Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Book V
Psalms 107–150
Psalm 107
He Redeemed Them From Trouble
Invocation to Give Thanks
1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
2 Let the redeemed of the Lord say this,
those he redeemed from the hand of the foe,
3 those he gathered from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.[a]
Fourth Crisis: On the Sea
23 They went down to the sea in ships.
They conducted trade on many waters.
24 They saw the deeds of the Lord
and his wonders on the deep.
25 For he spoke and stirred up a violent storm,
which produced large waves.
26 They were raised up to the sky.
They sank down into the depths.
In their danger their courage melted.
27 They reeled and staggered like a drunk.
All their skill disappeared.
Refrain
28 Then they cried out to the Lord in their distress.
He brought them out of their troubles.
29 He calmed the storm. Its waves were hushed.
30 They were glad when it grew quiet,
and he guided them to the port they desired.
31 Let them give thanks to the Lord
for his mercy and his wonderful deeds for all people.
32 Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people
and praise him in the session of the elders.
Job’s Soliloquy[a]
The Happiness of the Good Old Days
29 Job resumed his discourse. He said:
2 Oh how I wish I could be as I used to be
in the months gone by,
in the days when God used to watch over me,
3 when his lamp was shining over my head,
and I walked through darkness toward[b] his light,
4 when I was in my prime,
and the friendly guidance of God was over my tent,
5 when the Almighty was still with me,
and my children still surrounded me,
6 when my footsteps were washed in cream,
and a rock poured out streams of oil for me,
7 when I went out to the gatehouse[c] of the city,
and I took my customary seat in the public square.
8 The young men saw me and stepped aside.
The elders rose and remained standing in my presence.
9 The officials held back their words.
They placed their hands over their mouths.
10 The voices of the nobles fell silent.
Their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths.
11 Every ear that heard what I said called me blessed.
Every eye that saw what I did testified on my behalf.
12 Because I saved the poor when they cried for help
and the fatherless when they had no helper,
13 the blessing of the dying rested upon me,
and I made the heart of the widow happy.
14 I dressed myself with righteousness,
and it clothed me.
My justice clothed me like a robe and a turban.
15 I was eyes for the blind and feet for the lame.
16 I was a father for the needy.
I investigated their cases for people I did not know.
17 I shattered the fangs of the wicked,
and I snatched their prey from their teeth.
18 So I thought: “I will pass away in my own nest,
after multiplying my days like grains of sand.
19 My roots will be soaked with water,
and dew will settle on my branches at night.
20 My honor will always be fresh for me,
and my bow in my hand will never wear out.”
To Macedonia and Greece
20 After the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and encouraged them. After saying good-bye, he left to go to Macedonia. 2 After he had gone through those areas and had spoken many words of encouragement to the people, he came to Greece 3 and stayed there three months.
Because a plot was made against him by the Jews just as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4 He was accompanied[a] by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy, along with Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5 These men went on ahead and waited for us[b] at Troas. 6 We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and within five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed seven days.
Eutychus Raised From the Dead
7 On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul spoke to the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he continued talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were gathered. 9 Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus. He was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul kept on talking for a long time. When he was sound asleep, he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 10 Paul went down, bent over him, threw his arms around him, and said, “Do not be alarmed, because he is alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs, broke bread, and ate. After talking for a considerable time until dawn, he left. 12 They brought the boy home alive and were greatly comforted.
On to Miletus
13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had arranged it this way, since he was intending to travel there by land. 14 When he met us at Assos, we took him on board and went to Mitylene. 15 From there we set sail. We arrived off Chios the next day. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and[c] on the following day we came to Miletus. 16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus, so that he would not have to spend time in the province of Asia. He was in a hurry to be in Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.