Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
9 Oh, fear the Lord, you his saints,
for those who fear him have no lack!
10 (A)The young lions suffer want and hunger;
but those who (B)seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 (C)Come, O children, listen to me;
(D)I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 (E)What man is there who desires life
and loves many days, that he may (F)see good?
13 (G)Keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from (H)speaking deceit.
14 (I)Turn away from evil and do good;
seek peace and (J)pursue it.
Zophar Speaks: You Deserve Worse
11 Then (A)Zophar the Naamathite answered and said:
2 “Should (B)a multitude of words go unanswered,
and a man full of talk be judged right?
3 Should your babble silence men,
and when you mock, shall no one shame you?
4 For (C)you say, ‘My (D)doctrine is pure,
and I am clean in God's[a] eyes.’
5 But oh, that God would speak
and open his lips to you,
6 and that he would tell you the secrets of wisdom!
For he is manifold in (E)understanding.[b]
Know then that God (F)exacts of you less than your guilt deserves.
7 (G)“Can you find out the deep things of God?
Can you find out the limit of the Almighty?
8 It is (H)higher than heaven[c]—what can you do?
Deeper than Sheol—what can you know?
9 Its measure is longer than the earth
and broader than the sea.
10 If he (I)passes through and (J)imprisons
and summons the court, who can (K)turn him back?
11 For he knows (L)worthless men;
when he sees iniquity, will he not consider it?
12 But a stupid man will get understanding
when (M)a wild donkey's colt is (N)born a man!
13 “If you (O)prepare your heart,
you will (P)stretch out your hands towards him.
14 If iniquity is in your hand, put it far away,
and let not injustice dwell in your tents.
15 Surely then you will (Q)lift up your face without (R)blemish;
you will be secure and will not fear.
16 You will (S)forget your misery;
you will remember it as waters that have passed away.
17 And your life will be (T)brighter than the noonday;
its darkness will be like the morning.
18 And you will feel secure, because there is hope;
you will look around and (U)take your rest in security.
19 You will (V)lie down, and none will make you afraid;
many will (W)court your favour.
20 But (X)the eyes of the wicked will fail;
all way of escape will be lost to them,
and their hope is (Y)to breathe their last.”
Stephen Is Seized
8 And Stephen, full of grace and (A)power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But (B)they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then (C)they secretly instigated men who said, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they (D)set up false (E)witnesses who said, “This man never ceases to speak words against (F)this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth (G)will destroy this place and will (H)change (I)the customs that Moses delivered to us.” 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face (J)was like the face of an angel.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.