Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.

A Song of ^[a]Ascents.

Your Attitude Toward God

5 Guard your steps and focus on what you are doing as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the [careless or irreverent] sacrifice of fools; for they are too ignorant to know they are doing evil.^{(A) 2} Do not be hasty with your mouth [speaking careless words or vows] or impulsive in thought to bring up a matter before God. For God is in heaven and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few. ³ For the dream comes through much effort, and the voice of the fool through many words.

⁴ When you make a vow or a pledge to God, do not put off paying it; for God takes no pleasure in fools [who thoughtlessly mock Him]. Pay what you vow.^{(B) 5} It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.^{(C) 6} Do not allow your speech to cause you to sin, and do not say before the messenger (priest) of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry because of your voice (words) and destroy the work of your hands?^{(D) 7} For in a multitude of dreams and in a flood of words there is worthlessness. Rather [reverently] fear God [and worship Him with awe-filled respect, knowing who He is].

⁸ If you see the oppression of the poor and the denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be shocked at the sight [of corruption]; for a higher official watches over another official, and there are higher ones over them [looking out for one another]. ⁹ After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.

The Folly of Riches

¹⁰ He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its gain. This too is vanity (emptiness). ¹¹ When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what advantage is there to their owners except to see them with their eyes? ¹² The sleep of a working man is sweet, whether he eats little or much; but the full stomach (greed) of the rich [who hungers for even more] will not let him sleep.

¹³ There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being kept and hoarded by their owner to his own misery. ¹⁴ For when those riches are lost in bad investments and he becomes the father of a son, then there is nothing in his hand [for the support of the child]. ¹⁵ As he came naked from his mother’s womb, so he will return as he came; and he will take away nothing from all his labor that he can carry in his hand.^{(E) 16} This also is a grievous evil—exactly as he was born, so he shall die. So what advantage has he who labors for the wind?^{(F) 17} All of his life he also eats in darkness [cheerlessly, without sweetness and light], with great frustration, sickness, and anger.

¹⁸ Behold, here is what I have seen to be good and fitting: to eat and drink, and to find enjoyment in all the labor in which he labors under the sun during the few days of his life which God gives him—for this is his [allotted] reward.^{(G) 19} Also, every man to whom God has given riches and possessions, He has also given the power and ability to enjoy them and to receive [this as] his [allotted] portion and to rejoice in his labor—this is the gift of God [to him]. ²⁰ For he will not often consider the [troubled] days of his life, because God keeps him occupied and focused on the joy of his heart [and the tranquility of God indwells him].

²¹ Then He said again to them, “I am going away, and you will look for Me, and you will die [unforgiven and condemned] in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come.” ²² So the Jews were asking [among themselves], “Will He kill Himself? Is that why He says, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” ²³ He said to them, “You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. ²⁴ That is why I told you that you will die [unforgiven and condemned] in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am the One [I claim to be], you will die in your sins.”^{(A) 25} So they said to Him, “Who are You [anyway]?” Jesus replied, “What have I been saying to you from the beginning? ²⁶ I have many things to say and judge concerning you, but He who sent Me is true; and I say to the world [only] the things that I have heard from Him.” ²⁷ They did not realize [or have the spiritual insight to understand] that He was speaking to them about the Father. ²⁸ So Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man [on the cross], you will know then [without any doubt] that I am He, and that I do nothing on My own authority, but I say these things just as My Father taught Me. ²⁹ And He who sent Me is [always] with Me; He has not left Me alone, because I always do what pleases Him.” ³⁰ As He said these things, ^[a]many believed in Him.

The Truth Will Make You Free

³¹ So Jesus was saying to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My word [continually obeying My teachings and living in accordance with them, then] you are truly My disciples. ³² And you will know the truth [regarding salvation], and the truth will set you free [from the penalty of sin].” ³³ They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone. ^[b]What do You mean by saying, ‘You will be set free’?”

³⁴ Jesus answered, “I assure you and most solemnly say to you, everyone who practices sin habitually is a slave of sin. ³⁵ Now the slave does not remain in a household forever; the son [of the master] does remain forever. ³⁶ So if the Son makes you free, then you are unquestionably free. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants; yet you plan to kill Me, because My word has no place [to grow] in you [and it makes no change in your heart]. ³⁸ I tell the things that I have seen at My Father’s side [in His very presence]; so you also do the things that you heard from your father.”