Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
147 Praise the Lord.
How good it is to sing praises to our God!
How pleasant and right it is to praise him!
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem.
He gathers the scattered people of Israel.
3 He heals those who have broken hearts.
He takes care of their wounds.
4 He decides how many stars there should be.
He gives each one of them a name.
5 Great is our Lord. His power is mighty.
There is no limit to his understanding.
6 The Lord gives strength to those who aren’t proud.
But he throws evil people down to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord and give him grateful praise.
Make music to our God on the harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds.
He supplies the earth with rain.
He makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle.
He provides for the young ravens when they cry out.
10 He doesn’t take pleasure in the strength of horses.
He doesn’t take delight in the strong legs of warriors.
11 The Lord takes delight in those who have respect for him.
They put their hope in his faithful love.
20 He hasn’t done that for any other nation.
They don’t know his laws.
Praise the Lord.
36 Elihu continued,
2 “Put up with me a little longer.
I’ll show you I can speak up for God even more.
3 I get my knowledge from far away.
I’ll announce that the God who made me is fair.
4 You can be sure that my words are true.
One who has perfect knowledge is talking to you.
5 “God is mighty, but he doesn’t hate people.
He’s mighty, and he knows exactly what he’s going to do.
6 He doesn’t keep alive those who are evil.
Instead, he gives suffering people their rights.
7 He watches over those who do what is right.
He puts them on thrones as if they were kings.
He honors them forever.
8 But some people are held by chains.
Their pain ties them up like ropes.
9 God tells them what they’ve done.
He tells them they’ve become proud and sinned against him.
10 He makes them listen when he corrects them.
He commands them to turn away
from the evil things they’ve done.
11 If they obey him and serve him,
they’ll enjoy a long and happy life.
Things will go well with them.
12 But if they don’t listen to him,
they’ll be killed by swords.
They’ll die because they didn’t want to know anything about him.
13 “Those whose hearts are ungodly are always angry.
Even when God puts them in chains,
they don’t cry out for help.
14 They die while they are still young.
They die among the male prostitutes at the temples.
15 But God saves suffering people while they suffer.
He speaks to them while they are hurting.
16 “Job, he wants to take you out of the jaws of trouble.
He wants to bring you to a wide and safe place.
He’d like to seat you at a table that is loaded with the best food.
17 But now you are loaded down
with the punishment sinners will receive.
You have been judged fairly.
18 Be careful that no one tempts you with riches.
Don’t take money from people who want special favors,
no matter how much it is.
19 Can your wealth keep you out of trouble?
Can all your mighty efforts keep you going?
20 Don’t wish for the night to come
so you can drag people away from their homes.
21 Be careful not to do what is evil.
You seem to like evil better than suffering!
22 “God is honored because he is so powerful.
There is no teacher equal to him.
23 Who has told him what he can do?
Who has said to him, ‘You have done what is wrong’?
Paul’s Rights as an Apostle
9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Haven’t I seen Jesus our Lord? Aren’t you the result of my work for the Lord? 2 Others may not think of me as an apostle. But I am certainly one to you! You are the proof that I am the Lord’s apostle.
3 That is what I say to stand up for myself when people judge me. 4 Don’t we have the right to eat and drink? 5 Don’t we have the right to take a believing wife with us when we travel? The other apostles do. The Lord’s brothers do. Peter does. 6 Or are Barnabas and I the only ones who have to do other work for a living? Are we the only ones who can’t just do the work of apostles all the time?
7 Who serves as a soldier but doesn’t get paid? Who plants a vineyard but doesn’t eat any of its grapes? Who takes care of a flock but doesn’t drink any of the milk? 8 Do I say this only on human authority? The Law says the same thing. 9 Here is what is written in the Law of Moses. “Do not stop an ox from eating while it helps separate the grain from the straw.” (Deuteronomy 25:4) Is it oxen that God is concerned about? 10 Doesn’t he say that for us? Yes, it was written for us. Whoever plows and separates the grain hopes to share the harvest. And it is right for them to hope for this. 11 We have planted spiritual seed among you. Is it too much to ask that we receive from you some things we need? 12 Others have the right to receive help from you. Don’t we have even more right to do so?
But we didn’t use that right. No, we have put up with everything. We didn’t want to keep the good news of Christ from spreading.
13 People who serve in the temple get their food from the temple. Don’t you know this? People who serve at the altar eat from what is offered on the altar. Don’t you know this? 14 So those who preach the good news should also receive their living from their work. That is what the Lord has commanded.
15 But I haven’t used any of those rights. And I’m not writing because I hope you will do things like that for me. I would rather die than allow anyone to take away my pride in my work. 16 But when I preach the good news, I can’t brag. I have to preach it. How terrible it will be for me if I do not preach the good news!
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