Psalm 34:12–22

¹²What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may see good?
¹³Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking deceit.
¹⁴Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
¹⁶The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
¹⁷When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
¹⁸The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
²⁰He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
²¹Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
²²The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.

Old Testament Reading Proverbs 9

¹Wisdom has built her house;
she has hewn her seven pillars.
²She has slaughtered her beasts; she has mixed her wine;
she has also set her table.
³She has sent out her young women to call
from the highest places in the town,
⁴“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
To him who lacks sense she says,
⁵“Come, eat of my bread
and drink of the wine I have mixed.
⁶Leave your simple ways, and live,
and walk in the way of insight.”
⁷Whoever corrects a scoffer gets himself abuse,
and he who reproves a wicked man incurs injury.
⁸Do not reprove a scoffer, or he will hate you;
reprove a wise man, and he will love you.
⁹Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser;
teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.
¹⁰The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,
and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.
¹¹For by me your days will be multiplied,
and years will be added to your life.
¹²If you are wise, you are wise for yourself;
if you scoff, you alone will bear it.

¹³The woman Folly is loud;
she is seductive and knows nothing.
¹⁴She sits at the door of her house;
she takes a seat on the highest places of the town,
¹⁵calling to those who pass by,
who are going straight on their way,
¹⁶“Whoever is simple, let him turn in here!”
And to him who lacks sense she says,
¹⁷“Stolen water is sweet,
and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.”
¹⁸But he does not know that the dead are there,
that her guests are in the depths of Sheol.

New Testament Reading John 13:21–38

²¹After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” ²²The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. ²³One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table close to Jesus, ²⁴so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. ²⁵So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” ²⁶Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. ²⁷Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” ²⁸Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. ²⁹Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. ³⁰So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

³¹When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. ³²If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once. ³³Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’ ³⁴A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. ³⁵By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

³⁶Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.” ³⁷Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” ³⁸Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.