Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

³ Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
    for we have been completely filled with contempt.
⁴ Our soul is exceedingly filled with the ridicule of those who are at ease,
    and with the contempt of the proud ones.

² “Dominion and fear are with Him;
    He makes peace in His high places.
³ Is there any number to His armies?
    And upon whom does His light not rise?
⁴ How then can man be righteous with God?
    Or how can he who is born of a woman be clean?
⁵ Behold, even the moon does not shine,
    and the stars are not pure in His sight;
⁶ how much less man, who is a maggot?
    And the son of man, who is a worm?”

² “How have you helped him who is without power?
    How have you saved the arm that has no strength?
³ How have you counseled him who has no wisdom?
    And how have you plentifully declared sound knowledge?
⁴ To whom have you uttered words?
    And whose breath came from you?

⁵ “The departed spirits tremble under the waters,
    and their inhabitants.
⁶ The underworld is naked before Him,
    and destruction has no covering.
⁷ He stretches out the north over empty space,
    He hangs the earth upon nothing.
⁸ He binds up the waters in His thick clouds,
    and the cloud is not broken under them.
⁹ He covers the face of the full moon
    and spreads His cloud over it.
¹⁰ He has circled the waters with boundaries,
    until the day and night come to an end.
¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble
    and are astonished at His reproof.
¹² He divides the sea with His power,
    and by His understanding He strikes through the proud.
¹³ By His breath He has made fair the heavens;
    His hand has formed the fleeing serpent.
¹⁴ Indeed, these are but a part of His ways,
    and how small a whisper we hear of Him!
    But the thunder of His power who can understand?”