Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 128[a]
Happy Home of the Righteous
1 [b]A song of ascents.
Blessed[c] are all those who fear the Lord
and walk in his ways.
2 You will eat the fruit of your labors;
you will enjoy both blessings and prosperity.[d]
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine[e]
within your house;
your sons will be like shoots of an olive tree
around your table.
4 Such are the blessings that will be bestowed
on the man who fears the Lord.
5 [f]May the Lord bless you from Zion[g]
all the days of your life.
May you rejoice in the prosperity of Jerusalem
6 and live to see your children’s children.[h]
Peace be upon Israel.
Chapter 5
1 Never be in a hurry to speak
or hastily make a promise to God,
for God is in heaven
and you are on earth;
therefore, let your words be few.
2 As dreams come when there are many cares,
so does the speech of a fool when there are many words.[a]
3 When you make a vow[b] to God, do not delay in fulfilling it, for God has no pleasure in fools. Fulfill the vow you have made. 4 It is preferable not to make a vow than to make it and fail to fulfill it.
5 Do not allow your mouth to lead you into sin and then plead before God’s messenger[c] that it was all a mistake. Otherwise God will become angered at your words and destroy the work of your hands. 6 A profusion of dreams leads to excessive vanity. Therefore, fear God.
Under the Pretext of General Interests. 7 If in some part of the realm you witness the oppression of the poor and the violation of rights and justice, do not be surprised; for every high official is supervised by one who is higher in rank, and the one who has the highest rank keeps watch over them all. 8 A country is best served when a king is in charge of the fertile fields.[d]
Money: An Insatiable Desire
9 One who is covetous will never be satisfied with money,
nor will the lover of wealth be content with gain.
This too is vanity.
10 When riches increase,
so do those who are eager to accumulate them,
and those who have accumulated them must remain content
simply to feast their eyes on them.
11 Sleep is sweet to the laborer,
whether he has much or little to eat,
but the vast riches of a wealthy man
do not allow him to sleep.
12 There is a grievous evil that I have seen under the sun:
Riches are hoarded by their owner to his disadvantage,
13 or riches are lost by some misfortune,
so that he has nothing remaining to leave to his son.
14 Just as he came forth naked from his mother’s womb,
so shall he depart, naked as he came,
with nothing remaining from his labor
that he can carry away in his hands.
15 This too is a grievous evil:
Just as he came, so must he go,
and what profit can he have after toiling for the wind?
16 All of his days are spent in darkness
with great anxiety, sickness, and resentment.
17 The Happiness Suitable for Humans. This is the conclusion I have reached: it is fitting for a man to eat and drink and find satisfaction in the results of his labors under the sun during the brief span of life that God has allotted him. 18 Moreover, the one to whom God grants wealth and possessions and the ability to enjoy them and to find contentment in his toil receives a gift from God. 19 For it is unlikely that he will brood about the passing years inasmuch as God keeps his heart filled with joy.[e]
21 I AM![a] Again he said to them,
“I am going away,
and you will search for me
but you will die in your sin.
Where I am going, you cannot come.”
22 Then the Jews wondered, “Is he planning to kill himself—because he was saying, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 He continued,
“You belong to what is below,
whereas I belong to what is above.
You belong to this world,
but I am not of this world.
24 That is why I told you
that you would die in your sins.
For if you do not believe
that I AM,
you will die in your sins.”
25 “Who are you then?” they asked him. Jesus answered,
“Just what I have been telling you
from the beginning.
26 I have much to say about you,
and much to condemn.
But the one who sent me is true,
and what I have heard from him
I declare to the world.”
27 They did not understand that he was speaking to them about the Father. 28 Therefore, Jesus said,
“When you have lifted up the Son of Man,
then you will know
that I AM,
that I do nothing on my own authority
and I say nothing except what
the Father has taught me.
29 He who sent me is with me.
He has not left me alone,
for I always do what pleases him.”
30 On hearing these words, many came to believe in him.
31 Jesus and Abraham.[b] Then Jesus said to those Jews who did believe in him,
“If you remain faithful to my word,
you will truly be my disciples.
32 You will know the truth,
and the truth will set you free.”
33 They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham, and we have never been slaves to anyone. What do you mean by saying, ‘You will be set free’?” 34 Jesus replied,
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who sins
is a slave of sin.
35 A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son remains in it forever.
36 Therefore, if the Son sets you free,
you then will truly be free.
37 “I know that you are descendants of Abraham,
but you seek to kill me
because my word has no place in your heart.
38 I speak of what I have seen
in my Father’s presence,
whereas you do what you have heard
from your father.”
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