Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Book Five

Psalm 107

¹ O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

² Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He has delivered from the hand of the adversary,

³ And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the [Red] Sea in the south.

¹⁷ Some are fools [made ill] because of the way of their transgressions and are afflicted because of their iniquities.

¹⁸ They loathe every kind of food, and they draw near to the gates of death.

¹⁹ Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He delivers them out of their distresses.

²⁰ He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.^(A)

²¹ Oh, that men would praise [and confess to] the Lord for His goodness and loving-kindness and His wonderful works to the children of men!^(B)

²² And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving and rehearse His deeds with shouts of joy and singing!

²² They journeyed from Kadesh, and the Israelites, even the whole congregation, came to Mount Hor.

²³ And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron at Mount Hor, on the border of the land of Edom,

²⁴ Aaron shall be gathered to his people. For he shall not enter the land which I have given to the Israelites, because you both rebelled against My instructions at the waters of Meribah.

²⁵ Take Aaron and Eleazar his son and bring them up to Mount Hor.

²⁶ Strip Aaron of his vestments and put them on Eleazar his son, and Aaron shall be gathered to his people, and shall die there.

²⁷ And Moses did as the Lord commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

²⁸ And Moses stripped Aaron of his [priestly] garments and put them on Eleazar his son. And Aaron died there on the mountain top; and Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain.

²⁹ When all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they wept and mourned for him thirty days, all the house of Israel.

3 Now there was a certain man among the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler (a leader, an authority) among the Jews,

² Who came to Jesus at night and said to Him, Rabbi, we know and are certain that You have come from God [as] a Teacher; for no one can do these signs (these wonderworks, these miracles—and produce the proofs) that You do unless God is with him.

³ Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.

⁴ Nicodemus said to Him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter his mother’s womb again and be born?

⁵ Jesus answered, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a man is born of water and [^[a]even] the Spirit, he cannot [ever] enter the kingdom of God.^(A)

⁶ What is born of [from] the flesh is flesh [of the physical is physical]; and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷ Marvel not [do not be surprised, astonished] at My telling you, You must all be born anew (from above).

⁸ The wind blows (breathes) where it wills; and though you hear its sound, yet you neither know where it comes from nor where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

⁹ Nicodemus answered by asking, How can all this be possible?

¹⁰ Jesus replied, Are you the teacher of Israel, and yet do not know nor understand these things? [Are they strange to you?]

¹¹ I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, We speak only of what we know [we know absolutely what we are talking about]; we have actually seen what we are testifying to [we were eyewitnesses of it]. And still you do not receive our testimony [you reject and refuse our evidence—that of Myself and of all those who are born of the Spirit].

¹² If I have told you of things that happen right here on the earth and yet none of you believes Me, how can you believe (trust Me, adhere to Me, rely on Me) if I tell you of heavenly things?

¹³ And yet no one has ever gone up to heaven, but there is One Who has come down from heaven—the Son of Man [Himself], ^[b]Who is (dwells, has His home) in heaven.