Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

64 Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer. Preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

² Hide me from the conspiracy of the wicked, from the rage of the works of iniquity

³ which have whet their tongue like a sword and shot bitter words for their arrows,

⁴ to shoot at the upright in secret. They shoot at him suddenly and do not fear.

⁵ They encourage themselves in a wicked purpose. They commune together to lay snares privately, saying, “Who shall see them?”

⁶ They have sought out iniquities and have accomplished that which they sought. Everyone’s inward thoughts and depth of heart are both deep.

⁷ But God will shoot an arrow at them suddenly. Their strokes shall be sudden.

⁸ They shall cause them to fall upon their own tongue. Whoever shall see them shall flee away.

⁹ And all men shall see it and declare the work of God; and they shall understand what He has wrought.

¹⁰ But the righteous shall be glad in the LORD, and trust in Him; and all who are upright in heart shall rejoice. To him who excels: A psalm or song of David

18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered, and said,

² “When will you put an end to your words? Make us understand, and then we will speak.

³ “Why are we counted as beasts, and vile in your sight?

⁴ “You are as one who tears his soul in his anger. Shall the Earth be forsaken for your sake, or the rock removed from its place?

⁵ “Yea, the light of the wicked shall be quenched. And the spark of his fire shall not shine.

⁶ “The light shall be dark in his dwelling, and his candle shall be put out with him.

⁷ “The steps of his strength shall be restrained, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

⁸ “For he is taken in the net by his feet, and he walks upon the snares.

⁹ “The net shall take him by the heel, and the traps shall come upon him.

¹⁰ “A noose is laid for him on the ground, and a trap for him on the way.

¹¹ “Fearfulness shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

¹² “His strength shall be famine. And destruction shall be ready at his side.

¹³ “It shall devour the inner parts of his skin. The firstborn of death shall devour his strength.

¹⁴ “His hope shall be rooted out of his dwelling, and shall cause him to go to the king of fear.

¹⁵ “Fear shall dwell in his house (because it is not his). Brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

¹⁶ “His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut down.

¹⁷ “His memory shall perish from the Earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

¹⁸ “They shall drive him out of the light into darkness and chase him out of the world.

¹⁹ “He shall have neither son nor nephew among his people, nor any posterity in his dwellings.

²⁰ “Those who follow shall be astonished every day, and fear shall come upon the ancient.

²¹ “Surely such are the habitations of the wicked. And this is the place of him who does not know God.”

¹⁸ For the preaching of the cross is to those who perish, foolishness. But to us who are saved, it is the power of God.

¹⁹ For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will cast away the understanding of the prudent.”

²⁰ Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this world? Has not God made the wisdom of this world foolishness?

²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world in its own wisdom did not know God, it pleased God, by the foolishness of preaching, to save those who believe;

²² seeing also that the Jews require a sign, and the Grecians seek after wisdom.

²³ But we preach Christ crucified, indeed a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to the Grecians.

²⁴ But to those who are called, both of the Jews and Grecians, we preach Christ: the power of God and the wisdom of God.

²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than man, and the weakness of God is stronger than man.

²⁶ For brothers, you see your calling: how that not many are wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble.

²⁷ But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise. And God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the mighty things.

²⁸ And vile things of the world, and things which are despised, God has chosen, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.

²⁹ That no flesh should boast in His presence.

³⁰ But you are of Him in Christ Jesus, Who, out of God, is made wisdom and righteousness to us, and sanctification, and redemption.

³¹ That it may be as it is written, ‘The one who boasts, let him boast in the Lord’.