Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

49 ¶ Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken, ye peoples, from far, The LORD has called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother he has remembered my name.

² And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; with the shadow of his hand he has covered me, and made me a clean arrow; in his quiver he has kept me.

³ And he said unto me, Thou art my slave, O Israel; in thee I will glory.

⁴ But I said, I have laboured in vain; I have spent my strength for nothing, and in vain; yet surely my judgment is before the LORD and my recompense with my God.

⁵ And now, saith the LORD, he that formed me from the womb to be his slave, so that Jacob might be converted unto him. But if Israel will not be gathered, even so, yet I shall be esteemed in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

⁶ And he said, It is a light thing that thou should be my slave to wake up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the desolations of Israel; I have also given thee for a light to the Gentiles that thou may be my saving health unto the end of the earth.

⁷ ¶ Thus has the LORD said, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the Gentiles abhor, to the slave of the tyrants, Kings shall see and be raised up as princes and shall worship because of the LORD, for faithful is the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen thee.

¹ ¶ In thee, O LORD, have I waited; let me not be forever put to shame.

² Deliver me in thy righteousness and cause me to escape; incline thine ear unto me and save me.

³ Be thou my strong habitation unto which I may continually resort; thou hast given a commandment that I should be saved because thou art my rock and my fortress.

⁴ Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the perverse and violent man.

⁵ For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD; thou art my security from my youth.

⁶ By thee have I been sustained from the womb; thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels; my praise has been continually of thee.

⁷ I am as a wonder unto many, but thou art my strong refuge.

⁸ Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy glory all the day.

⁹ Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength fails.

¹⁰ For my enemies speak against me, and those that lay in wait for my soul take counsel together,

¹¹ saying, God has forsaken him; persecute and take him for there is no one to deliver him.

¹² O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste for my help.

¹³ Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

¹⁴ ¶ But I will continually wait and will add upon all thy praise.

¹⁸ For the word of the cross {Gr. stauros – stake} is foolishness to those that perish, but unto us who are saved, it is the power of God.

¹⁹ For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

²⁰ Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the philosopher of this world? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

²¹ For in the wisdom of God, since the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save those that believe.

²² For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom,

²³ but we preach Christ crucified, {Gr. Stauroo – hung on a stake} unto the Jews a stumblingblock and unto the Gentiles foolishness;

²⁴ but unto those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

²⁵ For that which is foolish of God is wiser than men, and that which is weak of God is stronger than men.

²⁶ For look upon your vocation, brothers, that ye are not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble,

²⁷ but rather God has chosen that which is the foolishness of the world to confound the wise, and God has chosen that which is the weakness of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty;

²⁸ and that which is vile of the world and that which is despised God has chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things that are,

²⁹ that no flesh should glory in his presence.

³⁰ But of him ye are reborn in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption,

³¹ that, according as it is written, He that glories, let him glory in the Lord.

²⁰ ¶ And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast;

²¹ the same came therefore to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, Lord, we desire to see Jesus.

²² Philip came and told Andrew, and then Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

²³ And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour comes in which the Son of man shall be clarified.

²⁴ Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except the grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit.

²⁵ He that loves his life shall lose it, and he that hates his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

²⁶ If anyone serves me, let them follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; the one that serves me, will my Father honour.

²⁷ ¶ Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour, but for this have I come in this hour.

²⁸ Father, clarify thy name. Then there came a voice from the heaven, saying, I have clarified it and will clarify it again.

²⁹ The people, therefore, that were present and heard it, said that it thundered; others said, An angel spoke to him.

³⁰ Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

³¹ Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

³² And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.

³³ This he said, signifying what death he should die.

³⁴ The people answered him, We have heard out of the law that the Christ abides for ever; and how sayest thou, It is expedient that the Son of man be lifted up? Who is this Son of man?

³⁵ Then Jesus said unto them, Yet a little while is the Light with you. Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walks in darkness does not know where he goes.

³⁶ While ye have the Light, believe in the Light that ye may be the sons of light. Jesus spoke these things and departed and hid himself from them.