Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Book 3 (Psalms 73-89)
Psalm 73[a]
A psalm by Asaph.
73 Certainly God is good to Israel,[b]
and to those whose motives are pure.[c]
2 But as for me, my feet almost slipped;
my feet almost slid out from under me.[d]
3 For I envied those who are proud,
as I observed[e] the prosperity[f] of the wicked.
4 For they suffer no pain;[g]
their bodies[h] are strong and well fed.[i]
5 They are immune to the trouble common to men;
they do not suffer as other men do.[j]
6 Arrogance is their necklace,[k]
and violence covers them like clothing.[l]
7 Their prosperity causes them to do wrong;[m]
their thoughts are sinful.[n]
8 They mock[o] and say evil things;[p]
they proudly threaten violence.[q]
9 They speak as if they rule in heaven,
and lay claim to the earth.[r]
10 Therefore they have more than enough food to eat,
and even suck up the water of the sea.[s]
11 They say, “How does God know what we do?
Is the Most High aware of what goes on?”[t]
12 Take a good look. This is what the wicked are like,[u]
those who always have it so easy and get richer and richer.[v]
13 I concluded,[w] “Surely in vain I have kept my motives[x] pure
and maintained a pure lifestyle.[y]
14 I suffer all day long,
and am punished every morning.”
15 If I had publicized these thoughts,[z]
I would have betrayed your people.[aa]
16 When I tried to make sense of this,
it was troubling to me.[ab]
17 Then I entered the precincts of God’s temple,[ac]
and understood the destiny of the wicked.[ad]
18 Surely[ae] you put them in slippery places;
you bring them down[af] to ruin.
19 How desolate they become in a mere moment.
Terrifying judgments make their demise complete.[ag]
20 They are like a dream after one wakes up.[ah]
O Lord, when you awake[ai] you will despise them.[aj]
21 Yes,[ak] my spirit was bitter,[al]
and my insides felt sharp pain.[am]
22 I was ignorant[an] and lacked insight;[ao]
I was as senseless as an animal before you.[ap]
23 But I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide[aq] me by your wise advice,
and then you will lead me to a position of honor.[ar]
25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?
On earth there is no one I desire but you.[as]
26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak,[at]
but God always[au] protects my heart and gives me stability.[av]
27 Yes,[aw] look! Those far from you[ax] die;
you destroy everyone who is unfaithful to you.[ay]
28 But as for me, God’s presence is all I need.[az]
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
as[ba] I declare all the things you have done.
The Lord’s Second Speech[a]
6 Then the Lord answered[b] Job from the whirlwind:
7 “Get ready for a difficult task[c] like a man.
I will question you and you will inform me.
8 Would you indeed annul[d] my justice?
Would you declare me guilty so that you might be right?
9 Do you have an arm as powerful as God’s,[e]
and can you thunder with a voice like his?
10 Adorn yourself, then, with majesty and excellency,
and clothe yourself with glory and honor.
11 Scatter abroad[f] the abundance[g] of your anger.
Look at every proud man[h] and bring him low;
12 Look at every proud man and abase him;
crush the wicked on the spot.[i]
13 Hide them in the dust[j] together,
imprison[k] them[l] in the grave.[m]
14 Then I myself will acknowledge[n] to you
that your own right hand can save you.[o]
Job’s Confession
42 Then Job answered the Lord:
2 “I know that you can do all things;
no purpose of yours can be thwarted;
3 you asked,[a] ‘Who is this who darkens counsel without knowledge?’
But[b] I have declared without understanding[c]
things too wonderful for me to know.[d]
4 You said,[e] ‘Pay attention, and I will speak;
I will question you, and you will answer me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye has seen you.[f]
6 Therefore I despise myself,[g]
and I repent in dust and ashes!”
31 “Simon,[a] Simon, pay attention![b] Satan has demanded to have you all,[c] to sift you like wheat,[d] 32 but I have prayed for you, Simon,[e] that your faith may not fail.[f] When[g] you have turned back,[h] strengthen[i] your brothers.” 33 But Peter[j] said to him, “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death!”[k]
Jesus’ Condemnation and Peter’s Denials
54 Then[a] they arrested[b] Jesus,[c] led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house.[d] But Peter was following at a distance. 55 When they had made a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 56 Then a slave girl,[e] seeing him as he sat in the firelight, stared at him and said, “This man was with him too!” 57 But Peter[f] denied it: “Woman,[g] I don’t know[h] him!” 58 Then[i] a little later someone else[j] saw him and said, “You are one of them too.” But Peter said, “Man,[k] I am not!” 59 And after about an hour still another insisted,[l] “Certainly this man was with him, because he too is a Galilean.”[m] 60 But Peter said, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” At that moment,[n] while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed.[o] 61 Then[p] the Lord turned and looked straight at Peter, and Peter remembered the word of the Lord,[q] how he had said to him, “Before a rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 62 And he went outside and wept bitterly.[r]
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