Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
21 When my thoughts were bitter
and my feelings were hurt,
22 I was as stupid as an animal;
I did not understand you.
23 Yet I always stay close to you,
and you hold me by the hand.
24 You guide me with your instruction
and at the end you will receive me with honor.
25 What else do I have in heaven but you?
Since I have you, what else could I want on earth?
26 My mind and my body may grow weak,
but God is my strength;
he is all I ever need.
27 Those who abandon you will certainly perish;
you will destroy those who are unfaithful to you.
28 But as for me, how wonderful to be near God,
to find protection with the Sovereign Lord
and to proclaim all that he has done!
29 If you get more stubborn every time you are corrected, one day you will be crushed and never recover.
2 Show me a righteous ruler and I will show you a happy people. Show me a wicked ruler and I will show you a miserable people.
3 If you appreciate wisdom, your parents will be proud of you.
It is a foolish waste to spend money on prostitutes.
4 When the king is concerned with justice, the nation will be strong, but when he is only concerned with money, he will ruin his country.
5 If you flatter your friends, you set a trap for yourself.[a]
6 Evil people are trapped in their own sins, while honest people are happy and free.
7 A good person knows the rights of the poor, but wicked people cannot understand such things.
8 People with no regard for others can throw whole cities into turmoil. Those who are wise keep things calm.
9 When an intelligent person brings a lawsuit against a fool, the fool only laughs and becomes loud and abusive.
10 Bloodthirsty people hate anyone who's honest, but righteous people will protect[b] the life of such a person.
11 Stupid people express their anger openly, but sensible people are patient and hold it back.
12 If a ruler pays attention to false information, all his officials will be liars.
13 A poor person and his oppressor have this in common—the Lord gave eyes to both of them.
14 If a king defends the rights of the poor, he will rule for a long time.
15 Correction and discipline are good for children. If they have their own way, they will make their mothers ashamed of them.
16 When evil people are in power, crime increases. But the righteous will live to see the downfall of such people.
17 Discipline your children and you can always be proud of them. They will never give you reason to be ashamed.
18 A nation without God's guidance is a nation without order. Happy are those who keep God's law!
19 (A)You cannot correct servants just by talking to them. They may understand you, but they will pay no attention.
20 There is more hope for a stupid fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.
21 If you give your servants everything they want from childhood on, some day they will take over everything you own.[c]
22 People with quick tempers cause a lot of quarreling and trouble.
23 Arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.
24 A thief's partner is his own worst enemy. He will be punished if he tells the truth in court, and God will curse him if he doesn't.
25 It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you, but if you trust the Lord, you are safe.
26 Everybody wants the good will of the ruler, but only from the Lord can you get justice.
27 The righteous hate the wicked, and the wicked hate the righteous.
Is He the Messiah?
25 Some of the people of Jerusalem said, “Isn't this the man the authorities are trying to kill? 26 Look! He is talking in public, and they say nothing against him! Can it be that they really know that he is the Messiah? 27 But when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from. And we all know where this man comes from.”
28 As Jesus taught in the Temple, he said in a loud voice, “Do you really know me and know where I am from? I have not come on my own authority. He who sent me, however, is truthful. You do not know him, 29 but I know him, because I come from him and he sent me.”
30 Then they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 But many in the crowd believed in him and said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more miracles than this man has?”
Guards Are Sent to Arrest Jesus
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering these things about Jesus, so they and the chief priests sent some guards to arrest him. 33 Jesus said, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I shall go away to him who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me, because you cannot go where I will be.”
35 The Jewish authorities said among themselves, “Where is he about to go so that we shall not find him? Will he go to the Greek cities where our people live, and teach the Greeks? 36 He says that we will look for him but will not find him, and that we cannot go where he will be. What does he mean?”
Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. For more information about GNT, visit www.bibles.com and www.gnt.bible.