^(L)
    peace be on Israel.^(M)

Ecclesiastes 5

New International Version

Fulfill Your Vow to God

5 ^[a]Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong.

²Do not be quick with your mouth,
    do not be hasty in your heart
    to utter anything before God.^(A)
God is in heaven
    and you are on earth,
    so let your words be few.^(B)
³A dream^(C) comes when there are many cares,
    and many words mark the speech of a fool.^(D)

⁴When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it.^(E) He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow.^(F) ⁵It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.^(G) ⁶Do not let your mouth lead you into sin. And do not protest to the temple messenger, “My vow was a mistake.” Why should God be angry at what you say and destroy the work of your hands? ⁷Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore fear God.^(H)

Riches Are Meaningless

⁸If you see the poor oppressed^(I) in a district, and justice and rights denied, do not be surprised at such things; for one official is eyed by a higher one, and over them both are others higher still. ⁹The increase from the land is taken by all; the king himself profits from the fields.

¹⁰Whoever loves money never has enough;
whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.
This too is meaningless.

¹¹As goods increase,
so do those who consume them.
And what benefit are they to the owners
except to feast their eyes on them?

¹²The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether they eat little or much,
but as for the rich, their abundance
permits them no sleep.^(J)

¹³I have seen a grievous evil under the sun:^(K)

wealth hoarded to the harm of its owners,
¹⁴    or wealth lost through some misfortune,
so that when they have children
    there is nothing left for them to inherit.
¹⁵Everyone comes naked from their mother’s womb,
    and as everyone comes, so they depart.^(L)
They take nothing from their toil^(M)
    that they can carry in their hands.^(N)

¹⁶This too is a grievous evil:

As everyone comes, so they depart,
    and what do they gain,
    since they toil for the wind?^(O)
¹⁷All their days they eat in darkness,
    with great frustration, affliction and anger.

¹⁸This is what I have observed to be good: that it is appropriate for a person to eat, to drink^(P) and to find satisfaction in their toilsome labor^(Q) under the sun during the few days of life God has given them—for this is their lot. ¹⁹Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions,^(R) and the ability to enjoy them,^(S) to accept their lot^(T) and be happy in their toil—this is a gift of God.^(U) ²⁰They seldom reflect on the days of their life, because God keeps them occupied with gladness of heart.^(V)

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Footnotes

Ecclesiastes 5:1 In Hebrew texts 5:1 is numbered 4:17, and 5:2-20 is numbered 5:1-19.

John 8:21-38

New International Version

Dispute Over Who Jesus Is

²¹Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die^(A) in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”^(B)

²²This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”

²³But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.^(C) ²⁴I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he,^(D) you will indeed die in your sins.”

²⁵“Who are you?” they asked.

“Just what I have been telling you from the beginning,” Jesus replied. ²⁶“I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy,^(E) and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”^(F)

²⁷They did not understand that he was telling them about his Father. ²⁸So Jesus said, “When you have lifted up^[a] the Son of Man,^(G) then you will know that I am he and that I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me.^(H) ²⁹The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone,^(I) for I always do what pleases him.”^(J) ³⁰Even as he spoke, many believed in him.^(K)

Dispute Over Whose Children Jesus’ Opponents Are

³¹To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching,^(L) you are really my disciples. ³²Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”^(M)

³³They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants^(N) and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”

³⁴Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.^(O) ³⁵Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.^(P) ³⁶So if the Son sets you free,^(Q) you will be free indeed. ³⁷I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,^(R) because you have no room for my word. ³⁸I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,^(S) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^[b]”^(T)