Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

9 Wisdom has built a palace supported on seven pillars, ² and has prepared a great banquet, and mixed the wines, ³ and sent out her maidens inviting all to come. She calls from the busiest intersections in the city, ⁴ “Come, you simple ones without good judgment; ⁵ come to wisdom’s banquet and drink the wines that I have mixed. ⁶ Leave behind your foolishness and begin to live; learn how to be wise.”

⁹ If you belong to the Lord, reverence him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs. ¹⁰ Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing.

¹¹ Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord. ¹² Do you want a long, good life? ¹³ Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from lying. ¹⁴ Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it.

^15-16 So be careful how you act; these are difficult days. Don’t be fools; be wise: make the most of every opportunity you have for doing good. ¹⁷ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but try to find out and do whatever the Lord wants you to. ¹⁸ Don’t drink too much wine, for many evils lie along that path; be filled instead with the Holy Spirit and controlled by him.

¹⁹ Talk with each other much about the Lord, quoting psalms and hymns and singing sacred songs, making music in your hearts to the Lord. ²⁰ Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

^48-51 Yes, I am the Bread of Life! When your fathers in the wilderness ate bread from the skies, they all died. But the Bread from heaven gives eternal life to everyone who eats it. I am that Living Bread that came down out of heaven. Anyone eating this Bread shall live forever; this Bread is my flesh given to redeem humanity.”

⁵² Then the Jews began arguing with each other about what he meant. “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” they asked.

⁵³ So Jesus said it again, “With all the earnestness I possess I tell you this: Unless you eat the flesh of the Messiah^[a] and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. ⁵⁴ But anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him at the Last Day. ⁵⁵ For my flesh is the true food, and my blood is the true drink. ⁵⁶ Everyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood is in me, and I in him. ⁵⁷ I live by the power of the living Father who sent me, and in the same way those who partake of me shall live because of me! ⁵⁸ I am the true Bread from heaven; and anyone who eats this Bread shall live forever, and not die as your fathers did—though they ate bread from heaven.”