Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer for Help—Praise for the Answer
28 O Lord, to You I call. O my Rock, listen to me. If You will not hear me, I will be like those who have gone down to the grave. 2 Hear my cry for loving-kindness as I call to You for help, and when I lift up my hands to Your holy place. 3 Do not drag me away with the sinful and with those who do bad things. They speak peace with their neighbors, while sin is in their hearts. 4 Pay them for their work and for the sins they do. Pay them for the works of their hands. Give them what they have earned. 5 They do not think about the works of the Lord and what His hands have done. So He will pull them down and not build them up again.
6 May honor and thanks be given to the Lord, because He has heard my prayer. 7 The Lord is my strength and my safe cover. My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped. So my heart is full of joy. I will thank Him with my song. 8 The Lord is the strength of His people. He is a safe place for His chosen one. 9 Save Your people and bring good to what is Yours. Be their shepherd and carry them forever.
10 Hear the Word of the Lord, O nations, and make it known in the lands far across the sea. Say, “He Who sent Israel everywhere will gather them, and will watch over His flock like a shepherd.” 11 For the Lord has paid the price to make Jacob free. He has made him free from the one who was stronger than he. 12 And they will come and call out for joy on the height of Zion. They will shine with joy over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the cattle. Their life will be like a well-watered garden. They will never have sorrow again. 13 Then the young women who have never had a man will dance for joy, and the young men and old as well. For I will change their sorrow to joy, and will comfort them. I will give them joy for their sorrow. 14 I will fill the soul of the religious leaders with more than they need. My people will be filled with My goodness,” says the Lord.
Jesus Tells How He Works
19 Then Jesus said to them, “For sure, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself. He does what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son does also. 20 The Father loves the Son and shows the Son everything He does. The Father will show Him greater works than these. They will surprise you. 21 The Father raises up the dead and makes them live. The Son also gives life to anyone He chooses. 22 The Father does not say who is guilty. He gives this to the Son to do. 23 He does this so that all people will honor the Son as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father Who sent Him.
24 “For sure, I tell you, anyone who hears My Word and puts his trust in Him Who sent Me has life that lasts forever. He will not be guilty. He has already passed from death into life.
The Good People and the Sinful People Are Raised from the Dead
25 “For sure, I tell you, the time is coming. Yes, the time is here when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God. Those who hear will live. 26 The Father has life in Himself. He has given power to the Son to have life in Himself. 27 God has given Him the right and the power to say if people are guilty, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not be surprised at this. The time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear His voice. 29 They will come out. Those who have done good will be raised again and will have new life. Those who have been sinful will be raised again and will be told they are guilty and will be punished.
Jesus Tells of John and of Himself
30 “I can do nothing by Myself. I say who is guilty only as My Father tells Me. That way, what I say is right, because I am not trying to do what I want to do. I am doing what the Father, Who sent Me, wants Me to do. 31 If I tell about Myself, My words are worth nothing. 32 There is another One Who tells about Me. I know the words He says about Me are true.
33 “You sent to John the Baptist and he told you the truth. 34 I do not need words from men to say I am right. I say this that you might be saved from the punishment of sin. 35 John the Baptist was a burning and shining light. You were willing for awhile to be glad in his light. 36 I have something greater than John which tells of Me. I am doing works the Father has given Me to do and they are proving that the Father has sent Me. 37 The Father has told of Me and has sent Me. You have never heard His voice. You have never seen Him. 38 You do not have His Word living in your hearts because you do not put your trust in the One He sent.
39 “You do read the Holy Writings. You think you have life that lasts forever just because you read them. They do tell of Me. 40 But you do not want to come to Me so you might have life.
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