Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁹ If you belong to the Lord, reverence him; for everyone who does this has everything he needs. ¹⁰ Even strong young lions sometimes go hungry, but those of us who reverence the Lord will never lack any good thing.

¹¹ Sons and daughters, come and listen and let me teach you the importance of trusting and fearing the Lord. ¹² Do you want a long, good life? ¹³ Then watch your tongue! Keep your lips from lying. ¹⁴ Turn from all known sin and spend your time in doing good. Try to live in peace with everyone; work hard at it.

11 Zophar the Naamathite replies to Job:

² “Shouldn’t someone stem this torrent of words? Is a man proved right by all this talk? ³ Should I remain silent while you boast? When you mock God, shouldn’t someone make you ashamed? ⁴ You claim you are pure in the eyes of God! ⁵ Oh, that God would speak and tell you what he thinks! ⁶ Oh, that he would make you truly see yourself, for he knows everything you’ve done. Listen! God is doubtless punishing you far less than you deserve!

⁷ “Do you know the mind and purposes of God? Will long searching make them known to you? Are you qualified to judge the Almighty? ⁸ He is as faultless as heaven is high—but who are you? His mind is fathomless—what can you know in comparison? ⁹ His Spirit is broader than the earth and wider than the sea. ¹⁰ If he rushes in and makes an arrest, and calls the court to order, who is going to stop him? ¹¹ For he knows perfectly all the faults and sins of mankind; he sees all sin without searching.

¹² “Mere man is as likely to be wise as a wild donkey’s colt is likely to be born a man!

^13-14 “Before you turn to God and stretch out your hands to him, get rid of your sins and leave all iniquity behind you. ¹⁵ Only then, without the spots of sin to defile you, can you walk steadily forward to God without fear. ¹⁶ Only then can you forget your misery. It will all be in the past. ¹⁷ And your life will be cloudless; any darkness will be as bright as morning!

¹⁸ “You will have courage because you will have hope. You will take your time and rest in safety. ¹⁹ You will lie down unafraid, and many will look to you for help. ²⁰ But the wicked shall find no way to escape; their only hope is death.”

⁸ Stephen, the man so full of faith and the Holy Spirit’s power,^[a] did spectacular miracles among the people.

⁹ But one day some of the men from the Jewish cult of “The Freedmen” started an argument with him, and they were soon joined by Jews from Cyrene, Alexandria in Egypt, and the Turkish provinces of Cilicia, and Asia Minor. ¹⁰ But none of them was able to stand against Stephen’s wisdom and spirit.

¹¹ So they brought in some men to lie about him, claiming they had heard Stephen curse Moses, and even God.

¹² This accusation roused the crowds to fury against Stephen, and the Jewish leaders^[b] arrested him and brought him before the Council. ¹³ The lying witnesses testified again that Stephen was constantly speaking against the Temple and against the laws of Moses.

¹⁴ They declared, “We have heard him say that this fellow Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Temple and throw out all of Moses’ laws.” ¹⁵ At this point everyone in the Council chamber saw Stephen’s face become as radiant as an angel’s!