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14 “How frail is humanity!
    How short is life, how full of trouble!
We blossom like a flower and then wither.
    Like a passing shadow, we quickly disappear.
Must you keep an eye on such a frail creature
    and demand an accounting from me?
Who can bring purity out of an impure person?
    No one!
You have decided the length of our lives.
    You know how many months we will live,
    and we are not given a minute longer.
So leave us alone and let us rest!
    We are like hired hands, so let us finish our work in peace.

“Even a tree has more hope!
    If it is cut down, it will sprout again
    and grow new branches.
Though its roots have grown old in the earth
    and its stump decays,
at the scent of water it will bud
    and sprout again like a new seedling.

10 “But when people die, their strength is gone.
    They breathe their last, and then where are they?
11 As water evaporates from a lake
    and a river disappears in drought,
12 people are laid to rest and do not rise again.
    Until the heavens are no more, they will not wake up
    nor be roused from their sleep.

13 “I wish you would hide me in the grave[a]
    and forget me there until your anger has passed.
    But mark your calendar to think of me again!
14 Can the dead live again?
    If so, this would give me hope through all my years of struggle,
    and I would eagerly await the release of death.

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Footnotes

  1. 14:13 Hebrew in Sheol.

Job Continues: Death Comes Soon to All

14 “Man who is (A)born of a woman
    is (B)few of days and (C)full of trouble.
He comes out like (D)a flower and (E)withers;
    he flees like (F)a shadow and continues not.
And do you (G)open your eyes on such a one
    and (H)bring me into judgment with you?
Who can bring (I)a clean thing out of an unclean?
    There is not one.
Since his (J)days are determined,
    and (K)the number of his months is with you,
    and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass,
(L)look away from him and leave him alone,[a]
    that he may enjoy, like (M)a hired hand, his day.

“For there is hope for a tree,
    if it be cut down, that it will sprout again,
    and that its shoots will not cease.
Though its root grow old in the earth,
    and (N)its stump die in the soil,
yet at the scent of water it will bud
    and put out (O)branches like a young plant.
10 But a man dies and is laid low;
    man breathes his last, and (P)where is he?
11 (Q)As waters fail from a lake
    and a river wastes away and dries up,
12 so a man lies down and rises not again;
    till (R)the heavens are no more he will not awake
    or be (S)roused out of his sleep.
13 Oh that you would (T)hide me in (U)Sheol,
    that you would (V)conceal me (W)until your wrath be past,
    that you would appoint me a set time, and remember me!
14 If a man dies, shall he live again?
    All the days of my (X)service I would (Y)wait,
    till my renewal[b] should come.

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Footnotes

  1. Job 14:6 Probable reading; Hebrew look away from him, that he may cease
  2. Job 14:14 Or relief

Hope in the Lord’s Faithfulness

I am the one who has seen the afflictions
    that come from the rod of the Lord’s anger.
He has led me into darkness,
    shutting out all light.
He has turned his hand against me
    again and again, all day long.

He has made my skin and flesh grow old.
    He has broken my bones.
He has besieged and surrounded me
    with anguish and distress.
He has buried me in a dark place,
    like those long dead.

He has walled me in, and I cannot escape.
    He has bound me in heavy chains.
And though I cry and shout,
    he has shut out my prayers.
He has blocked my way with a high stone wall;
    he has made my road crooked.

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Great Is Your Faithfulness

(A)I am the man who has seen affliction
    under the (B)rod of his wrath;
he has driven and brought me
    (C)into darkness without any light;
surely against me he turns his hand
    again and again the whole day long.

He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;
    (D)he has broken my bones;
(E)he has besieged and enveloped me
    with (F)bitterness and tribulation;
(G)he has made me dwell in darkness
    like the dead of long ago.

(H)He has walled me about so that (I)I cannot escape;
    he has made my chains heavy;
though (J)I call and cry for help,
    he shuts out my prayer;
(K)he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones;
    he has made my paths crooked.

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19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness
    is bitter beyond words.[a]
20 I will never forget this awful time,
    as I grieve over my loss.
21 Yet I still dare to hope
    when I remember this:

22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends![b]
    His mercies never cease.
23 Great is his faithfulness;
    his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance;
    therefore, I will hope in him!”

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Footnotes

  1. 3:19 Or is wormwood and gall.
  2. 3:22 As in Syriac version; Hebrew reads of the Lord keeps us from destruction.

19 (A)Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    (B)the wormwood and (C)the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
    (D)and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
    and (E)therefore I have hope:

22 (F)The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
    (G)his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new (H)every morning;
    (I)great is your faithfulness.
24 (J)“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    (K)“therefore I will hope in him.”

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:22 Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Because of the steadfast love of the Lord, we are not cut off

Psalm 31

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

O Lord, I have come to you for protection;
    don’t let me be disgraced.
    Save me, for you do what is right.
Turn your ear to listen to me;
    rescue me quickly.
Be my rock of protection,
    a fortress where I will be safe.
You are my rock and my fortress.
    For the honor of your name, lead me out of this danger.
Pull me from the trap my enemies set for me,
    for I find protection in you alone.

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Into Your Hand I Commit My Spirit

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

31 (A)In you, O Lord, do I (B)take refuge;
    (C)let me never be put to shame;
    in your (D)righteousness deliver me!
Incline your ear to me;
    rescue me speedily!
Be (E)a rock of (F)refuge for me,
    a strong fortress to save me!

For you are my rock and my fortress;
    and for your (G)name's sake you lead me and guide me;
you (H)take me out of (I)the net they have hidden for me,
    for you are my (J)refuge.

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15 My future is in your hands.
    Rescue me from those who hunt me down relentlessly.
16 Let your favor shine on your servant.
    In your unfailing love, rescue me.

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15 My (A)times are in your hand;
    (B)rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!
16 (C)Make your face shine on your servant;
    save me in your steadfast love!

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Living for God

So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin.[a] You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God. You have had enough in the past of the evil things that godless people enjoy—their immorality and lust, their feasting and drunkenness and wild parties, and their terrible worship of idols.

Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead[b]—so although they were destined to die like all people,[c] they now live forever with God in the Spirit.[d]

The end of the world is coming soon. Therefore, be earnest and disciplined in your prayers. Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.

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Footnotes

  1. 4:1 Or For the one [or One] who has suffered physically has finished with sin.
  2. 4:6a Greek preached even to the dead.
  3. 4:6b Or so although people had judged them worthy of death.
  4. 4:6c Or in spirit.

Stewards of God's Grace

Since therefore (A)Christ suffered in the flesh,[a] (B)arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for (C)whoever has suffered in the flesh (D)has ceased from sin, (E)so as to live for (F)the rest of the time in the flesh (G)no longer for human passions but (H)for the will of God. For the time that is past (I)suffices (J)for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of (K)debauchery, and (L)they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready (M)to judge the living and the dead. For this is why (N)the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

(O)The end of all things is at hand; therefore (P)be self-controlled and sober-minded (Q)for the sake of your prayers. Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since (R)love covers a multitude of sins.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 4:1 Some manuscripts add for us; some for you

The Burial of Jesus

57 As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, 58 went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. 59 Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. 60 He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. 61 Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, on the Sabbath,[a] the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. 63 They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ 64 So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.”

65 Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” 66 So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.

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Footnotes

  1. 27:62 Or On the next day, which is after the Preparation.

Jesus Is Buried

57 (A)When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and (B)laid it in his own new tomb, (C)which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled (D)a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and (E)the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The Guard at the Tomb

62 The next day, that is, after the day of (F)Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how (G)that impostor said, while he was still alive, (H)‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, (I)lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have (J)a guard[a] of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by (K)sealing the stone and setting a guard.

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 27:65 Or Take a guard

The Burial of Jesus

38 Afterward Joseph of Arimathea, who had been a secret disciple of Jesus (because he feared the Jewish leaders), asked Pilate for permission to take down Jesus’ body. When Pilate gave permission, Joseph came and took the body away. 39 With him came Nicodemus, the man who had come to Jesus at night. He brought about seventy-five pounds[a] of perfumed ointment made from myrrh and aloes. 40 Following Jewish burial custom, they wrapped Jesus’ body with the spices in long sheets of linen cloth. 41 The place of crucifixion was near a garden, where there was a new tomb, never used before. 42 And so, because it was the day of preparation for the Jewish Passover[b] and since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

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Footnotes

  1. 19:39 Greek 100 litras [32.7 kilograms].
  2. 19:42 Greek because of the Jewish day of preparation.

Jesus Is Buried

38 (A)After these things Joseph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly (B)for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission. So he came and took away his body. 39 (C)Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus[a] by night, came (D)bringing a mixture of (E)myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds[b] in weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and (F)bound it in (G)linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a (H)garden, and (I)in the garden a new tomb (J)in which no one had yet been laid. 42 So because of the Jewish (K)day of Preparation, (L)since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there.

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Footnotes

  1. John 19:39 Greek him
  2. John 19:39 Greek one hundred litras; a litra (or Roman pound) was equal to about 11 1/2 ounces or 327 grams