Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The music leader must use special music.
This is a song that David wrote.
The sky at night[a]
8 Lord, our ruler,
your name is famous all over the world.
The sky above shows how great you are.
2 You have taught children and babies to praise you.
You do that to show your enemies how strong you are.
Anyone who turns against you has to be quiet.
Your cruel enemies can do nothing!
3 You made the skies with your own hands.
When I look up, I see the moon and the stars.
You have put them all in their right place.
4 So why do you even think about men and women?
Why do you take care of humans?
5 You have made their place a little below God himself.[b]
You have given them honour, like kings.
6 You have chosen them to rule everything that you have made.
You have put everything under their authority.
7-8 Yes! Humans rule them all:
Farm animals and wild animals,
birds, fish and all the things that swim in the sea.
9 Lord, our ruler,
your name is famous all over the world.
12 But you, Job, did you ever command the morning to begin?
No! You have never in your whole life told the sun when it should rise.
13 You have not told the light of day to cover the earth.
You have not told it to chase away the wicked things that happen in the night.
14 When the light of day comes,
people see the land clearly.
Its shape and colours show like bright clothes.
15 The light of day is too bright for wicked people.
It destroys their power to do cruel things.
16 You have not gone to the springs
that fill the seas with water.
You have not walked on the bottom of the deep seas.
17 Nobody has showed you the gates of death.
People go through them to that very dark place.
18 You do not understand the great size of the earth.
If you know all about that, tell me!
19 You do not know where light comes from.
You do not know where darkness has its home.
20 Can you take them to the places where they belong?
Do you know the roads that go there?
21 Surely you must know all this,
because you have lived for so long!
It seems that you were already born
when I created these things![a]
12 That is why I have these troubles. But I am not ashamed to be in prison. I have believed in Christ and I know him well. I know that I can trust him to keep his message safe. God has given me the authority to speak that message to people at this time.[a] Christ has the power to keep it safe until that great day when he comes back.[b]
13 You have heard me tell you about God's true message. Let those words be an example to you, so that you also teach what is true. Do this because you belong to Christ Jesus. Continue to trust him and to love his people. 14 God has given you his good message to keep safe. God's Holy Spirit, who lives in us, will help you to keep it safe.
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