Daily Reader's Bible - Flipbook - Page 23
You welcomed him back with success and prosperity.
You placed a crown of finest gold on his head.
He asked you to preserve his life,
and you granted his request.
The days of his life stretch on forever.
Your victory brings him great honor,
and you have clothed him with splendor and majesty.
You have endowed him with eternal blessings
and given him the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the LORD.
The unfailing love of the Most High will keep him from stumbling.
You will capture all your enemies.
Your strong right hand will seize all who hate you.
You will throw them in a flaming furnace
when you appear.
The LORD will consume them in his anger;
fire will devour them.
You will wipe their children from the face of the earth;
they will never have descendants.
Although they plot against you,
their evil schemes will never succeed.
For they will turn and run
when they see your arrows aimed at them.
Rise up, O LORD, in all your power.
With music and singing we celebrate your mighty acts.
#6006 • THE PEOPLE OF GOD HEAR GOD’S WORDS
NEITHER DO I CONDEMN YOU
[The most ancient Greek
manuscripts do not include
John 7:53–8:11.]
Then the meeting broke up,
and everybody went home.
Jesus returned to the Mount of
Olives, but early the next morning
he was back again at the Temple.
A crowd soon gathered, and he
sat down and taught them. As
he was speaking, the teachers of
religious law and the Pharisees
brought a woman who had been
caught in the act of adultery. They
put her in front of the crowd.
“Teacher,” they said to Jesus,
“this woman was caught in the act
of adultery. The law of Moses says
to stone her. What do you say?”
They were trying to trap him
into saying something they
could use against him, but Jesus
stooped down and wrote in the
8
18
dust with his finger. They kept
demanding an answer, so he
stood up again and said, “All
right, but let the one who has
never sinned throw the first
stone!” Then he stooped down
again and wrote in the dust.
When the accusers heard
this, they slipped away one
by one, beginning with the
oldest, until only Jesus was
left in the middle of the crowd
with the woman. Then Jesus
stood up again and said to
the woman, “Where are your
accusers? Didn’t even one
of them condemn you?”
“No, Lord,” she said.
And Jesus said, “Neither
do I. Go and sin no more.”
Jesus spoke to the people
once more and said, “I am the
light of the world. If you follow
me, you won’t have to walk in
[JOHN 7:53–8:59]
darkness, because you will have
the light that leads to life.”
The Pharisees replied, “You are
making those claims about yourself! Such testimony is not valid.”
Jesus told them, “These
claims are valid even though I
make them about myself. For
I know where I came from and
where I am going, but you don’t
know this about me. You judge
me by human standards, but I do
not judge anyone. And if I did,
my judgment would be correct in
every respect because I am not
alone. The Father who sent me is
with me. Your own law says that
if two people agree about something, their witness is accepted
as fact. I am one witness, and my
Father who sent me is the other.”
“Where is your
father?” they asked.
Jesus answered, “Since you
don’t know who I am, you don’t
