Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Job Speaks of the Finality of Death
14 “(A)Man, who is born of woman,
Is [a]short-lived and (B)full of turmoil.
2 (C)Like a flower he comes out and withers.
He also flees like (D)a shadow and does not remain.
3 You also (E)open Your eyes on him
And (F)bring [b]him into judgment with Yourself.
4 (G)Who can make the clean out of the unclean?
No one!
5 Since his days are determined,
The (H)number of his months is with You;
And You have [c]set his limits so that he cannot pass.
6 (I)Look away from him so that he may [d]rest,
Until he [e]fulfills his day like a hired worker.
7 “For there is hope for a tree,
When it is cut down, that it will sprout again,
And its shoots will not [f]fail.
8 Though its roots grow old in the ground,
And its stump dies in the dry soil,
9 At the scent of water it will flourish
And produce sprigs like a plant.
10 But (J)a man dies and lies prostrate.
A person (K)passes away, and where is he?
11 As (L)water [g]evaporates from the sea,
And a river becomes parched and dried up,
12 So (M)a man lies down and does not rise.
Until the heavens no longer exist,
[h]He will not awake nor be woken from [i]his sleep.
Jeremiah Shares Israel’s Misery
3 I am the man who has (A)seen misery
Because of the rod of His wrath.
2 He has driven me and made me walk
In (B)darkness and not in light.
3 Indeed, He has (C)turned His hand against me
Repeatedly all the day.
4 He has consumed my (D)flesh and my skin,
He has (E)broken my bones.
5 He has [a](F)besieged and surrounded me with [b](G)bitterness and hardship.
6 He has made me live in (H)dark places,
Like those who have long been dead.
7 He has (I)walled me in so that I cannot go out;
He has made my [c](J)chain heavy.
8 Even when I cry out and call for help,
He (K)shuts out my prayer.
9 He has (L)blocked my ways with cut stone;
He has twisted my paths.
Hope of Relief in God’s Mercy
19 Remember my misery and my homelessness, the (A)wormwood and [a]bitterness.
20 (B)My soul certainly remembers,
And [b]is (C)bent over within me.
21 I recall this to my mind,
Therefore I [c](D)wait.
22 [d]The Lord’s (E)acts of mercy indeed do not end,
(F)For His compassions do not fail.
23 They are new (G)every morning;
Great is (H)Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my (I)portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I [e](J)wait for Him.”
A Psalm of Complaint and of Praise.
For the music director. A Psalm of David.
31 (A)In You, Lord, I have taken refuge;
Let me never (B)be [a]put to shame;
(C)In Your righteousness rescue me.
2 (D)Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be a (E)rock of [b]strength for me,
A [c]stronghold to save me.
3 For You are my rock and (F)my fortress;
For the (G)sake of Your name You will lead me and guide me.
4 You will (H)pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,
For You are my (I)strength.
Keep Fervent in Your Love
4 Therefore, since (A)Christ has [a]suffered in the flesh, (B)arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because (C)the one who has [b]suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 (D)so as to live (E)the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human lusts, but for the (F)will of God. 3 For (G)the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, [c](H)having pursued a course of indecent behavior, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them in the same excesses of (I)[d]debauchery, and they (J)slander you; 5 but they will give an account to Him who is ready to judge (K)the living and the dead. 6 For (L)the gospel has for this purpose been [e]preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as people, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
7 (M)The end of all things [f]is near; therefore, (N)be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of [g]prayer. 8 Above all, (O)keep fervent in your love for one another, because (P)love covers a multitude of sins.
Jesus Is Buried
57 (A)Now when it was evening, a rich man from Arimathea came, named Joseph, who himself had also become a disciple of Jesus. 58 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut out in the rock; and he rolled (B)a large stone against the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 And (C)Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the tomb.
62 Now on the next day, that is, the day which is after (D)the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate, 63 and they said, “Sir, we remember that when that deceiver was still alive, He said, ‘(E)After three days I am rising.’ 64 Therefore, give orders for the tomb to be made secure until the third day; otherwise, His disciples may come and steal Him, and say to the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last deception will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a (F)guard; go, make it as secure as you know how.” 66 And they went and made the tomb secure with (G)the guard, (H)sealing (I)the stone.
38 Now (A)after these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a (B)secret one for (C)fear of the [a]Jews, requested of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 (D)Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, (E)bringing a [b]mixture of (F)myrrh and aloes, about a [c](G)hundred litras weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and (H)bound it in (I)linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden was a (J)new tomb (K)in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of (L)preparation, since the tomb was (M)nearby, they laid Jesus there.
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