Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Thanksgiving for Victory
For the director of music. To the tune of “The Death of the Son.” A song of David.
9 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart.
I will tell all the miracles you have done.
2 I will be happy because of you.
God Most High, I will sing praises to your name.
3 My enemies turn back.
They are overwhelmed and die because of you.
4 You have heard what I complained to you about.
You sat on your throne and judged by what was right.
5 You spoke strongly against the foreign nations
and destroyed the wicked people.
You wiped out their names forever and ever.
6 The enemy is gone forever.
You destroyed their cities.
No one even remembers them.
7 But the Lord rules forever.
He sits on his throne to judge.
8 The Lord will judge the world by what is right.
He will decide what is fair for the nations.
9 The Lord defends those who suffer.
He protects them in times of trouble.
10 Those who know the Lord trust him.
He will not leave those who come to him.
11 Sing praises to the Lord who is king on Mount Zion.
Tell the nations what he has done.
12 He remembers who the murderers are.
He will not forget the cries of those who suffer.
13 Lord, be kind to me.
See how my enemies hurt me.
Do not let me go through the gates of death.
14 Then, at the gates of Jerusalem, I will praise you.
I will rejoice because you saved me.
Job Answers Eliphaz
16 Then Job answered:
2 “I have heard many things like these.
You are all painful comforters!
3 Will your long, useless speeches never end?
What makes you keep on arguing?
4 I also could speak as you do
if you were in my place.
I could make great speeches against you.
And I could shake my head at you.
5 But, instead, my words would encourage you.
I would speak words of comfort to bring you relief.
6 “But if I speak, my pain does not become less.
And if I don’t speak, it still does not go away.
7 God, you have surely taken away my strength.
You have destroyed my whole family.
8 You have made me thin and weak.
And people feel that this shows I have done wrong.
9 God attacks me and tears me with anger.
He grinds his teeth at me.
My enemy stares at me with his angry eyes.
10 People open their mouths to make fun of me.
They hit my cheeks to insult me.
They join together against me.
11 God has turned me over to evil men.
He has thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.
12 Everything was fine with me.
But then God broke me into pieces.
He held me by the neck and crushed me.
He has made me his target.
13 God’s archers surround me.
He stabs my kidneys and has no mercy.
He spills my blood on the ground.
14 Again and again God attacks me.
He runs at me like a soldier.
15 “I have sewed rough cloth over my skin to show my sadness.
I have buried my face in the dust.
16 My face is red from crying.
I have dark circles around my eyes.
17 And yet my hands have never done anything cruel.
And my prayer is pure.
18 “Earth, please do not cover up my blood.
Don’t let my cry ever stop being heard!
19 Even now I have one who speaks for me in heaven.
The one who is on my side is high above.
20 The one who speaks for me is my friend.
While he does this, my eyes pour out tears to God.
21 He begs God on behalf of a man
as a man begs for his friend.
45 “Who is the wise and trusted servant? The master trusts one servant to give the other servants their food at the right time. 46 When the master comes and finds the servant doing his work, the servant will be very happy. 47 I tell you the truth. The master will choose that servant to take care of everything the master owns. 48 But what will happen if the servant is evil and thinks his master will not come back soon? 49 Then that servant will begin to beat the other servants. He will feast and get drunk with others like him. 50 And the master will come when the servant is not ready and is not expecting him. 51 Then the master will punish that servant. He will send him away to be among the hypocrites. There people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.