Psalm 72:12–19

¹²For he delivers the needy when he calls,
the poor and him who has no helper.
¹³He has pity on the weak and the needy,
and saves the lives of the needy.
¹⁴From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
and precious is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵Long may he live;
may gold of Sheba be given to him!
May prayer be made for him continually,
and blessings invoked for him all the day!
¹⁶May there be abundance of grain in the land;
on the tops of the mountains may it wave;
may its fruit be like Lebanon;
and may people blossom in the cities
like the grass of the field!
¹⁷May his name endure forever,
his fame continue as long as the sun!
May people be blessed in him,
all nations call him blessèd!
¹⁸Blessèd be the Lord, the God of Israel,
who alone does wondrous things.
¹⁹Blessèd be his glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
Amen and Amen!

Old Testament Reading Proverbs 1:8–33

⁸Hear, my son, your father’s instruction,
and forsake not your mother’s teaching,
⁹for they are a graceful garland for your head
and pendants for your neck.
¹⁰My son, if sinners entice you,
do not consent.
¹¹If they say, “Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood;
let us ambush the innocent without reason;
¹²like Sheol let us swallow them alive,
and whole, like those who go down to the pit;
¹³we shall find all precious goods,
we shall fill our houses with plunder;
¹⁴throw in your lot among us;
we will all have one purse”—
¹⁵my son, do not walk in the way with them;
hold back your foot from their paths,
¹⁶for their feet run to evil,
and they make haste to shed blood.
¹⁷For in vain is a net spread
in the sight of any bird,
¹⁸but these men lie in wait for their own blood;
they set an ambush for their own lives.
¹⁹Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain;
it takes away the life of its possessors.

²⁰Wisdom cries aloud in the street,
in the markets she raises her voice;
²¹at the head of the noisy streets she cries out;
at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:
²²“How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?
How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing
and fools hate knowledge?
²³If you turn at my reproof,
behold, I will pour out my spirit to you;
I will make my words known to you.
²⁴Because I have called and you refused to listen,
have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded,
²⁵because you have ignored all my counsel
and would have none of my reproof,
²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,
²⁷when terror strikes you like a storm
and your calamity comes like a whirlwind,
when distress and anguish come upon you.
²⁸Then they will call upon me, but I will not answer;
they will seek me diligently but will not find me.
²⁹Because they hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord,
³⁰would have none of my counsel
and despised all my reproof,
³¹therefore they shall eat the fruit of their way,
and have their fill of their own devices.
³²For the simple are killed by their turning away,
and the complacency of fools destroys them;
³³but whoever listens to me will dwell secure
and will be at ease, without dread of disaster.”

New Testament Reading John 11:17–37

¹⁷Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. ¹⁸Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, ¹⁹and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. ²⁰So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. ²¹Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” ²³Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” ²⁴Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” ²⁵Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, ²⁶and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

²⁸When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” ²⁹And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. ³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. ³¹When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. ³²Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” ³³When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. ³⁴And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” ³⁵Jesus wept. ³⁶So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” ³⁷But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?”