Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 64
For the Music Director. A Psalm of David.
1 Hear my voice, O God, in my complaint;
guard my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked,
from the throng of the workers of iniquity;
3 they sharpen their tongue like a sword,
and bend their bows to shoot their arrows—bitter words,
4 that they may shoot in secret at the blameless;
suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear.
5 They harden themselves in an evil matter;
they talk privately of laying snares;
they say, “Who will see them?”
6 They devise injustice,
saying “We have perfected a secret plot.”
Both the inward thought of man and the heart are deep.
7 But God will suddenly shoot them with an arrow;
they will be wounded.
8 They will bring ruin on themselves
by their own tongues;
all who see them will flee away.
9 All people will fear,
and declare the work of God;
they will wisely consider His deeds.
10 The righteous will be glad in the Lord,
and seek refuge in Him,
and all the upright in heart will glory.
Bildad Speaks: God Punishes the Wicked
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “How long will it be until you put an end to words?
Gain understanding, and afterwards we will speak.
3 Why are we counted as beasts
and regarded as stupid in your sight?
4 You who tear yourself in anger,
will the earth be forsaken for you?
And will the rock be removed from its place?
5 “Yes, the light of the wicked will be put out,
and the spark of his fire will not shine.
6 The light will be dark in his tent,
and his candle beside him will be put out.
7 The steps of his strength will be shortened,
and his own counsel will cast him down.
8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
and he walks upon a snare.
9 The trap will take him by the heel,
and the snare will prevail against him.
10 The snare is laid for him in the ground,
and a trap for him in the path.
11 Terrors will make him afraid on every side
and will drive him to his feet.
12 His strength will be hungry,
and destruction will be ready at his side.
13 It will devour the parts of his skin;
the firstborn of death will devour his limbs.
14 His confidence will be rooted out of his tent,
and it will bring him to the king of terrors.
15 They dwell in his tent who have no part with him;
brimstone will be scattered upon his habitation.
16 His roots will be dried up beneath,
and above his branch will dry up.
17 The memory of him will perish from the earth,
and he will have no name in the street.
18 He will be driven from light into darkness,
and chased out of the world.
19 He has neither descendant nor posterity among his people,
nor anyone remaining in his dwellings.
20 They who come after him will be astonished at his day,
as they who went before were seized with fright.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
and this is the place of him who does not know God.”
Christ the Power and Wisdom of God
18 For to those who are perishing, the preaching of the cross is foolishness, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”[a]
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has God not made the wisdom of this world foolish? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. 22 For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. 23 But we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Greeks. 24 But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, we preach Christ as the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
26 For observe your calling, brothers. Among you, not many wise men according to the flesh, not many mighty men, and not many noble men were called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty. 28 And God has chosen the base things of the world and things which are despised. Yes, and He chose things which did not exist to bring to nothing things that do, 29 so that no flesh should boast in His presence. 30 But because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, whom God made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. 31 Therefore, as it is written, “Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord.”[b]
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.