Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
9 Fear the Lord, you holy ones of his;
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 Young lions lack and go hungry,
but those who seek the Lord will never lack any good thing.
11 Come, children, listen to me,
and I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Who among you[a] desires life,
and wants long life in order to see good?
13 Then keep your tongue from doing evil
and your lips from spreading lies.
14 Avoid evil and do good!
Seek peace and pursue it!
Job Responds to Zophar
12 In response Job replied:
2 “Truly, you are the people
and wisdom will die with you!
3 Like you, I also have understanding.[a]
I’m not inferior to you;
who doesn’t know things[b] like this?”
Job Has Become a Laughingstock
4 “I’m a laughingstock to my friends,
someone[c] who called on God.
But then he answered this upright and blameless man,
and I have become[d] a laughingstock.
5 The carefree are thinking, ‘I have contempt for misfortune,’
Those who are about to stumble deserve it.
6 The tents of robbers are at rest,
and those who provoke God are secure,
that is, those who carry their god in their pocket.[e]
Wisdom Can Be Found in God’s Creation
7 “Ask the wild animals, and they’ll teach you;
the birds of the sky will tell you.
8 Or ask the green plants of the earth and they’ll teach you;
let the fish in the sea tell you.
9 Who among all of these doesn’t know
that the Lord’s hand made them,[f]
10 and that the life of every living thing[g] rests in his control,
along with the breath of every living human being?
11 The ear scrutinizes speech
just as the palate tastes food.”
God is the All-Wise and All-Powerful Creator
12 “Wisdom may be found in the company of the aged.
Understanding comes[h] with longevity.
13 With God[i] is wisdom and strength;
counsel and understanding belongs to him.
14 When he tears down, nobody rebuilds;
when[j] he incarcerates, nobody escapes.
15 When he withholds water, rivers[k] dry up;
when he lets them loose, they’ll flood[l] the land.
16 “With God[m] are strength and sound wisdom;
both the deceived and those who deceive are responsible to him.[n]
17 He leads counselors away naked;
he turns judges into fools.
18 He strips away the authority of kings to punish
and puts them in prison clothes instead.
19 He leads away the priests naked
and overthrows the ruling class.[o]
20 He keeps reliable advisors from speaking,[p]
and removes discernment from elders.
21 He pours contempt on nobles
and embarrasses[q] the mighty.
22 He uncovers the hidden dimensions from darkness,
bringing what is in deep shadow to light.
23 He makes nations great, and then destroys them;
he enlarges nations, but then sends them away to captivity.[r]
24 He withdraws understanding[s] from national leaders of the world,[t]
causing them to wander through uncharted[u] wilderness.
25 They grope in the dark without light;
he causes them to stagger around like a drunkard.”
Final Warning
17 Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and sinful enticements that oppose the teaching you have learned. Stay away from them, 18 because such people are not serving the Messiah[a] our Lord, but their own desires. By their smooth talk and flattering words they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. 19 For your obedience has become known to everyone, and I am full of joy for you. But I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil. 20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. May the grace of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah,[b] be with all of you![c]
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