Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 147[a]
147 Praise the Lord,
for it is good to sing praises to our God.
Yes,[b] praise is pleasant and appropriate.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem,
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals[c] the brokenhearted,
and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars;
he names all of them.
5 Our Lord is great and has awesome power;[d]
there is no limit to his wisdom.[e]
6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,
but knocks[f] the wicked to the ground.
7 Offer to the Lord a song of thanks.[g]
Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp.
8 He covers[h] the sky with clouds,
provides the earth with rain,
and causes grass to grow on the hillsides.[i]
9 He gives food to the animals,
and to the young ravens when they chirp.[j]
10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,
nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.[k]
11 The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers,[l]
and in those who wait for his loyal love.
20 He has not done so with any other nation;
they are not aware of his regulations.
Praise the Lord!
Elihu’s Fourth Speech[a]
36 Elihu said further:[b]
2 “Be patient[c] with me a little longer
and I will instruct you,
for I still have words to speak on God’s behalf.[d]
3 With my knowledge I will speak comprehensively,[e]
and to my Creator I will ascribe righteousness.[f]
4 For in truth, my words are not false;
it is one complete[g] in knowledge
who is with you.
5 Indeed, God is mighty; and he does not despise people,[h]
he[i] is mighty, and firm[j] in his intent.[k]
6 He does not allow the wicked to live,[l]
but he gives justice to the poor.
7 He does not take his eyes[m] off the righteous;
but with kings on the throne
he seats the righteous[n] and exalts them forever.[o]
8 But if they are bound in chains,[p]
and held captive by the cords of affliction,
9 then he reveals[q] to them what they have done,[r]
and their transgressions,
that they were behaving proudly.
10 And he reveals[s] this[t] for correction,
and says that they must turn[u] from evil.
11 If they obey and serve him,
they live out their days in prosperity
and their years in pleasantness.[v]
12 But if they refuse to listen,
they pass over the river of death,[w]
and expire without knowledge.
13 The godless at heart[x] nourish anger,[y]
they do not cry out even when he binds them.
14 They die[z] in their youth,
and their life ends among the male cultic prostitutes.[aa]
15 He delivers the afflicted by[ab] their[ac] afflictions,
he reveals himself to them[ad] by their suffering.
16 And surely, he drew you[ae] from the mouth of distress,
to a wide place, unrestricted,[af]
and to the comfort[ag] of your table
filled with rich food.[ah]
17 But now you are preoccupied with the judgment due the wicked,
judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Be careful that[ai] no one entices you with riches;
do not let a large bribe[aj] turn you aside.
19 Would your wealth[ak] sustain you,
so that you would not be in distress,[al]
even all your mighty efforts?[am]
20 Do not long for the cover of night
to drag people away from their homes.[an]
21 Take heed, do not turn to evil,
for because of this you have been tested[ao] by affliction.
22 Indeed, God is exalted in his power;
who is a teacher[ap] like him?
23 Who has prescribed his ways for him?
Or said to him, ‘You have done what is wicked’?
The Rights of an Apostle
9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? 2 If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the confirming sign[a] of my apostleship in the Lord. 3 This is my defense to those who examine me. 4 Do we not have the right to financial support?[b] 5 Do we not have the right to the company of a believing wife, like the other apostles and the Lord’s brothers and Cephas?[c] 6 Or do only Barnabas and I lack the right not to work? 7 Who ever serves in the army at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Who tends a flock and does not consume its milk? 8 Am I saying these things only on the basis of common sense,[d] or does the law not say this as well? 9 For it is written in the law of Moses, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.”[e] God is not concerned here about oxen, is he? 10 Or is he not surely speaking for our benefit? It was written for us, because the one plowing and threshing ought to work in hope of enjoying the harvest. 11 If we sowed spiritual blessings among you, is it too much to reap material things from you? 12 If others receive this right from you, are we not more deserving?
But we have not made use of this right. Instead we endure everything so that we may not be a hindrance to the gospel of Christ. 13 Don’t you know that those who serve in the temple[f] eat food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar receive a part of the offerings? 14 In the same way the Lord commanded those who proclaim the gospel to receive their living by the gospel. 15 But I have not used any of these rights. And I am not writing these things so that something will be done for me.[g] In fact, it would be better for me to die than—no one will deprive me of my reason for boasting![h] 16 For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason for boasting, because I am compelled to do this. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!
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