Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Praising Wisdom

8 Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? ² She takes her stand on the top of the hill beside the way, where the paths meet. ³ Beside the gates in front of the town, at the open doors, she cries out, ⁴ “I call to you, O men. My voice is to the sons of men.

²² “The Lord made me at the beginning of His work, before His first works long ago. ²³ I was set apart long ago, from the beginning, before the earth was. ²⁴ I was born when there were no seas, when there were no pools full of water. ²⁵ I was born before the mountains and hills were in their places. ²⁶ It was before He had made the earth or the fields, or the first dust of the world. ²⁷ I was there when He made the heavens, and when He drew a mark around the top of the sea. ²⁸ I was there when He put the skies above, and when He put the wells of the waters in their place. ²⁹ I was there when He marked out the places for the sea, so that the waters would not go farther than what He said. I was there when He marked out the ground for the earth. ³⁰ I was beside Him as the leading workman. I was His joy every day. I was always happy when I was near Him. ³¹ I was happy in the world, His earth, and found joy in the sons of men.

God’s Shining-Greatness

8 O Lord, our Lord, how great is Your name in all the earth. You have set Your shining-greatness above the heavens. ² Out of the mouth of children and babies, You have built up strength because of those who hate You, and to quiet those who fight against You.

³ When I look up and think about Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in their place, ⁴ what is man, that You think of him, the son of man that You care for him? ⁵ You made him a little less than the angels and gave him a crown of greatness and honor. ⁶ You made him to rule over the works of Your hands. You put all things under his feet: ⁷ All sheep and cattle, all the wild animals, ⁸ the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, and all that pass through the sea. ⁹ O Lord, our Lord, how great is Your name in all the earth!

5 Now that we have been made right with God by putting our trust in Him, we have peace with Him. It is because of what our Lord Jesus Christ did for us. ² By putting our trust in God, He has given us His loving-favor and has received us. We are happy for the hope we have of sharing the shining-greatness of God. ³ We are glad for our troubles also. We know that troubles help us learn not to give up. ⁴ When we have learned not to give up, it shows we have stood the test. When we have stood the test, it gives us hope. ⁵ Hope never makes us ashamed because the love of God has come into our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who was given to us.

The Holy Spirit Will Give Honor to the Son

¹² “I still have many things to say to you. You are not strong enough to understand them now. ¹³ The Holy Spirit is coming. He will lead you into all truth. He will not speak His Own words. He will speak what He hears. He will tell you of things to come. ¹⁴ He will honor Me. He will receive what is Mine and will tell it to you. ¹⁵ Everything the Father has is Mine. That is why I said to you, ‘He will receive what is Mine and will tell it to you.’