Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
9 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed[a] is the man who takes refuge in him.
10 Fear the Lord,[b] you his saints;
nothing is lacking for those who fear him.
11 The powerful[c] suffer want and go hungry,
but those who seek the Lord want for no good thing.
12 [d]Come, my children,[e] and listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
13 Who among you delights in life
and desires many years to enjoy prosperity?[f]
14 Then keep your tongue[g] from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
Job’s Third Response[a]
Chapter 12
Wisdom Will Die with You.[b] 1 Job then answered with these words:
2 “Undoubtedly, you are the voice of the people,
and when you die, wisdom will die with you.
3 But I also have intelligence;
I am not inferior to you in this regard.
Who is ignorant of all these things?
4 [c]“I have become a laughingstock to my friends,
I whom God would answer when I called upon him;
although I am innocent and just, he afflicted me.
5 Those who live untroubled lives scorn the misfortunes of others,
the blows that strike those who are already staggering.
6 Yet the tents of robbers remain undisturbed,
and those who provoke God sleep securely
as well as those who make a god of their strength.[d]
7 “But ask the animals, and they will teach you;
ask the birds of the air, and they will inform you.
8 Ask the reptiles on earth, and they will instruct you,
or let the fish of the sea enlighten you.
9 Which of all these is unaware
that the hand of God has done this?
10 “In God’s hand is the soul of every living thing
and the breath of all mankind.
11 Does not the ear test words
as the palate tastes food?
12 Wisdom is found in the aged,
and long life nourishes understanding.
With God Are Wisdom and Power
13 “With God are wisdom and power;
wise counsel and understanding are his.
14 If he tears down, no one can rebuild;
anyone he imprisons cannot gain freedom.
15 If he holds back the waters, drought ensues;
if he releases them, the land is overwhelmed.
16 Strength and wisdom are his;
his too are the deceived and the deceivers.
17 “He deprives counselors of their wits
and makes fools of judges.
18 He looses the sashes of kings
and gives them only a waistcloth to cover their loins.[e]
19 He forces priests to walk barefoot
and overthrows those in positions of power.
20 He silences the lips of trusted counselors
and deprives the aged of their power of discernment.
21 “He pours contempt on princes
and disarms the powerful.
22 He unveils mysteries long obscured in darkness
and brings their meaning to light.
23 He makes nations great and then destroys them;
he enlarges nations and then reduces them to nothing.
24 He weakens the minds of the leaders of the earth
and leaves them to wander in a trackless waste.
25 They grope their way in the darkness without light,
staggering like drunken men.
17 Beware of Dissenters. I urge you, brethren, to watch out for those who incite dissensions and obstacles in opposition to the teaching that you have learned. Take care to avoid them. 18 For such people are not servants of our Lord Jesus Christ but of their own appetites, and by smooth words and flattery they deceive the minds of the simple. 19 Your obedience has become known to all and has caused me to rejoice greatly over you. However, I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil; 20 then the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
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