Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

102 A prayer when overwhelmed with trouble.

Lord, hear my prayer! Listen to my plea!

² Don’t turn away from me in this time of my distress. Bend down your ear and give me speedy answers, ^3-4 for my days disappear like smoke. My health is broken, and my heart is sick; it is trampled like grass and is withered. My food is tasteless, and I have lost my appetite. ⁵ I am reduced to skin and bones because of all my groaning and despair. ⁶ I am like a vulture in a far-off wilderness or like an owl alone in the desert. ⁷ I lie awake, lonely as a solitary sparrow on the roof.

⁸ My enemies taunt me day after day and curse at me. ^9-10 I eat ashes instead of bread. My tears run down into my drink because of your anger against me, because of your wrath. For you have rejected me and thrown me out. ¹¹ My life is passing swiftly as the evening shadows. I am withering like grass, ¹² while you, Lord, are a famous King forever. Your fame will endure to every generation.

¹³ I know that you will come and have mercy on Jerusalem—and now is the time to pity her—the time you promised help. ¹⁴ For your people love every stone in her walls and feel sympathy for every grain of dust in her streets. ¹⁵ Now let the nations and their rulers tremble before the Lord, before his glory. ¹⁶ For Jehovah will rebuild Jerusalem! He will appear in his glory!

¹⁷ He will listen to the prayers of the destitute, for he is never too busy to heed their requests.

^13-15 The man who knows right from wrong^[a] and has good judgment and common sense is happier than the man who is immensely rich! For such wisdom is far more valuable than precious jewels. Nothing else compares with it. ^16-17 Wisdom gives: a long, good life, riches, honor, pleasure, peace. ¹⁸ Wisdom is a tree of life to those who eat her fruit; happy is the man who keeps on eating it.

^30-31 Then many of the Jewish leaders who heard him say these things began believing him to be the Messiah.

Jesus said to them, “You are truly my disciples if you live as I tell you to, ³² and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

³³ “But we are descendants of Abraham,” they said, “and have never been slaves to any man on earth! What do you mean, ‘set free’?”

³⁴ Jesus replied, “You are slaves of sin, every one of you. ³⁵ And slaves don’t have rights, but the Son has every right there is! ³⁶ So if the Son sets you free, you will indeed be free— ³⁷ (Yes, I realize that you are descendants of Abraham!) And yet some of you are trying to kill me because my message does not find a home within your hearts. ³⁸ I am telling you what I saw when I was with my Father. But you are following the advice of your father.”