Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Nun
105 Your word is a lamp for my steps;
it lights the path before me.
106 I have taken an oath and confirmed it:
I pledge to do what You say is right and just.
107 I have suffered terribly, O Eternal One;
give me the life You promised.
108 Please accept the words I offer willingly, O Eternal One,
and instruct me in the ways of Your justice.
109 My soul is continually in danger,
but I do not forget Your teachings.
110 The wicked have laid a trap for me,
but I have not drifted away from Your instructions.
111 Your decrees are forever mine,
for they bring joy to my life.
112 I have committed myself to do what You require
forever and ever, to the very end.
6 Take a lesson from the ant, you who love leisure and ease.
Observe how it works, and dare to be just as wise.
7 It has no boss,
no one laying down the law or telling it what to do,
8 Yet it gathers its food through summer
and takes what it needs from the harvest.
9 How long do you plan to lounge your life away, you lazy fool?
Will you ever get out of bed?
10 You say, “A little sleep, a little rest,
a few more minutes, a nice little nap.”
11 But soon poverty will be on top of you like a robber;
need will assault you like a well-armed warrior.
Laziness is not just a bad habit; it’s a threat—a clear and present danger. Since the beginning, God has made us in His image to create and tend His good creation. In other words, God has made us to work. It is in our spiritual DNA. We must do it in order to be who God made us and to fight off the threats of poverty and want. God has also created the Sabbath as a space for us to rest, of course, just as He rested on the seventh day.
12 Someone who struts around taking advantage of unsuspecting souls
and deceiving others is to be avoided.
13 With a wink of his eye, a quick shuffle of his feet,
and a slight gesture with his hand, he signals his roguish treachery.
14 With a warped mind and twisted heart, he constantly looks for his own gain at others’ expense,
causing friction everywhere he goes.
15 But you watch: his actions will bring sudden disaster!
In an instant, his life will be shattered,
and there will be nothing to save him.
16 Take note, there are six things the Eternal hates;
no, make it seven He abhors:
17 Eyes that look down on others, a tongue that can’t be trusted,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that conceives evil plans,
feet that sprint toward evil,
19 A false witness who breathes out lies,
and anyone who stirs up trouble among the faithful.
20 So, my son, follow your father’s direction,
and don’t forget what your mother taught you—
21 Keep their teachings close to your heart;
engrave them on a pendant, and hang it around your neck.
22 Their instruction will guide you along your journey,
guard you when you sleep,
and address you when you wake in the morning.
23 For their direction is a lamp; their instruction will light your path,
and their discipline will correct your missteps,
sending you down the right path of life.
12 On another occasion, Jesus spoke to the crowds again.
Jesus: I am the light that shines through the cosmos; if you walk with Me, you will thrive in the nourishing light that gives life and will not know darkness.
Pharisees: 13 Jesus, what You are claiming about Yourself cannot possibly be true. The only person bearing witness is You.
Jesus: 14 Even if I am making bold claims about Myself—who I am, what I have come to do—I am speaking the truth. You see, I know where I came from and where I will go when I am done here. You know neither where I come from nor where I will go. 15 You spend your time judging by the wrong criteria, by human standards; but I am not here to judge anyone. 16 If I were to judge, then My judgment would be based on truth; but I would not judge anyone alone. I act in harmony with the One who sent Me. 17 Your law states that if the testimonies of two witnesses agree, their testimony is true. 18 Well, I testify about Myself, and so does the Father who sent Me here.
Pharisees: 19 Where is the Father who testifies on Your behalf?
Jesus: You don’t know the Father or Me. If you knew Me, then you would also know the Father.
20 Jesus said all of these things in the treasury while He was teaching in the temple; followers and opponents alike gathered to hear Him, but none of His enemies tried to seize Him because His time had not yet come.
Jesus (to the crowds): 21 I am leaving this place, and you will look for Me and die in your sin. For where I am going, you are unable to come.
Jews: 22 Is He suicidal? He keeps saying, “Where I am going, you are unable to come.”
Jesus: 23 You originate from the earth below, and I have come from the heavens above. You are from this world, and I am not. 24 That’s why I told you that you will die here as a result of your sins. Unless you believe I am who I have said I am, your sins will lead to your death.
Jews: 25 Who exactly are You?
Jesus: From the beginning of My mission, I have been telling you who I am. 26 I have so much to say about you, so many judgments to render; but if you hear one thing, hear that the One who sent Me is true, and all the things I have heard from Him I speak into the world.
27 The people had not understood that Jesus was teaching about the Father.
Jesus: 28 Whenever the day comes and you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He. It will be clear then that I am not acting alone, but that I am speaking the things I have learned directly from the Father. 29 The One who sent Me is with Me; He has not abandoned Me because I always do what pleases Him.
30 As Jesus was speaking, many in the crowd believed in Him.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.