Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Prayer for Rescue from Secret Enemies.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
64 Hear my voice, God, in (A)my [a]complaint;
(B)Protect my life from dread of the enemy.
2 Hide me from the (C)secret discussion of evildoers,
From the restlessness of (D)the workers of injustice,
3 Who (E)have sharpened their tongues like a sword.
They (F)aimed bitter speech as their arrows,
4 To (G)shoot [b]from concealment at the innocent;
Suddenly they shoot at him, and (H)do not fear.
5 They make firm for themselves an evil [c]purpose;
They [d]talk of (I)setting snares secretly;
They say, “(J)Who can see them?”
6 They [e]devise injustices, saying,
“We are [f]ready with a well-conceived plot”;
For the [g](K)inward thought and the heart of a person are [h]deep.
7 But (L)God [i]will shoot an arrow at them;
Suddenly [j]they will be wounded.
8 So [k]they [l]will (M)make him stumble;
(N)Their own tongue is against them;
All who see them will (O)shake their heads.
9 Then all people [m]will (P)fear,
And they [n]will (Q)declare the work of God,
And [o]will consider [p]what He has done.
10 The righteous person will be (R)glad in the Lord and (S)take refuge in Him;
And all the upright in heart will boast.
Job Feels Insulted
19 Then Job responded,
2 “How long will you torment [a]me
And crush me with words?
3 These ten times you have insulted me;
You are not ashamed to wrong me.
4 Even if I have truly done wrong,
My error stays with me.
5 If indeed you (A)exalt yourselves against me
And prove my disgrace to me,
6 Know then that (B)God has wronged me
And has surrounded me with (C)His net.
Everything Is Against Him
7 “Behold, (D)I cry, ‘Violence!’ but I get no answer;
I shout for help, but there is no justice.
8 He has (E)blocked my way so that I cannot pass,
And He has put (F)darkness on my paths.
9 He has (G)stripped my honor from me
And removed the (H)crown from my head.
10 He (I)breaks me down on every side, and I am gone;
And He has uprooted my (J)hope (K)like a tree.
11 He has also (L)kindled His anger against me
And (M)considered me as His enemy.
12 His (N)troops come together
And (O)build up their [b]way against me
And camp around my tent.
13 “He has (P)removed my brothers far from me,
And my (Q)acquaintances have completely turned away from me.
14 My relatives have failed,
And my (R)close friends have forgotten me.
15 Those who live in my house and my servant women consider me a stranger.
I am a foreigner in their sight.
16 I call to my servant, but he does not answer;
I have to implore his favor with my mouth.
17 My breath is offensive to my wife,
And I am loathsome to my own brothers.
18 Even young children despise me;
I stand up and they speak against me.
19 All [c]my (S)associates loathe me,
And those I love have turned against me.
20 My (T)bone clings to my skin and my flesh,
And I have escaped only by the skin of my teeth.
21 Pity me, pity me, you friends of mine,
For the (U)hand of God has struck me.
22 Why do you (V)persecute me as God does,
And are not satisfied with my flesh?
11 Therefore remember that (A)previously (B)you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “(C)Uncircumcision” by the so-called “(D)Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, [a](E)excluded from [b]the people of Israel, and strangers to (F)the covenants of the promise, having (G)no hope and (H)without God in the world. 13 But now in (I)Christ Jesus you who (J)previously were (K)far away [c]have (L)been brought near [d](M)by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is (N)our peace, (O)who made both groups into one and broke down the [e]barrier of the dividing wall, 15 [f]by (P)abolishing [g]in His flesh the hostility, which is (Q)the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might [h](R)make the two (S)one new person, in this way establishing (T)peace; 16 and that He might (U)reconcile them both in (V)one body to God through the cross, [i]by it having (W)put to death the hostility. 17 And (X)He came and preached (Y)peace to you who were (Z)far away, and peace to those who were (AA)near; 18 for through Him we both have (AB)our access in (AC)one Spirit to (AD)the Father. 19 So then you are no longer (AE)strangers and foreigners, but you are (AF)fellow citizens with the [j]saints, and are of (AG)God’s household, 20 having been (AH)built on (AI)the foundation of (AJ)the apostles and prophets, (AK)Christ Jesus Himself being the (AL)cornerstone, 21 (AM)in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into (AN)a holy [k]temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being (AO)built together into a (AP)dwelling of God in the Spirit.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.