Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
21 You see, my heart overflowed with bitterness and cynicism;
I felt as if someone stabbed me in the back.
22 But I didn’t know the truth;
I have been acting like a stupid animal toward You.
23 But look at this: You are still holding my right hand;
You have been all along.
24 Even though I was angry and hard-hearted, You gave me good advice;
when it’s all over, You will receive me into Your glory.
25 For all my wanting, I don’t have anyone but You in heaven.
There is nothing on earth that I desire other than You.
26 I admit how broken I am in body and spirit,
but God is my strength, and He will be mine forever.
27 It will happen: whoever shuns You will be silenced forever;
You will bring an end to all who refuse to be true to You.
28 But the closer I am to You, my God, the better because life with You is good.
O Lord, the Eternal, You keep me safe—
I will tell everyone what You have done.
29 The one who remains defiant after repeated reprimands
will suddenly be shattered, and there will be no remedy for him.
2 When just leaders are in power, the citizens celebrate;
but when evil people gain control, their joys become moans.
3 An adult who loves wisdom and follows its ways gives his parents joy,
but one who hangs out with women of the street will lose everything.
4 A king brings stability to a land with his justice,
but one who makes unjust demands brings it to ruin.
5 The one who flatters his friend
is laying a trap that will catch his friend’s feet.
6 An evil person is sure to be trapped by his sin,
but a man who lives right is free to sing and be glad.
7 The just get involved with the poor and know their issues,
but the wicked cannot comprehend such concerns.
8 Mockers stir up a city and inflame passions,
but the wise know how to put out the fire and ease tensions.
9 When the wise go to court against a fool,
there will be ranting and raving but no resolution.
10 Bloodthirsty men despise those who are honest,
but the just find a way to help them.
11 A fool does not think before he unleashes his temper,
but a wise man holds back and remains quiet.
12 When it is known that a ruler listens to the words of liars,
soon he will have only scoundrels for advisors.
13 A poor man and his oppressor have this in common:
the Eternal created them and provides both with light and life.
14 The king who is fair in his treatment of the poor
will see his dynasty continue forever.
15 Corporal punishment and correction produce wisdom,
but a child left to follow his own willful way shames his mother.
16 When evil people are free to flourish, sin is on the rise,
but the just will surely see their destruction.
17 If you discipline your children, they will make your life easier
and refresh your soul.
18 Where there is no vision from God, the people run wild,
but those who adhere to God’s instruction know genuine happiness.
19 Words are not enough to correct a servant;
even if he understands, he will not respond.
20 Have you ever met someone who is overly eager to talk?
There is more hope for a fool than for him.
21 If you indulge your servant from early in life,
in the end it won’t go well for either of you.
22 A hot-head provokes quarrels,
and one mastered by anger commits all kinds of sins.
23 A person’s pride brings him down,
but one of humble spirit has a firm hold on honor and respect.
24 Anyone who teams up with a thief must despise his own life,
for he is bound by an oath to tell the truth and yet refuses.[a]
25 If you fear other people, you are walking into a dangerous trap;
but if you trust in the Eternal, you will be safe.
26 Many people vie for special treatment from a ruler,
yet genuine justice proceeds from the Eternal.
27 The right-living are disgusted by the actions of the unjust;
likewise, the wicked are disgusted by the ways of the righteous.
Some People of Jerusalem: 25 There is the man they are seeking to kill; surely He must be the one. 26 But here He is, speaking out in the open to the crowd, while they have not spoken a word to stop or challenge Him. Do these leaders now believe He is the Anointed One? 27 But He can’t be; we know where this man comes from, but the true origin of the Anointed will be a mystery to all of us.
Jesus (speaking aloud as He teaches on the temple’s porch): 28 You think you know Me and where I have come from, but I have not come here on My own. I have been sent by the One who embodies truth. You do not know Him. 29 I know Him because I came from Him. He has sent Me.
30 Some were trying to seize Him because of His words, but no one laid as much as a finger on Him—His time had not yet arrived. 31 In the crowd, there were many in whom faith was taking hold.
Believers in the Crowd: When the Anointed arrives, will He perform any more signs than this man has done?
32 Some Pharisees were hanging back in the crowd, overhearing the gossip about Him. The temple authorities and the Pharisees took action and sent officers to arrest Jesus.
Jesus: 33 I am going to be with you for a little while longer; then I will return to the One who sent Me. 34 You will look for Me, but you will not be able to find Me. Where I am, you are unable to come.
Some Jews in the Crowd (to each other): 35 Where could He possibly go that we could not find Him? You don’t think He’s about to go into the Dispersion[a] and teach our people scattered among the Greeks, do you? 36 What do you think He means, “You will look for Me, but you will not be able to find Me,” and, “Where I am, you are unable to come”?
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.