Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Prayer for Deliverance from Secret Enemies.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
64 Hear my voice, O God, in (A)my [a]complaint;
(B)Preserve my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the (C)secret counsel of evildoers,
From the tumult of (D)those who do iniquity,
3 Who (E)have sharpened their tongue like a sword.
They (F)aimed bitter speech as their arrow,
4 To (G)shoot [b]from concealment at the blameless;
Suddenly they shoot at him, and (H)do not fear.
5 They [c]hold fast to themselves an evil purpose;
They [d]talk of (I)laying snares secretly;
They say, “(J)Who can see them?”
6 They [e]devise injustices, saying,
“We are [f]ready with a well-conceived plot”;
For the [g](K)inward thought and the heart of a man are [h]deep.
7 But (L)God [i]will shoot at them with an arrow;
Suddenly [j]they will be wounded.
8 So [k]they [l]will (M)make him stumble;
(N)Their own tongue is against them;
All who see them will (O)shake the head.
9 Then all men [m]will (P)fear,
And they [n]will (Q)declare the work of God,
And [o]will consider [p]what He has done.
10 The righteous man will be (R)glad in the Lord and will (S)take refuge in Him;
And all the upright in heart will glory.
Job Feels Insulted
19 Then Job [a]responded,
2 “How long will you torment [b]me
And crush me with words?
3 “These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me.
4 “Even if I have truly erred,
My error lodges with me.
5 “If indeed you (A)vaunt yourselves against me
And prove my disgrace to me,
6 Know then that (B)God has wronged me
And has closed (C)His net around me.
Everything Is against Him
7 “Behold, (D)I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.
8 “He has (E)walled up my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has put (F)darkness on my paths.
9 “He has (G)stripped my honor from me
And removed the (H)crown from my head.
10 “He (I)breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
And He has uprooted my (J)hope (K)like a tree.
11 “He has also (L)kindled His anger against me
And (M)considered me as His enemy.
12 “His (N)troops come together,
And (O)build up their [c]way against me
And camp around my tent.
13 “He has (P)removed my brothers far from me,
And my (Q)acquaintances are completely estranged from me.
14 “My relatives have failed,
And my (R)intimate friends have forgotten me.
15 “Those who live in my house and my maids consider me a stranger.
I am a foreigner in their sight.
16 “I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore him with my mouth.
17 “My breath is [d]offensive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18 “Even young children despise me;
I rise up and they speak against me.
19 “All [e]my (S)associates abhor me,
And those I love have turned against me.
20 “My (T)bone clings to my skin and my flesh,
And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.
21 “Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
For the (U)hand of God has struck me.
22 “Why do you (V)persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?
11 Therefore remember that (A)formerly (B)you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “(C)Uncircumcision” by the so-called “(D)Circumcision,” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, [a](E)excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to (F)the covenants of promise, having (G)no hope and (H)without God in the world. 13 But now in (I)Christ Jesus you who (J)formerly were (K)far off [b]have (L)been brought near [c](M)by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is (N)our peace, (O)who made both groups into one and broke down the [d]barrier of the dividing wall, 15 [e]by (P)abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is (Q)the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might [f](R)make the two into (S)one new man, thus establishing (T)peace, 16 and might (U)reconcile them both in (V)one body to God through the cross, [g]by it having (W)put to death the enmity. 17 And (X)He came and preached (Y)peace to you who were (Z)far away, and peace to those who were (AA)near; 18 for through Him we both have (AB)our access in (AC)one Spirit to (AD)the Father. 19 So then you are no longer (AE)strangers and aliens, but you are (AF)fellow citizens with the [h]saints, and are of (AG)God’s household, 20 having been (AH)built on (AI)the foundation of (AJ)the apostles and prophets, (AK)Christ Jesus Himself being the (AL)corner stone, 21 (AM)in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into (AN)a holy [i]temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being (AO)built together into a (AP)dwelling of God in the Spirit.
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