Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people chosen as his inheritance.(A)
IV
13 From heaven the Lord looks down
and observes the children of Adam,(B)
14 From his dwelling place he surveys
all who dwell on earth.
15 The One who fashioned together their hearts
is the One who knows all their works.
V
16 A king is not saved by a great army,
nor a warrior delivered by great strength.
17 Useless is the horse for safety;
despite its great strength, it cannot be saved.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon those who fear him,
upon those who count on his mercy,
19 To deliver their soul from death,
and to keep them alive through famine.
VI
20 Our soul waits for the Lord,
he is our help and shield.(C)
21 For in him our hearts rejoice;
in his holy name we trust.
22 May your mercy, Lord, be upon us;
as we put our hope in you.
Chapter 21
Job’s Sixth Reply. 1 Then Job answered and said:
2 At least listen to my words,(A)
and let that be the consolation you offer.
3 Bear with me while I speak;
and after I have spoken, you can mock!
4 Is my complaint toward any human being?
Why should I not be impatient?
5 Look at me and be appalled,
put your hands over your mouths.
6 When I think of it, I am dismayed,
and shuddering seizes my flesh.
7 [a]Why do the wicked keep on living,
grow old, become mighty in power?(B)
8 Their progeny is secure in their sight;
their offspring are before their eyes.
9 Their homes are safe, without fear,
and the rod of God is not upon them.
10 Their bulls breed without fail;
their cows calve and do not miscarry.
11 They let their young run free like sheep,
their children skip about.
12 They sing along with drum and lyre,
and make merry to the sound of the pipe.
13 They live out their days in prosperity,
and tranquilly go down to Sheol.(C)
14 Yet they say to God, “Depart from us,(D)
for we have no desire to know your ways!
15 What is the Almighty that we should serve him?
And what do we gain by praying to him?”(E)
16 Their happiness is not in their own hands.
The designs of the wicked are far from me!(F)
V. Jews and Gentiles in God’s Plan[a]
Chapter 9
Paul’s Love for Israel.[b] 1 I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the holy Spirit in bearing me witness(A) 2 that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and separated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kin according to the flesh.(B) 4 They are Israelites; theirs the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;(C) 5 theirs the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, is the Messiah. God who is over all[c] be blessed forever. Amen.(D)
God’s Free Choice. 6 But it is not that the word of God has failed. For not all who are of Israel are Israel,(E) 7 nor are they all children of Abraham because they are his descendants; but “It is through Isaac that descendants shall bear your name.”(F) 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.(G) 9 For this is the wording of the promise, “About this time I shall return and Sarah will have a son.”(H)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.