Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Prayer for Mercy
A song for going up to worship.
123 Lord, I look up to you.
You live in heaven.
2 Slaves depend on their masters.
And a female servant depends on her mistress.
In the same way, we depend on our God.
We wait for him to show us mercy.
3 Be kind to us, Lord. Be kind to us
because we have been insulted.
4 We have suffered many insults from lazy people
and much cruelty from the proud.
Job Answers Zophar
21 Then Job answered:
17 Yet how often is the lamp of evil people turned off?
How often does trouble come to them?
How often do they suffer the punishment God plans in his anger?
18 How often are they like straw in the wind
or like chaff that is blown away by a storm?
19 It is said, ‘God saves up a man’s punishment for the man’s children.’
God should punish the evil person himself so he will know it.
20 His eyes should see his own destruction.
He should suffer the anger of God All-Powerful.
21 He does not care about the family he leaves behind
when his life has come to an end.
22 “No one can teach knowledge to God.
He is the one who judges even the most important people.
23 One man dies while he still has all his strength.
He feels completely safe and comfortable.
24 His body was well fed.
And his bones were strong and healthy.
25 But another man dies with an unhappy heart.
He never had any happiness.
26 These two men are buried next to each other.
And worms cover both of them.
27 “I know very well what you are thinking.
I know your plans to do wrong to me.
28 You say about me, ‘Now where is this great man’s house?
And where are the tents where the evil men lived?’
29 You have never asked those who travel.
You have not listened to their stories.
30 On the day of God’s anger and punishment,
it is the evil man who is spared.
31 Who will accuse him to his face?
No one pays him back for the evil he has done.
32 He is carried to his grave.
And someone keeps watch over his tomb.
33 The dirt in the valley will seem sweet to him.
Everybody follows after him.
Many people go before him.
34 “So you cannot comfort me with this nonsense.
Your answers are still only lies!”
Do Not Help False Teachers
1 From the Elder.[a]
To the chosen lady[b] and to her children:
I love all of you in the truth.[c] Also, all those who know the truth love you. 2 We love you because of the truth—the truth that lives in us and will be with us forever.
3 Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from his Son, Jesus Christ. And may we have these blessings in truth and love.
4 I was very happy to learn about some of your children. I am happy that they are following the way of truth, as the Father commanded us. 5 And now, dear lady, I tell you: We should all love each other. This is not a new command. It is the same command we have had from the beginning. 6 And loving means living the way he commanded us to live. And God’s command is this: that you live a life of love. You have heard this command from the beginning.
7 Many false teachers are in the world now. They refuse to say that Jesus Christ came to earth and became a man. Anyone who refuses to say this is a false teacher and an enemy of Christ. 8 Be careful! Do not lose the reward that you[d] have worked for. Be careful, so that you will receive your full reward.
9 A person must continue to follow only the teaching of Christ. If he goes beyond Christ’s teaching, then he does not have God. But if he continues following the teaching of Christ, then he has both the Father and the Son. 10 If someone comes to you, but does not bring this teaching, then do not accept him into your house. Do not welcome him. 11 If you accept him, you are helping him with his evil work.
12 I have much to say to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to come visit you. Then we can be together and talk. That will make us very happy. 13 The children of your chosen sister[e] send you their love.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.