Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

^4 (G)The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ^[c]ungodliness made me afraid.
⁵ The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me;
The snares of death confronted me.
⁶ In my distress I called upon the Lord,
And cried out to my God;
He heard my voice from His temple,
And my cry came before Him, even to His ears.

^7 (H)Then the earth shook and trembled;
The foundations of the hills also quaked and were shaken,
Because He was angry.
⁸ Smoke went up from His nostrils,
And devouring fire from His mouth;
Coals were kindled by it.
^9 (I)He bowed the heavens also, and came down
With darkness under His feet.
^10 (J)And He rode upon a cherub, and flew;
^(K)He flew upon the wings of the wind.
¹¹ He made darkness His secret place;
^(L)His canopy around Him was dark waters
And thick clouds of the skies.
^12 (M)From the brightness before Him,
His thick clouds passed with hailstones and coals of fire.

¹³ The Lord thundered from heaven,
And the Most High uttered ^(N)His voice,
^[d]Hailstones and coals of fire.
^14 (O)He sent out His arrows and scattered ^[e]the foe,
Lightnings in abundance, and He vanquished them.
¹⁵ Then the channels of the sea were seen,
The foundations of the world were uncovered
At Your rebuke, O Lord,
At the blast of the breath of Your nostrils.

^16 (P)He sent from above, He took me;
He drew me out of many waters.
¹⁷ He delivered me from my strong enemy,
From those who hated me,
For they were too strong for me.
¹⁸ They confronted me in the day of my calamity,
But the Lord was my support.
^19 (Q)He also brought me out into a broad place;
He delivered me because He delighted in me.

²⁶ “Behold, God is great, and we ^(B)do not know Him;
^(C)Nor can the number of His years be discovered.
²⁷ For He ^(D)draws up drops of water,
Which distill as rain from the mist,
^28 (E)Which the clouds drop down
And pour abundantly on man.
²⁹ Indeed, can anyone understand the spreading of clouds,
The thunder from His canopy?
³⁰ Look, He ^(F)scatters His light upon it,
And covers the depths of the sea.
³¹ For ^(G)by these He judges the peoples;
He ^(H)gives food in abundance.
^32 (I)He covers His hands with lightning,
And commands it to ^[a]strike.
^33 (J)His thunder declares it,
The cattle also, concerning ^[b]the rising storm.

¹⁴ “Listen to this, O Job;
Stand still and ^(A)consider the wondrous works of God.
¹⁵ Do you know when God ^[a]dispatches them,
And causes the light of His cloud to shine?
^16 (B)Do you know how the clouds are balanced,
Those wondrous works of ^(C)Him who is perfect in knowledge?
¹⁷ Why are your garments hot,
When He quiets the earth by the south wind?
¹⁸ With Him, have you ^(D)spread out the ^(E)skies,
Strong as a cast metal mirror?

¹⁹ “Teach us what we should say to Him,
For we can prepare nothing because of the darkness.
²⁰ Should He be told that I wish to speak?
If a man were to speak, surely he would be swallowed up.
²¹ Even now men cannot look at the light when it is bright in the skies,
When the wind has passed and cleared them.
²² He comes from the north as golden splendor;
With God is awesome majesty.
²³ As for the Almighty, ^(F)we cannot find Him;
^(G)He is excellent in power,
In judgment and abundant justice;
He does not oppress.
²⁴ Therefore men ^(H)fear Him;
He shows no partiality to any who are ^(I)wise of heart.”