Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
128 He showeth that blessedness appertaineth not to all universally, but to them only that fear the Lord, and walk in his ways.
A song of degrees.
1 Blessed is everyone that feareth the Lord, and walketh in his [a]ways.
2 When thou eatest the labors of thine [b]hands, thou shalt be blessed, and it shall be well with thee.
3 Thy wife shall be as the fruitful vine on the sides of thine house, and thy [c]children like the olive plants round about thy table.
4 Lo, surely thus shall the man be blessed, that feareth the Lord.
5 The Lord out of Zion shall [d]bless thee, and thou shalt see the wealth of [e]Jerusalem all the days of thy life.
6 Yea, thou shalt see thy children’s children, and peace upon Israel.
5 1 Not to speak lightly, chiefly in God’s matters. 9 The covetous can never have enough. 11 The laborer’s sleep is sweet. 14 Man when he dieth, taketh nothing with him. 18 To live joyfully, and with a contented mind, is the gift of God.
1 Be not [a]rash with thy mouth, nor let thine heart be hasty to utter a thing before God: for God is in the heavens, and thou art on the earth: therefore let thy words be [b]few.
2 For as a dream cometh by the multitude of business: so the voice of a fool is in the multitude of words.
3 (A)When thou hast vowed a vow to God, defer not to pay it: for he delighteth not in fools: pay therefore that thou hast [c]vowed.
4 It is better that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay it.
5 Suffer not thy mouth to make thy [d]flesh to sin: neither say before the [e]Angel, that this is ignorance: wherefore shall God be angry by thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?
6 For in the multitude of dreams, and vanities are also many words: but fear thou God.
7 If in a country thou seest the oppression of the poor, and the defrauding of judgment and justice, be not astonied at the matter: for he that is [f]higher than the highest, regardeth, and there be higher than they.
8 And the [g]abundance of the earth is over all: the king [h]also consisteth by the field that is tilled.
9 He that loveth silver, shall not be satisfied with silver, and he that loveth riches, shall be without the fruit thereof: this is also vanity.
10 When goods increase, they are increased that eat them: and what good cometh to the owners thereof, but the beholding thereof with their eyes?
11 The sleep of him that travaileth, is sweet, whether he eat little or much: but the [i]satiety of the rich will not suffer him to sleep.
12 There is an evil sickness that I have seen under the sun: to wit, riches [j]reserved to the owners thereof for their evil.
13 And these riches perish by evil travail, and he begetteth a son, and in his [k]hand is nothing.
14 (B)As he came forth of his mother’s belly, he shall return naked to go as he came, and shall bear away nothing of his labor, which he hath caused to pass by his hand.
15 And this also is an evil sickness, that in all points as he came, so shall he go, and what profit hath he that he hath travailed for the [l]wind?
16 Also all his days he eateth in [m]darkness with much grief, and in his sorrow and anger.
17 Behold then, what I have seen good, that it is comely to [n]eat, and to drink, and to take pleasure in all his labor, wherein he travaileth under the sun, the whole number of the days of his life, which God giveth him: for this is his portion.
18 Also to every man to whom God hath given riches and treasures, and giveth him power to eat thereof, and to take his part, and to enjoy his labor: this is the gifts of God.
19 Surely he will not much remember the days of his [o]life, because God answereth to the joy of his heart.
21 [a]Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins, Whither I go, can ye not come.
22 Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself, because he saith, Whither I go, can ye not come?
23 And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath, I am from above: ye are of this world, I am not of this world.
24 I said therefore unto you, That ye shall die in your sins: for except ye believe, that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
25 [b]Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus said unto them, Even [c]the same thing that I said unto you from the beginning.
26 [d]I have many things to say, and to judge of you: but he that sent me, is true, and the things that I have heard of him, those speak I to the world.
27 [e]They understood not that he spake to them of the Father.
28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself, but as my Father hath taught me, so I spake these things.
29 For he that sent me, is with me: the Father hath not left me alone, because I do always those things that please him.
30 ¶ As he spake these things, many believed in him.
31 [f]Then said Jesus to the Jews which believed in him, If ye continue in my word, ye are verily my disciples,
32 And shall know the truth, and the truth shall [g]make you free.
33 [h]They answered him, We be [i]Abraham’s seed, and were never bond to any man: why sayest thou then, Ye shall be made free?
34 Jesus answered them, Verily, verily I say unto you, that whosoever commiteth sin, is the (A)servant of sin.
35 And the servant abideth not in the house forever: but the Son abideth forever.
36 If that Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
37 [j]I know that ye are Abraham’s seed, but ye seek to kill me, because my word hath no place in you.
38 I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your Father.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.