Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

²³ The steps of a good man are led by the Lord. And He is happy in his way. ²⁴ When he falls, he will not be thrown down, because the Lord holds his hand. ²⁵ I have been young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the man who is right with God left alone, or his children begging for bread. ²⁶ All day long he is kind and lets others use what he has. And his children make him happy.

²⁷ Turn from sin, and do good, so you will live forever. ²⁸ For the Lord loves what is fair and right. He does not leave the people alone who belong to Him. They are kept forever. But the children of the sinful will be cut off. ²⁹ Those who are right with God will be given the land, and live on it forever. ³⁰ The mouth of the man who is right with God speaks wisdom. And his tongue speaks what is fair and right. ³¹ The Law of his God is in his heart. His steps do not leave it. ³² The sinful lie in wait for the man who is right with God, and want to kill him. ³³ The Lord will not leave him in his power. He will not let him be found guilty when he is judged. ³⁴ Wait for the Lord. Keep His way. And He will give you a high place to receive the land. When the sinful are cut off, you will see it.

³⁵ I have seen a very sinful man spreading himself like a green tree in its home land. ³⁶ Then he passed away and was no more. I looked for him. But he could not be found. ³⁷ Look at the man without blame. And watch the man who is right and good. For the man of peace will have much family to follow him. ³⁸ But all the sinners will be destroyed. The family of the sinful will be cut off. ³⁹ But the saving of those who are right with God is from the Lord. He is their strength in time of trouble. ⁴⁰ The Lord helps them and takes them out of trouble. He takes them away from the sinful, and saves them, because they go to Him for a safe place.

Samuel’s Last Words to Israel

12 Then Samuel said to all Israel, “See, I have listened to all you have said to me. I have chosen a king to rule over you. ² Now see, the king walks in front of you. But I am old. My hair is growing white. See, my sons are with you. I have walked in front of you since I was young, until this day. ³ Here I am. Speak against me to the Lord and Saul His chosen one. Whose bull have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? To whom have I not been honest? For whom have I made it hard? From whose hand have I taken pay for closing my eyes to the truth? I will return it to you.” ⁴ They said, “You have always been honest with us. You have not made it hard for us, or taken anything from any man’s hand.” ⁵ Samuel said to them, “The Lord has heard you. And His chosen one has heard this day that you have found nothing in my hand.” And they said, “The Lord has heard.” ⁶ Samuel said to the people, “The Lord is the One Who chose Moses and Aaron and brought your fathers out of the land of Egypt. ⁷ Now stand where you are, that I may argue with you before the Lord about all His saving acts which He did for you and your fathers. ⁸ When Jacob went into Egypt and the Egyptians made it hard for them, your fathers cried to the Lord. And the Lord sent Moses and Aaron. They brought your fathers out of Egypt, and had them live in this place. ⁹ But they forgot the Lord their God. So He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the army of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab. And they fought against them. ¹⁰ Then they cried out to the Lord and said, ‘We have sinned because we have turned away from the Lord. We have worshiped the false gods, the Baals and the Ashtaroth. But now save us from the power of those who hate us, and we will worship You.’ ¹¹ The Lord sent Jerubbaal, Bedan, Jephthah and Samuel, and saved you from the power of those all around who hated you. So you were safe. ¹² But then you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you. So you said to me, ‘No! A king must rule over us,’ when the Lord your God was your King. ¹³ Now see the king you have chosen, the king you have asked for. See, the Lord has given you a king. ¹⁴ Fear the Lord and worship Him. Listen to His voice and do not go against the Word of the Lord. If both you and the king who rules over you will follow the Lord your God, it will be well. ¹⁵ But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, and go against the Lord’s Word, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers. ¹⁶ Now stand still and see this great thing which the Lord will do in front of your eyes. ¹⁷ Is it not the time to gather grain today? I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that you have done a bad sin in the eyes of the Lord by asking for a king.” ¹⁸ So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day. And all the people were very much afraid of the Lord and Samuel.

¹⁹ Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the Lord your God for your servants, so we will not die. For we have added to all our sins this bad thing, to ask for a king.” ²⁰ Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid. You have done all these sins. But do not turn aside from following the Lord. Worship the Lord with all your heart. ²¹ Do not turn aside after things that have no worth and cannot save you, for they are nothing. ²² The Lord will not leave His people alone, because of His great name. The Lord has been pleased to make you His people. ²³ And as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by not praying for you. But I will teach you the good and the right way. ²⁴ Only fear the Lord and be faithful to worship Him with all your heart. Think of the great things He has done for you. ²⁵ But if you still sin, both you and your king will be destroyed.”

Jesus Washes the Feet of His Followers

13 It was before the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. Jesus knew the time had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. He had loved His own who were in the world. He loved them to the end. ² He and His followers were having supper. Satan had put the thought into the heart of Judas Iscariot of handing Jesus over to the leaders of the country. ³ Jesus knew the Father had put everything into His hands. He knew He had come from God and was going back to God. ⁴ Jesus got up from the supper and took off His coat. He picked up a cloth and put it around Him. ⁵ Then He put water into a wash pan and began to wash the feet of His followers. He dried their feet with the cloth He had put around Himself.

Peter Speaks Out against Jesus Washing His Feet

⁶ Jesus came to Simon Peter. Peter said to Him, “Lord, are You going to wash my feet?” ⁷ Jesus answered him, “You do not understand now what I am doing but you will later.” ⁸ Peter said to Him, “I will never let You wash my feet.” Jesus said, “Unless I wash you, you will not be a part of Me.” ⁹ Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, do not wash only my feet, but wash my hands and my head also.” ¹⁰ Jesus said to him, “Anyone who has washed his body needs only to wash his feet. Then he is clean all over. You are all clean except one.” ¹¹ Jesus knew who was going to hand Him over to the leaders. That is why He said, “You are all clean except one.”

Jesus Tells Why He Washed Their Feet

¹² Jesus washed their feet and put on His coat. Then He sat down again and said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? ¹³ You call Me Teacher and Lord. You are right because that is what I am. ¹⁴ I am your Teacher and Lord. I have washed your feet. You should wash each other’s feet also. ¹⁵ I have done this to show you what should be done. You should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ For sure, I tell you, a workman who is owned by someone is not greater than his owner. One who is sent is not greater than the one who sent him. ¹⁷ If you know these things, you will be happy if you do them.