Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
12 [a]Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Glorify your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates
and blesses your children within you.[b]
14 He brings peace to your borders
and fills you with the finest of wheat.[c]
15 He sends a command to the earth;
his word runs with utmost speed.
16 He gives the snow like wool
and scatters the frost like ashes.[d]
17 He hurls down his hail like crumbs;
who can withstand his cold?[e]
18 He sends his word, and the ice melts;
he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
19 [f]He has revealed his word to Jacob,
his decrees and his judgments to Israel.
20 He has not done this for the other nations;
they are not aware of his judgments.
Alleluia.
5 The Lord appeared to Solomon that night in a dream at Gibeon. God said, “Ask me for whatever you want.” 6 Solomon answered, “You have shown great kindness to your servant, David, my father, because he walked before you in fidelity and righteousness. His heart was upright before you. You have even continued to show him this great kindness by having given him a son to sit upon his throne up to this very day. 7 Now, O Lord, my God, you have established your servant as king in the place of David, my father, but I am only a small child and do not know how to go out and come in. 8 Your servant is among the people you have chosen, a great people. There are so many of them that they cannot be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore, give your servant a discerning heart to judge your people and to distinguish between what is good and what is bad, for who would be able to judge this, your great people?”
10 It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked for this. 11 God said to him, “Because you have asked for this thing, and you have not asked for a long life for yourself, or that you be rich, or for the life of your enemies, but you asked for understanding to discern what is just, 12 behold, I am fulfilling your request. I will give you such a wise and understanding heart that there was never anyone like you before your times, nor will anyone like you rise up afterwards.[a]
13 “I will also give you those things for which you did not ask, both riches and honor, so that no other king will be like you as long as you live. 14 If you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and commandments, just as David, your father, walked, then I will prolong your life.”
The Light Triumphs over Darkness
12 The Light of the World.[a] Jesus addressed them once again, saying,
“I am[b] the light of the world.
The one who follows me
will never walk in darkness.
Rather, he will have the light of life.”
13 On hearing this, the Pharisees said to him, “You are testifying on your own behalf. Your testimony is not true.” 14 Jesus replied,
“Even though I testify on my own behalf,
my testimony is true,
because I know where I have come from
and where I am going,
whereas you do not know
where I have come from
or where I am going.
15 You judge by the flesh,
whereas I do not judge anyone.
16 Yet even if I do judge,
my judgment is true
because it is not I alone who judge,
but it is I and the Father who sent me.
17 “In your Law it is written
that the testimony of two witnesses is true.
18 I testify on my own behalf,
and the Father who sent me
also testifies on my behalf.”
19 They continued to question him, saying, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered,
“You know neither me nor my Father.
If you knew me,
you would know my Father also.”
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