Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Prayer Against Enemies
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
64 God, listen to my complaint.
·I am afraid of my enemies;
protect my life from them [L Protect my life from the dread of my enemies].
2 Hide me from ·those who plan wicked things [L the secret plans/conspiracy of the wicked],
from that ·gang [mob; restless group] who does evil [Prov. 1:8–19].
3 They sharpen their tongues like swords
and ·shoot [aim] bitter words like arrows.
4 From their hiding places they shoot at ·innocent [blameless] people;
they shoot suddenly and are not afraid.
5 They encourage each other to do wrong.
They talk about setting traps,
·thinking [or saying] ·no one will [L who can…?] see them.
6 They plan wicked things and say,
“We have a perfect plan.”
The ·mind [L insides and the heart/mind] of human beings is ·hard to understand [L deep].
7 But God will shoot them with arrows;
they will suddenly be struck down.
8 Their own ·words [tongues] will ·be used against them [L make them stumble].
All who see them will shake their heads [C in amazement at their downfall].
9 Then everyone will fear God [Prov. 1:7].
They will tell what God has done,
and they will ·learn from [reflect on] what he has done.
10 ·Good [Righteous] people will be happy in the Lord
and will find ·protection [refuge] in him.
Let everyone who is ·honest [virtuous in heart] praise the Lord.
Bildad Answers Job
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “·When will you stop these speeches [L How long before you stop these words]?
·Be sensible [or Reflect], and then we can talk [Prov. 15:28; 18:13; 29:20].
3 ·You think of [L Why do you consider/count] us as cattle,
as ·if we are stupid [L stupid in your eyes/estimation].
4 You tear ·yourself [your life] to pieces in your anger.
Should the earth be vacant ·just for [or because of] you?
Should the rocks move from their places [14:18]?
5 “The lamp of the wicked will be put out,
and the flame in their lamps will stop burning.
6 The light in their tents will grow dark,
and the lamps ·by their sides [or above them] will go out.
7 Their ·strong steps [vigorous gait] will grow ·weak [cramped; restricted];
·they will fall into their own evil traps [or their own schemes/advice will throw them down].
8 Their feet will be caught in a net [Prov. 28:9]
when they walk into ·its web [a snare].
9 A trap will catch them by the heel [Prov. 22:5]
and [L a noose] hold them tight.
10 A ·trap for them [L rope] is hidden on the ground,
right in their path.
11 ·Terrible things [L Terrors] startle them from every side
and ·chase [or disperse] them at ·every step [L their feet].
12 ·Hunger takes away their strength [or Calamity is hungry for them],
and disaster is ·at their side [or prepared for them when they stumble].
13 Disease eats away ·parts of their skin [or their fleshy limbs];
·death [L the firstborn of Death; C death is personified] ·gnaws at [consumes] their ·arms and legs [L limbs].
14 They are torn from the ·safety [confidence] of their tents
and ·dragged off to Death, the King of Terrors [L terrors march them off to their king].
15 ·Their tents are set on fire [or Nothing of theirs will remain in their tents],
and sulfur is scattered over their ·homes [or pastures].
16 Their roots dry up below ground,
and their branches die above ground [C the wicked are like a dead tree].
17 People on earth will not remember them;
their names will be forgotten in the land.
18 They will be driven from light into darkness
and ·chased [driven] out of the world [C they will die].
19 They have no children or descendants among their people,
and no one will be left alive where they once lived.
20 People ·of the west [or who come after] will be ·shocked [desolated] ·at what has happened to them [by their end/fate],
and people ·of the east [or who came before] will be ·very frightened [seized with horror].
21 Surely this is ·what will happen to [L the dwelling of] the wicked;
such is the place of one who does not know God.”
Christ Is God’s Power and Wisdom
18 [L For] The ·teaching [message; word] about the cross is ·foolishness [folly] to those who are ·being lost [headed for destruction; perishing], but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 [L For] It is written in the Scriptures:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
And I will ·reject [thwart; bring to nothing] the ·intelligence [discernment; cleverness] of the ·intelligent [discerning; clever; Is. 29:14].”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the ·educated person [scholar; or scribe; teacher of the law]? Where is the ·skilled talker [orator; debater; philosopher] of this ·world [age]? ·God has [L Has not God…?] made the wisdom of the world foolish. 21 ·In the wisdom of God the world did [or God wisely determined that the world would] not know God through its own wisdom. So God ·chose [was pleased] to use the ·message that sounds foolish [L folly/foolishness of what was preached] to save those who believe. 22 [L For; Since] The Jews ·ask for [demand] ·miracles [L signs], and the Greeks ·want [seek; look for] wisdom. 23 But we preach ·that Christ was crucified [Christ crucified; or a crucified Messiah]. This ·causes the Jews to stumble [is a stumbling block/offense/obstacle to Jews] and is ·foolishness [folly] to Gentiles. 24 But to those people God has called—both Jews and Greeks—Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 [L For] Even the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.
26 Brothers and sisters, look at what you were when God called you. Not many of you were wise ·in the way the world judges wisdom [by human standards; L according to the flesh]. Not many of you ·had great influence [were powerful/strong]. Not many of you ·came from important families [were well-born; were of high social status]. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and he chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 He chose what the world thinks is ·unimportant [insignificant; lowly] and what the world ·looks down on [despises] and thinks is nothing in order to destroy what the world thinks is ·important [something special]. 29 God did this so that no one can ·brag [boast] in his presence. 30 Because of God you are ·in [united with; in relationship with] Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. ·In Christ we are put right with God, and have been made holy, and have been set free from sin [L …and became for us righteousness, holiness, and redemption]. 31 So, as the Scripture says, “If people want to ·brag [boast], they should ·brag [boast] only about the Lord [Jer. 9:24].”
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