Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
12 Blessed is the (A)nation whose God is the Lord,
The people whom He has (B)chosen for His own inheritance.
13 The Lord (C)looks from heaven;
He (D)sees all the sons of men;
14 From (E)His dwelling place He looks out
On all the inhabitants of the earth,
15 He who (F)fashions [a]the hearts of them all,
He who (G)understands all their works.
16 (H)The king is not saved by a mighty army;
A warrior is not delivered by great strength.
17 A (I)horse is a false hope for victory;
Nor does it deliver anyone by its great strength.
18 Behold, (J)the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him,
On those who [b](K)hope for His lovingkindness,
19 To (L)deliver their soul from death
And to keep them alive (M)in famine.
20 Our soul (N)waits for the Lord;
He is our (O)help and our shield.
21 For our (P)heart rejoices in Him,
Because we trust in His holy name.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us,
According as we have [c]hoped in You.
Job Says God Will Deal with the Wicked
21 Then Job [a]answered,
2 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let this be your way of consolation.
3 “Bear with me that I may speak;
Then after I have spoken, you may (A)mock.
4 “As for me, is (B)my complaint [b]to man?
And (C)why should [c]I not be impatient?
5 “Look at me, and be astonished,
And (D)put your hand over your mouth.
6 “Even when I remember, I am disturbed,
And (E)horror takes hold of my flesh.
7 “Why (F)do the wicked still live,
Continue on, also become very (G)powerful?
8 “Their [d](H)descendants are established with them in their sight,
And their offspring before their eyes,
9 Their houses (I)are safe from fear,
And the rod of God is not on them.
10 “His ox mates [e]without fail;
His cow calves and does not abort.
11 “They send forth their little ones like the flock,
And their children skip about.
12 “They [f]sing to the timbrel and harp
And rejoice at the sound of the flute.
13 “They (J)spend their days in prosperity,
And [g]suddenly they go down to [h]Sheol.
14 “They say to God, ‘(K)Depart from us!
We do not even desire the knowledge of Your ways.
15 ‘[i]Who is [j]the Almighty, that we should serve Him,
And (L)what would we gain if we entreat Him?’
16 “Behold, their prosperity is not in their hand;
The (M)counsel of the wicked is far from me.
Solicitude for Israel
9 (A)I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. 3 For (B)I could [a]wish that I myself were (C)accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen (D)according to the flesh, 4 who are (E)Israelites, to whom belongs (F)the adoption as sons, and (G)the glory and (H)the covenants and (I)the giving of the Law and (J)the temple service and (K)the promises, 5 whose are (L)the fathers, and (M)from whom is [b]the Christ according to the flesh, (N)who is over all, (O)God (P)blessed [c]forever. Amen.
6 But it is not as though (Q)the word of God has failed. (R)For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel; 7 nor are they all children (S)because they are Abraham’s [d]descendants, but: “[e](T)through Isaac your [f]descendants will be named.” 8 That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are (U)children of God, but the (V)children of the promise are regarded as [g]descendants. 9 For this is the word of promise: “(W)At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.