Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

² The Lord is my pillar, and my fortress, and my deliverer;
    my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
    my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower.
³ I will call on the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
    and I will be saved from my enemies.
⁴ The cords of death encircled me,
    and the torrents of destruction terrified me.
⁵ The cords of Sheol surrounded me;
    the snares of death confronted me.

⁶ In my distress I called on the Lord,
    and cried for help to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
    and my cry for help came before Him to His ears.
⁷ Then the earth shook and quaked;
    the foundations of the hills also moved;
    they reeled because His anger burned.
⁸ Smoke went up out of His nostrils,
    and fire from His mouth devoured;
    coals were kindled by it.
⁹ He bent the heavens and came down,
    and darkness was under His feet.
¹⁰ He rode on a cherub, and flew;
    He flew swiftly on the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness His secret place;
    His pavilion was surrounding Him,
    dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.
¹² At the brightness before Him His thick clouds passed by,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
¹³ The Lord also thundered in the heavens,
    and the Most High gave His voice,
    hailstones and coals of fire.
¹⁴ He sent out His arrows and scattered them,
    and He shot out lightning and distressed them.
¹⁵ Then the channels of waters appeared,
    and the foundations of the world were discovered
at Your rebuke, O Lord,
    at the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

¹⁶ He sent from above, He took me;
    He drew me out of many waters.
¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy,
    and from those who hated me,
    for they were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
    but the Lord was my support.
¹⁹ He also brought me forth into a large place;
    He delivered me because He delighted in me.

²⁷ “For He draws up the drops of water;
    they distill rain according to its mist,
²⁸ which the clouds drop down,
    and drip upon man abundantly.
²⁹ Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
    or the noise of His tent?
³⁰ See, He spreads His light upon it
    and covers the bottom of the sea.
³¹ For by these He judges the people;
    He gives food in abundance.
³² With clouds He covers the light,
    and commands it to strike the mark.
³³ Its thunder declares it,
    the cattle also, concerning the rising storm.

¹⁴ “Listen to this, Job; stand still
    and consider the wondrous works of God.
¹⁵ Do you know when God dispatches them
    and causes the light of His cloud to shine?
¹⁶ Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
    the wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?
¹⁷ How your garments are warm,
    when He quiets the earth by the south wind?
¹⁸ Have you, with Him, spread out the sky,
    which is strong and is like a molded mirror?

¹⁹ “Teach us what we will say to Him,
    for we cannot prepare our speech because of the darkness.
²⁰ Will it be told Him that I speak?
    If a man speaks, surely he will be swallowed up.
²¹ Now men do not see the bright light
    which is in the clouds,
    but the wind passes and cleanses them.
²² Fair weather comes out of the north;
    with God is terrible majesty.
²³ Concerning the Almighty, we cannot find Him out;
    He is excellent in power, and in judgment,
    and in much righteousness He will not oppress.
²⁴ Men therefore fear Him;
    He shows no partiality to those who are wise in heart.”