Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord’s Power and Dominion.
97 (A)The Lord [a]reigns, may the (B)earth rejoice;
May the many [b](C)islands be joyful.
2 (D)Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
(E)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
3 (F)Fire goes before Him
And (G)burns up His enemies all around.
4 His (H)lightning lit up the world;
The earth saw it and (I)trembled.
5 The mountains (J)melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the (K)Lord of the whole earth.
6 The (L)heavens declare His righteousness,
And (M)all the peoples have seen His glory.
7 May all those be ashamed who serve (N)carved images,
Who boast in (O)idols;
[c](P)Worship Him, all you [d]gods.
8 Zion [e]heard this and (Q)was joyful,
And the daughters of Judah have rejoiced
Because of Your judgments, Lord.
9 For You are the Lord (R)Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far (S)above all [f]gods.
10 (T)Hate evil, you who love the Lord,
Who (U)watches over the souls of His godly ones;
He (V)saves them from the hand of the wicked.
11 (W)Light is sown like seed for the righteous,
And (X)gladness for the upright in heart.
12 Be (Y)joyful in the Lord, you righteous ones,
And (Z)praise [g]the mention of His holy name.
Why Israel Fell
7 Now (A)this came about because the sons of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, (B)who had brought them up from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt; (C)and they had [a]feared other gods. 8 They also [b](D)followed the [c]customs of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from the sons of Israel, and in the customs (E)of the kings of Israel which they had [d]introduced. 9 And the sons of Israel [e]did things secretly against the Lord their God which were not right. Moreover, they built for themselves high places in all their towns, from (F)watchtower to fortified city. 10 And (G)they set up for themselves memorial stones and [f](H)Asherim on every high hill and under every green tree, 11 and there they burned incense on all the high places as the nations did that the Lord had taken into exile before them; and they did evil things, provoking the Lord. 12 They served idols, (I)concerning which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 13 Yet the (J)Lord warned Israel and Judah [g](K)through all His prophets and (L)every seer, saying, “(M)Turn back from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes in accordance with all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you [h]through My servants the prophets.” 14 However, they did not listen, but (N)stiffened their neck [i]like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 (O)They rejected His statutes and (P)His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings which He [j]gave them. And (Q)they followed [k]idols and (R)became empty, and followed the nations that surrounded them, about which the (S)Lord had commanded them not to do as they did. 16 And they abandoned all the commandments of the Lord their God and made for themselves cast metal images: (T)two calves. And they (U)made an [l]Asherah, and (V)worshiped all the heavenly [m]lights, and (W)served Baal. 17 Then (X)they made their sons and their daughters pass through the fire, and they (Y)practiced divination and interpreting omens, and (Z)gave themselves over to do evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking Him. 18 So the Lord was very angry with Israel, and He (AA)removed them from His [n]sight; (AB)no one was left except the tribe of Judah.
19 (AC)Judah did not keep the commandments of the Lord their God either, but they [o](AD)followed the [p]customs [q]which Israel had [r]introduced. 20 So the Lord rejected all the [s]descendants of Israel and afflicted them and (AE)handed them over to plunderers, until He had cast them [t]out of His sight.
25 And when they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “(A)Rabbi, when did You get here?”
Words to the People
26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you (B)seek Me, not because you saw [a](C)signs, but because you ate some of the loaves and were filled. 27 Do not (D)work for the food that perishes, but for the food that lasts for (E)eternal life, which (F)the Son of Man will give you, for on Him the Father, God, (G)has set His [b]seal.” 28 Therefore they said to Him, “What are we to do, so that we may accomplish the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is (H)the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He (I)has sent.” 30 So they said to Him, “(J)What then are You doing as a (K)sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work are You performing? 31 (L)Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘(M)He gave them bread out of heaven to eat.’” 32 Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread out of heaven, but it is My Father who gives you the true bread out of heaven. 33 For the bread of God is [c]that which (N)comes down out of heaven and gives life to the world.” 34 Then they said to Him, “Lord, always (O)give us this bread.”
35 Jesus said to them, “(P)I am the bread of life; the one who comes to Me will not be hungry, and the one who believes in Me (Q)will never be thirsty.
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