Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
68 May God rise up and scatter his enemies.
May they turn and run away from him.
2 May you, God, blow them away like smoke.
As fire melts wax,
so may God destroy sinful people.
3 But may those who do what is right be glad
and filled with joy when they are with him.
May they be happy and joyful.
4 Sing to God, sing praise to his name.
Lift up a song to the God who rides on the clouds.
Be glad when you are with him.
His name is the Lord.
5 God is in his holy temple.
He is a father to children whose fathers have died.
He takes care of women whose husbands have died.
6 God gives lonely people a family.
He sets prisoners free, and they go out singing.
But those who refuse to obey him
live in a land that is baked by the sun.
7 God, you led your people out.
You marched through the desert.
8 The ground shook
when you, the God of Sinai, appeared.
The heavens poured down rain
when you, the God of Israel, appeared.
9 God, you gave us plenty of rain.
You renewed your worn-out land.
10 God, your people made their homes in it.
From all your riches, you provided for those who were poor.
19 Give praise to the Lord. Give praise to God our Savior.
He carries our heavy loads day after day.
20 Our God is a God who saves.
He is the King and the Lord. He saves us from death.
The Third Speech of Eliphaz
22 Then Eliphaz the Temanite replied,
2 “Can any person be of benefit to God?
Can even a wise person be of any help to him?
3 Job, what pleasure would it give the Mighty One if you were right?
What would he get if you were completely honest?
4 “You say you have respect for him.
Is that why he corrects you?
Is that why he brings charges against you?
5 Haven’t you done many evil things?
Don’t you sin again and again?
6 You took clothes away from your relatives
just because they owed you some money.
You left them naked for no reason at all.
7 You didn’t give any water to people who were tired.
You held food back from those who were hungry.
8 You did it even though you were honored and powerful.
You owned land and lived on it.
9 But you sent widows away without anything.
You mistreated children whose fathers had died.
10 That’s why traps have been set all around you.
That’s why sudden danger terrifies you.
11 That’s why it’s so dark you can’t even see.
That’s why a flood covers you up.
12 “Isn’t God in the highest parts of heaven?
See how high the highest stars are!
13 But you still say, ‘What does God know?
Can he see through the darkest clouds to judge us?
14 He goes around in the highest heavens.
Thick clouds keep him from seeing us.’
15 Will you stay on the old path
that sinful people have walked on?
16 They were carried off even before they died.
Their foundations were washed away by a flood.
17 They said to God, ‘Leave us alone!
What can you do to us, you Mighty One?’
18 But he was the one who filled their houses with good things.
So I don’t pay any attention to the plans of evil people.
19 “Those who do what is right are joyful
when they see sinners destroyed.
Those who haven’t done anything wrong make fun of them.
20 They say, ‘Our enemies are completely destroyed.
Fire has burned up their wealth.’
Paul Is Accepted by the Apostles
2 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem. This time I went with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went because God showed me what he wanted me to do. I spoke in private to those who are respected as leaders. I told them the good news that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I wasn’t running my race for no purpose. And I wanted to know that I had not been running my race for no purpose. 3 Titus was with me. He was a Greek. But even he was not forced to be circumcised. 4 This matter came up because some people had slipped in among us. They had pretended to be believers. They wanted to find out about the freedom we have because we belong to Christ Jesus. They wanted to make us slaves again. 5 We didn’t give in to them for a moment. We did this so that the truth of the good news would be kept safe for you.
6 Some people in Jerusalem were thought to be important. But it makes no difference to me what they were. God does not treat people differently. Those people added nothing to my message. 7 In fact, it was just the opposite. They recognized the task I had been trusted with. It was the task of preaching the good news to the Gentiles. My task was like Peter’s task. He had been trusted with the task of preaching to the Jews. 8 God was working in Peter as an apostle to the Jews. God was also working in me as an apostle to the Gentiles. 9 James, Peter and John are respected as pillars in the church. They recognized the special grace given to me. So they shook my hand and the hand of Barnabas. They wanted to show they accepted us. They agreed that we should go to the Gentiles. They would go to the Jews. 10 They asked only one thing. They wanted us to continue to remember poor people. That was what I had wanted to do all along.
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