Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 9[a]
For the music director, according to the alumoth-labben style;[b] a psalm of David.
9 I will thank the Lord with all my heart!
I will tell about all your amazing deeds.[c]
2 I will be happy and rejoice in you.
I will sing praises to you, O Most High.[d]
3 When my enemies turn back,
they trip and are defeated[e] before you.
4 For you defended my just cause;[f]
from your throne you pronounced a just decision.[g]
5 You terrified the nations with your battle cry.[h]
You destroyed the wicked;[i]
you permanently wiped out all memory of them.[j]
6 The enemy’s cities have been reduced to permanent ruins.[k]
You destroyed their cities;[l]
all memory of the enemies has perished.[m]
7 But the Lord[n] rules[o] forever;
he reigns in a just manner.[p]
8 He judges the world fairly;
he makes just legal decisions for the nations.[q]
9 Consequently[r] the Lord provides safety for the oppressed;[s]
he provides safety in times of trouble.[t]
10 Your loyal followers trust in you,[u]
for you, Lord, do not abandon those who seek your help.[v]
11 Sing praises to the Lord, who rules[w] in Zion.
Tell the nations what he has done.[x]
12 For the one who takes revenge against murderers took notice of the oppressed;[y]
he did not overlook[z] their cry for help[aa]
13 when they prayed:[ab]
“Have mercy on me,[ac] Lord!
See how I am oppressed by those who hate me,[ad]
O one who can snatch me away[ae] from the gates of death!
14 Then I will[af] tell about all your praiseworthy acts;[ag]
in the gates of Daughter Zion[ah] I will rejoice because of your deliverance.”[ai]
Job’s Reply to Eliphaz[a]
16 Then Job replied:
2 “I have heard many things like these before.
What miserable comforters[b] are you all!
3 Will[c] there be an end to your[d] windy words?[e]
Or what provokes[f] you that you answer?[g]
4 I also could speak[h] like you,
if[i] you were in my place;
I could pile up[j] words against you
and I could shake my head at you.[k]
5 But[l] I would strengthen[m] you with my words;[n]
comfort from my lips would bring[o] you relief.
Abandonment by God and Man
6 “But[p] if I speak, my pain is not relieved,[q]
and if I refrain from speaking,
how much[r] of it goes away?
7 Surely now he[s] has worn me out,
you have devastated my entire household.
8 You have seized me,[t]
and it[u] has become a witness;
my leanness[v] has risen up against me
and testifies against me.
9 His[w] anger has torn me[x] and persecuted[y] me;
he has gnashed at me with his teeth;
my adversary locks[z] his eyes on me.
10 People[aa] have opened their mouths against me,
they have struck my cheek in scorn;[ab]
they unite[ac] together against me.
11 God abandons me to evil men,[ad]
and throws[ae] me into the hands of wicked men.
12 I was in peace, and he has shattered me.[af]
He has seized me by the neck and crushed me.[ag]
He has made me his target;
13 his archers[ah] surround me.
Without pity[ai] he pierces[aj] my kidneys
and pours out my gall[ak] on the ground.
14 He breaks through against me, time and time again;[al]
he rushes[am] against me like a warrior.
15 I have sewed sackcloth on my skin,[an]
and buried[ao] my horn[ap] in the dust;
16 my face is reddened[aq] because of weeping,[ar]
and on my eyelids there is a deep darkness,[as]
17 although[at] there is no violence in my hands
and my prayer is pure.
An Appeal to God as Witness
18 “O earth, do not cover my blood,[au]
nor let there be a secret[av] place for my cry.
19 Even now my witness[aw] is in heaven;
my advocate[ax] is on high.
20 My intercessor is my friend[ay]
as my eyes pour out tears[az] to God;
21 and[ba] he contends with God on behalf of man
as a man[bb] pleads[bc] for his friend.
The Faithful and Wise Slave
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave,[a] whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves[b] their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work[c] when he comes. 47 I tell you the truth,[d] the master[e] will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 But if[f] that evil slave should say to himself,[g] ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards, 50 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, 51 and will cut him in two,[h] and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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