Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Prayer for the Lord’s Help

123 I lift up my eyes to You, O You Whose throne is in the heavens. ² See, the eyes of servants look to the hand of their owner. The eyes of a woman servant look to the hand of her owner. So our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He shows us loving-kindness.

³ Show loving-kindness to us, O Lord. Show loving-kindness to us. For we have had our fill of hate. ⁴ The proud have laughed at us too long. We have had more than enough of their hate.

Zophar Talks

20 Then Zophar the Naamathite answered, ² “My troubled thoughts make me answer, because I have no rest inside. ³ I heard the strong words that take away my honor. The spirit of my understanding makes me answer. ⁴ Do you not know from long ago, since man was put on earth, ⁵ that the honor of the sinful is short, and the joy of the sinful lasts only a short time? ⁶ Even if his pride is as high as the heavens and his head touches the clouds, ⁷ he will be gone forever, like his own waste. Those who have seen him will say, ‘Where is he?’ ⁸ He will fly away like a dream, and not be found. He will be driven away like a dream of the night. ⁹ The eye which saw him will see him no more. His place will no longer see him. ¹⁰ His sons will look for the favor of the poor. And his hands will give back his riches. ¹¹ His bones are full of the strength of the young, but it will lie down with him in the dust.

¹⁶ We had nothing to do with man-made stories when we told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ and of His coming again. We have seen His great power with our own eyes. ¹⁷ When He received honor and shining-greatness from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the All-powerful God, saying, “This is My much-loved Son. I am very happy with Him.” ¹⁸ We heard this voice come from heaven when we were with Christ on the holy mountain.

¹⁹ All this helps us know that what the early preachers said was true. You will do well to listen to what they have said. Their words are as lights that shine in a dark place. Listen until you understand what they have said. Then it will be like the morning light which takes away the darkness. And the Morning Star (Christ) will rise to shine in your hearts.

²⁰ Understand this first: No part of the Holy Writings was ever made up by any man. ²¹ No part of the Holy Writings came long ago because of what man wanted to write. But holy men who belonged to God spoke what the Holy Spirit told them.