Mass readings in Scots: Twentieth Sunday of the Year (Year B)

First reading
Proverbs 9: 1-6

Wisdom has biggit her hoose,

Uphauden by seeven braw pillars;

The beasts hae been kill't for a feast,

The wine's a' forrit an' ready,

An' the buird's been plenish't wi' galore.

She's order't her lassies athort,

An' frae a' the heich pairts o' the toon

She's hoyin an' cryin:--

"Whae'er is feckless amang ye,

Come in-by;

Whae'er has sma' understaun'in,

Come in-ower;

Here's fine feedin for ye,

Here's wine I hae ready."

Quat the auld gangins, ye feckless craiturs;

Come in-by, an' get a gliff o' life,

An' tak ye the airts o' guid understaun'in.

[From The Wyse-Sayin's o' Solomon [The Book of Proverbs] by T Whyte Paterson; Alexander Gardner (Paisley) 1915 here]


Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 33: 2-3, 10-15.

I wull bliss the Lord at a' times:
his prayse sail be continwallie in my mooth.
My saul sail mak' hir brag in the Lord;
the lawlie sail heær o't, an' be gladsume.

O feær the Lord, ye his saunts;
for ther is nae inlak til thame that feær him.
The yung lions inlack, an' thole hungir:
but thaye that seik the Lord sallna inlak onie guid thing.

Cum, ye childer, herken untill me;
I wull teech yow the feær o' the Lord.
What man is he that langs efter liffe,
an' loes monie dayes, that he may see guid?

Keep thy tung frae ill,
an' thy lipps frae speikin' gyle.
Flie awa frae ill, an' do guid;
seek peece, an' perzist in it.

[From Psalm 34, The Book of Psalms in Lowland Scots Henry Scott Riddell (1857) here]

Second reading
Ephesians 5:15-20

Tak ye tent, than, to walk cannilie; no as glaikit, but as wyss; and win ye for yersels the opportunity; for the days are ill. And sae, be-na ye simple, but be ye discernin as to what the Lord’s wull may be, and be-na ye fou’ wi’ wine, in whilk is riot ; but be ye fou’ o’ the Spirit, speakin amang yersels in psalms and hymns, and godly sangs, liltin and makin music i’ yere hearts to the Lord, at a’ times giean thanks for a’ things, i’ the name o’ oor Lord Jesus Christ, to yere God and Faither.

[From The New Testament in Braid Scots William Wye Smith (1904) here]


Gospel reading
John 6: 51-58

[Jesus said to the folk:]

"The Leevin Breid that cam doon frae Heeven is mysel;
gin ony man eat this Breid, he leeves for Aye:
and the breid I sal gie
is my flesh, that I wull gie for the warld’s life.”

But the Jews had an unco bruilzie anent it, amang theirsels, and cry’t oot, "Hoo can this man gie us his flesh to eat?”

Than quo’ Jesus to them,

"Truly, truly say I t’ye,
Gin ye eat-na the flesh o’ the Son o’ Man,
and drink his blude,
thar is nae Life in ye!
Wha eats my flesh, and drinks my blude,
wins Life Eternal;
and him wull I raise again at the Last Day.
For my flesh is vera meat,
and my blude is vera drink.
And wha eats my flesh and drinks my blude,
bides in me, and I in him.
E’en as the Evir-leevin Faither sends me,
and I leeve by him,
sae he wha eats o’ me, sal e’en leeve by me!
This is e’en the Breid that cam doon frae Heeven;
no like as yere forebears wha did eat manna,
and dee’t:
wha eats o’ this Breid leaves for aye!”

[From The New Testament in Braid Scots William Wye Smith (1904) here]