Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.
A Song of Ascents.
128 (A)How blessed is everyone who fears the Lord,
Who (B)walks in His ways.
2 When you shall (C)eat of the [a](D)fruit of your hands,
You will be happy and (E)it will be well with you.
3 Your wife shall be like a (F)fruitful vine
[b]Within your house,
Your children like (G)olive plants
Around your table.
4 Behold, for thus shall the man be blessed
Who fears the Lord.
Your Attitude Toward God
5 [a](A)Guard your steps as you go to the house of God and draw near to listen rather than to offer the (B)sacrifice of fools; for they do not know they are doing evil. 2 [b]Do not be (C)hasty [c]in word or [d]impulsive in thought to bring up a matter in the presence of God. For God is in heaven and you are on the earth; therefore let your (D)words be few. 3 For the dream comes through much [e]effort and the voice of a (E)fool through many words.
4 When you (F)make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. (G)Pay what you vow! 5 It is (H)better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. 6 Do not let your [f]speech cause [g]you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a (I)mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands? 7 For in many dreams and in many words there is [h]emptiness. Rather, [i](J)fear God.
8 If you see (K)oppression of the poor and (L)denial of justice and righteousness in the province, do not be (M)shocked at the [j]sight; for one [k]official watches over another [l]official, and there are higher [m]officials over them. 9 After all, a king who cultivates the field is an advantage to the land.
The Folly of Riches
10 (N)He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is [n]vanity. 11 (O)When good things increase, those who consume them increase. So what is the advantage to their owners except to [o]look on? 12 The sleep of the working man is (P)pleasant, whether he eats little or much; but the [p]full stomach of the rich man does not allow him to sleep.
13 There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: (Q)riches being [q]hoarded by their owner to his hurt. 14 When those riches were lost through [r]a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing [s]to support him. 15 (R)As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will (S)take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. 16 This also is a grievous evil—exactly as a man [t]is born, thus will he [u]die. So (T)what is the advantage to him who (U)toils for the wind? 17 Throughout his life (V)he also eats in darkness with (W)great vexation, sickness and anger.
18 Here is what I have seen to be (X)good and [v]fitting: to eat, to drink and [w]enjoy oneself in all one’s labor in which he toils under the sun during the few [x]years of his life which God has given him; for this is his [y](Y)reward. 19 Furthermore, as for every man to whom (Z)God has given riches and wealth, He has also (AA)empowered him to eat from them and to receive his [z]reward and rejoice in his labor; this is the (AB)gift of God. 20 For he will not often [aa]consider the [ab]years of his life, because (AC)God keeps [ac]him occupied with the gladness of his heart.
21 Then He said again to them, “I go away, and (A)you will seek Me, and (B)will die in your sin; where I am going, you cannot come.” 22 So (C)the Jews were saying, “Surely He will not kill Himself, will He, since He says, ‘(D)Where I am going, you cannot come’?” 23 And He was saying to them, “(E)You are from below, I am from above; (F)you are of this world, (G)I am not of this world. 24 Therefore I said to you that you (H)will die in your sins; for unless you believe that [a](I)I am He, (J)you will die in your sins.” 25 So they were saying to Him, “Who are You?” Jesus said to them, “[b]What have I been saying to you from the beginning? 26 I have many things to speak and to judge concerning you, but (K)He who sent Me is true; and (L)the things which I heard from Him, these I speak to the world.” 27 They did not realize that He had been speaking to them about the Father. 28 So Jesus said, “When you (M)lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that [c](N)I am He, and (O)I do nothing on My own initiative, but I speak these things as the Father taught Me. 29 And He who sent Me is with Me; (P)He [d]has not left Me alone, for (Q)I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.” 30 As He spoke these things, (R)many came to believe in Him.
The Truth Will Make You Free
31 So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “(S)If you continue in My word, then you are truly (T)disciples of Mine; 32 and (U)you will know the truth, and (V)the truth will make you free.” 33 They answered Him, “(W)We are Abraham’s descendants and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (X)everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 (Y)The slave does not remain in the house forever; (Z)the son does remain forever. 36 So if the Son (AA)makes you free, you will be free indeed. 37 I know that you are (AB)Abraham’s descendants; yet (AC)you seek to kill Me, because My word [e]has no place in you. 38 I speak the things which I have seen [f]with My Father; therefore you also do the things which you heard from (AD)your father.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.