Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Rejoicing in Answered Prayer
A Psalm of David.
28 To You I will cry, O Lord my Rock:
(A)Do not be silent to me,
(B)Lest, if You are silent to me,
I become like those who go down to the pit.
2 Hear the voice of my supplications
When I cry to You,
(C)When I lift up my hands (D)toward Your holy sanctuary.
3 Do not [a]take me away with the wicked
And with the workers of iniquity,
(E)Who speak peace to their neighbors,
But evil is in their hearts.
4 (F)Give them according to their deeds,
And according to the wickedness of their endeavors;
Give them according to the work of their hands;
Render to them what they deserve.
5 Because (G)they do not regard the works of the Lord,
Nor the operation of His hands,
He shall destroy them
And not build them up.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
And declare it in the [a]isles afar off, and say,
‘He who scattered Israel (A)will gather him,
And keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’
11 For (B)the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
And ransomed him (C)from the hand of one stronger than he.
12 Therefore they shall come and sing in (D)the height of Zion,
Streaming to (E)the goodness of the Lord—
For wheat and new wine and oil,
For the young of the flock and the herd;
Their souls shall be like a (F)well-watered garden,
(G)And they shall sorrow no more at all.
13 “Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance,
And the young men and the old, together;
For I will turn their mourning to joy,
Will comfort them,
And make them rejoice rather than sorrow.
14 I will [b]satiate the soul of the priests with abundance,
And My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.”
19 Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, (A)the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. 20 For (B)the Father loves the Son, and (C)shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. 21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, (D)even so the Son gives life to whom He will. 22 For the Father judges no one, but (E)has committed all judgment to the Son, 23 that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. (F)He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
Life and Judgment Are Through the Son
24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, (G)he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, (H)but has passed from death into life. 25 Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when (I)the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. 26 For (J)as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have (K)life in Himself, 27 and (L)has given Him authority to execute judgment also, (M)because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will (N)hear His voice 29 (O)and come forth—(P)those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation. 30 (Q)I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because (R)I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.
The Fourfold Witness
31 (S)“If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not [a]true. 32 (T)There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, (U)and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the burning and (V)shining lamp, and (W)you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light. 36 But (X)I have a greater witness than John’s; for (Y)the works which the Father has given Me to finish—the very (Z)works that I do—bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 37 And the Father Himself, who sent Me, (AA)has testified of Me. You have neither heard His voice at any time, (AB)nor seen His form. 38 But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe. 39 (AC)You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and (AD)these are they which testify of Me. 40 (AE)But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.