Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
12 Exalt the Lord, Jerusalem;
praise your God, Zion!(A)
13 For He strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your children within you.(B)
14 He endows your territory with prosperity;[a](C)
He satisfies you with the finest wheat.(D)
5 At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon(A) in a dream at night.(B) God said, “Ask.(C) What should I give you?”
6 And Solomon replied, “You have shown great and faithful love to Your servant, my father David, because he walked before You in faithfulness, righteousness, and[a] integrity. You have continued this great and faithful love for him by giving him a son to sit on his throne,(D) as it is today.(E)
7 “Lord my God, You have now made Your servant king in my father David’s place.(F) Yet I am just a youth with no experience in leadership.[b](G) 8 Your servant is among Your people You have chosen,(H) a[c] people too numerous to be numbered or counted.(I) 9 So give Your servant an obedient heart to judge(J) Your people and to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?”(K)
10 Now it pleased the Lord that Solomon had requested this. 11 So God said to him, “Because you have requested this and did not ask for long life[d] or riches for yourself,(L) or the death[e] of your enemies, but you asked discernment for yourself to understand justice,(M) 12 I will therefore do what you have asked.(N) I will give you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you before and never will be again.(O) 13 In addition, I will give you what you did not ask for: both riches and honor,(P) so that no man in any kingdom will be your equal during your entire life.(Q) 14 If you walk in My ways and keep My statutes and commands just as your father David did, I will give you a long life.”(R)
The Light of the World
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am(A) the light(B) of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.”(C)
13 So the Pharisees said to Him, “You are testifying about Yourself. Your testimony is not valid.”[a]
14 “Even if I testify about Myself,” Jesus replied, “My testimony is valid,[b] because I know where I came from and where I’m going. But you don’t know where I come from or where I’m going.(D) 15 You judge(E) by human standards.[c](F) I judge no one.(G) 16 And if I do judge, My judgment is true, because I am not alone, but I and the Father who sent Me judge(H) together.(I) 17 Even in your law it is written that the witness of two men is valid.(J) 18 I am the One who testifies(K) about Myself, and the Father who sent Me testifies about Me.”
19 Then they asked Him, “Where is Your Father?”
“You know neither Me nor My Father,”(L) Jesus answered. “If you knew Me, you would also know My Father.”(M)
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