Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Be Gracious to Your Servants
Psalm 123
1 A Song of Ascents.
To You I lift up my eyes—
You enthroned in the heavens.
2 Behold, as the eyes of slaves to the hand of their master,
as the eyes of a slave-girl to the hand of her mistress—
so our eyes look to Adonai our God, till He shows us favor.
3 Show us favor, Adonai, show us favor!
For we have endured much contempt.
4 Our soul has had enough
of the scorn of those at ease,
the contempt of the proud.
Job’s Dialogue on the Wicked
21 Then Job replied:
17 “How often is the lamp of the wicked snuffed out
or calamity fallen on them?
How often does He allot pain in His anger?
18 How often are they like straw before the wind;
like chaff swept away by a storm?
19 You say, ‘God stores up the punishment for his children.’
Let Him repay the wicked so he may know it!
20 Let his own eyes see his ruin;
let him drink the wrath of Shaddai.
21 For what does he care for his family that he leaves behind,
when the number of his months has come to an end?
22 “Can anyone teach God knowledge,
since He judges even the highest.
23 One dies in his full strength,[a]
completely secure and at ease.
24 His pails are full of milk;
His bones are moist with marrow.
25 Yet another dies in bitterness of soul,
never having tasted goodness.
26 Together they lie in the dust
and worms cover over them.
27 “Behold, I know your thoughts,
the schemes by which you wrong me.
28 For you ask, ‘Where is the nobleman’s house
and the tent where the wicked lived?’
29 Have you not asked travelers?
Do you not recognize their accounts
30 that the wicked are spared for the day of calamity
that they are brought to the day of wrath?
31 Who declares his conduct to his face?
Who repays him for what he has done?
32 He is brought to the grave,
and watch is kept over his tomb.
33 The soil in the valley is sweet to him;
everyone follows after him,
and countless are those before him.
34 “So how will your futility comfort me,
for your answers remain nothing but falsehood?”
God’s Truth and Blessings Abide Forever
1 The elder.
To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in truth—and not I alone, but also all who have come to know the truth— 2 because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:
3 Grace, mercy, and shalom be with us, from God the Father and from Messiah Yeshua, the Father’s Son, in truth and love!
Lovingly Walk in God’s Truth
4 I was overjoyed to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we received as a commandment from the Father. 5 Now I ask you, dear lady, that we love one another. It is not as though I am writing you a new command, but the one we have had from the beginning. [a] 6 Now this is love: that we walk according to His commands. This is the commandment—just as you heard from the beginning—that you walk in love.
Protect Against Messianic Pretenders
7 For many deceivers have gone out into the world—those who do not acknowledge Yeshua as Messiah coming in human flesh. This one is a deceiver and the anti-messiah. 8 Watch yourselves, so you do not lose what we have worked for but receive a full reward. 9 Anyone who goes too far and does not remain in Messiah’s teaching does not have God. Anyone who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son. 10 If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not welcome him into your home or even give him a greeting. 11 For the one greeting him shares in his evil deeds.
Brotherly Fellowship Is Joyful
12 Although I have much to write to you, I don’t want to do it with paper and ink. But I hope to come to you and speak face to face, so that our joy may be full.
13 The children of your chosen sister send you greetings.[b]
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.