Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

³ Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
    for we have had more than enough of contempt.^(C)
4 Our soul has had more than its fill
    of the scorn of those who are at ease,
    of the contempt of the proud.^(D)

² “Dominion and fear are with God;^[a]
    he makes peace in his high heaven.^(A)
3 Is there any number to his armies?
    Upon whom does his light not arise?^(B)
4 How then can a mortal be righteous before God?
    How can one born of woman be pure?^(C)
5 If even the moon is not bright
    and the stars are not pure in his sight,^(D)
6 how much less a mortal, who is a maggot,
    and a human being, who is a worm!”^(E)

² “How you have helped one who has no power!
    How you have assisted the arm that has no strength!^(F)
3 How you have counseled one who has no wisdom
    and given much good advice!
⁴ With whose help have you uttered words,
    and whose spirit has come forth from you?
⁵ The shades below tremble,
    the waters and their inhabitants.
⁶ Sheol is naked before God,
    and Abaddon has no covering.^(G)
7 He stretches out Zaphon^[b] over the void
    and hangs the earth upon nothing.^(H)
8 He binds up the waters in his thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not torn open by them.^(I)
9 He covers the face of the full moon
    and spreads over it his cloud.^(J)
10 He has described a circle on the face of the waters,
    at the boundary between light and darkness.^(K)
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
    and are astounded at his rebuke.
¹² By his power he stilled the Sea;
    by his understanding he struck down Rahab.^(L)
13 By his wind the heavens were made fair;
    his hand pierced the fleeing serpent.^(M)
14 These are indeed but the outskirts of his ways,
    and how small a whisper do we hear of him!
    But the thunder of his power who can understand?”^(N)