John 7:1-44
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Unbelief of Jesus’s Brothers
7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He did not wish to go about in Judea because the Jews were looking for an opportunity to kill him.(A) 2 Now the Jewish Festival of Booths[a] was near.(B) 3 So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea so that your disciples also may see the works you are doing,(C) 4 for no one who wants[b] to be widely known acts in secret. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 (For not even his brothers believed in him.)(D) 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here.(E) 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify against it that its works are evil.(F) 8 Go to the festival yourselves. I am not[c] going to this festival, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee.
Jesus at the Festival of Booths
10 But after his brothers had gone to the festival, then he also went, not publicly but, as it were,[d] in secret. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the festival and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was considerable complaining about him among the crowds. While some were saying, “He is a good man,” others were saying, “No, he is deceiving the crowd.”(G) 13 Yet no one would speak openly about him for fear of the Jews.(H)
14 About the middle of the festival Jesus went up into the temple and began to teach. 15 The Jews were astonished at it, saying, “How does this man have such learning, when he has never been taught?”(I) 16 Then Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine but his who sent me.(J) 17 Anyone who resolves to do the will of God will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own.(K) 18 Those who speak on their own seek their own glory, but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and there is nothing unjust in him.(L)
19 “Did not Moses give you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why are you looking for an opportunity to kill me?”(M) 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is trying to kill you?”(N) 21 Jesus answered them, “I performed one work, and all of you are astonished. 22 Because of this Moses gave you circumcision (it is, of course, not from Moses but from the patriarchs), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.(O) 23 If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath in order that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because I healed a man’s whole body on the Sabbath?(P) 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”(Q)
Is This the Christ?
25 Now some of the people of Jerusalem were saying, “Is not this the man whom they are trying to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, but they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Messiah?[e] 27 Yet we know where this man is from, but when the Messiah[f] comes no one will know where he is from.”(R) 28 Then Jesus cried out as he was teaching in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I am from. I have not come on my own. But the one who sent me is true, and you do not know him.(S) 29 I know him because I am from him, and he sent me.”(T) 30 Then they tried to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him because his hour had not yet come.(U) 31 Yet many in the crowd believed in him and were saying, “When the Messiah[g] comes, will he do more signs than this man has done?”[h](V)
Officers Are Sent to Arrest Jesus
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering such things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent temple police to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little while longer, and then I am going to him who sent me.(W) 34 You will search for me, but you will not find me, and where I am, you cannot come.”(X) 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks?(Y) 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will search for me, but you will not find me’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
Rivers of Living Water
37 On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me,(Z) 38 and let the one who believes in me drink. As[i] the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart[j] shall flow rivers of living water.’ ”(AA) 39 Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit[k] because Jesus was not yet glorified.(AB)
Division among the People
40 When they heard these words, some in the crowd said, “This is really the prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Messiah.”[l] But some asked, “Surely the Messiah[m] does not come from Galilee, does he?(AC) 42 Has not the scripture said that the Messiah[n] is descended from David and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David lived?”(AD) 43 So there was a division in the crowd because of him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him.
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- 7.2 Or Tabernacles
- 7.4 Other ancient authorities read wants it
- 7.8 Other ancient authorities add yet
- 7.10 Other ancient authorities lack as it were
- 7.26 Or the Christ
- 7.27 Or the Christ
- 7.31 Or the Christ
- 7.31 Other ancient authorities read is doing
- 7.38 Or come to me and drink.
The one who believes in me, as - 7.38 Gk out of his belly
- 7.39 Other ancient authorities read for as yet the Spirit (others, Holy Spirit) had not been given
- 7.41 Or the Christ
- 7.41 Or the Christ
- 7.42 Or the Christ
Isaiah 49:1-7
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Servant’s Mission
49 Listen to me, O coastlands;
pay attention, you peoples from far away!
The Lord called me before I was born;
while I was in my mother’s womb he named me.(A)
2 He made my mouth like a sharp sword;
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me a polished arrow;
in his quiver he hid me away.(B)
3 And he said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will be glorified.”(C)
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing and vanity;
yet surely my cause is with the Lord
and my reward with my God.”(D)
5 And now the Lord says,
who formed me in the womb to be his servant,
to bring Jacob back to him,
and that Israel might be gathered to him,
for I am honored in the sight of the Lord,
and my God has become my strength—(E)
6 he says,
“It is too light a thing that you should be my servant
to raise up the tribes of Jacob
and to restore the survivors of Israel;
I will give you as a light to the nations,
that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”(F)
7 Thus says the Lord,
the Redeemer of Israel and his Holy One,
to one deeply despised, abhorred by the nations,
the slave of rulers,
“Kings shall see and stand up;
princes, and they shall prostrate themselves,
because of the Lord, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”(G)
Psalm 71:1-14
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 71
Prayer for Lifelong Protection and Help
1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge;
let me never be put to shame.(A)
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me;
incline your ear to me and save me.(B)
3 Be to me a rock of refuge,
a strong fortress[a] to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.(C)
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.(D)
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope,
my trust, O Lord, from my youth.(E)
6 From my birth I have leaned upon you,
my protector since my mother’s womb.[b]
My praise is continually of you.(F)
7 I have been like a portent to many,
but you are my strong refuge.(G)
8 My mouth is filled with your praise
and with your glory all day long.(H)
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age;
do not forsake me when my strength is spent.(I)
10 For my enemies speak concerning me,
and those who watch for my life consult together.(J)
11 They say, “Pursue and seize that person
whom God has forsaken,
for there is no one to deliver.”(K)
12 O God, do not be far from me;
O my God, make haste to help me!(L)
13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed;
let those who seek to hurt me
be covered with scorn and disgrace.(M)
14 But I will hope continually
and will praise you yet more and more.
1 Corinthians 1:18-31
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.(A) 19 For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scholar? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?(B) 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of the proclamation, to save those who believe.(C) 22 For Jews ask for signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to gentiles,(D) 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.
26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards,[a] not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth.(E) 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong;(F) 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to abolish things that are, 29 so that no one[b] might boast in the presence of God.(G) 30 In contrast, God is why you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,(H) 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in[c] the Lord.”(I)
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John 12:20-36
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Some Greeks Wish to See Jesus
20 Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks.(A) 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 22 Philip went and told Andrew, then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. 23 Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.(B) 24 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain, but if it dies it bears much fruit. 25 Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.(C) 26 Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.(D)
Jesus Speaks about His Death
27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say: ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour.(E) 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”(F) 29 The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” 30 Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out.(G) 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people[a] to myself.”(H) 33 He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die. 34 The crowd answered him, “We have heard from the law that the Messiah[b] remains forever. How can you say that the Son of Man must be lifted up? Who is this Son of Man?”(I) 35 Jesus said to them, “The light is in you[c] for a little longer. Walk while you have the light, so that the darkness may not overtake you. If you walk in the darkness, you do not know where you are going. 36 While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.”
The Unbelief of the People
After Jesus had said this, he departed and hid from them.(J)
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Psalm 123
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 124
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 124
Thanksgiving for Israel’s Deliverance
A Song of Ascents. Of David.
1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side
—let Israel now say—(A)
2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side,
when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive,
when their anger was kindled against us;(B)
4 then the flood would have swept us away;
the torrent would have gone over us;(C)
5 then over us would have gone
the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth.(D)
7 We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the hunters;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.(E)
8 Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.(F)
Psalm 125
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 125
The Security of God’s People
A Song of Ascents.
1 Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved but abides forever.(A)
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people
from this time on and forevermore.(B)
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch out
their hands to do wrong.(C)
4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good
and to those who are upright in their hearts.(D)
5 But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways,
the Lord will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel!(E)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.