Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God’s Greatness and Man’s Worth
For the director of music. By the gittith. A song of David.
8 Lord our Master,
your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!
It brings you praise in heaven above.
2 You have taught children and babies
to sing praises to you.
This is because of your enemies.
And so you silence your enemies
and destroy those who try to get even.
3 I look at the heavens,
which you made with your hands.
I see the moon and stars,
which you created.
4 But why is man important to you?
Why do you take care of human beings?
5 You made man a little lower than the angels.
And you crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You put him in charge of everything you made.
You put all things under his control:
7 all the sheep, the cattle
and the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky,
the fish in the sea,
and everything that lives under water.
9 Lord our Master,
your name is the most wonderful name in all the earth!
The Lord Questions Job
38 Then the Lord answered Job from the storm. He said:
2 “Who is this that makes my purpose unclear
by saying things that are not true?
3 Be strong like a man.
I will ask you questions,
and you must answer me.
4 Where were you when I made the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off how big it should be?
Surely you know!
6 What were the earth’s foundations set on?
Or who put its cornerstone in place?
7 Who did all this while the morning stars sang together?
Who did this while the angels shouted with joy?
8 “Who shut the doors to keep the sea in
when it broke through and was born?
9 This was when I made the clouds like a coat for the sea.
And I wrapped the sea in dark clouds.
10 It was when I put limits on the sea.
And I put its doors and bars in place.
11 It was when I said to the sea, ‘You may come this far, but no farther.
This is where your proud waves must stop.’
8 So do not be ashamed to tell people about our Lord Jesus. And do not be ashamed of me. I am in prison for the Lord. But suffer with me for the Good News. God gives us the strength to do that. 9 God saved us and made us his holy people. That was not because of anything we did ourselves but because of what he wanted and because of his grace. That grace was given to us through Christ Jesus before time began. 10 It was not shown to us until our Savior Christ Jesus came. Jesus destroyed death. And through the Good News, he showed us the way to have life that cannot be destroyed. 11 I was chosen to tell that Good News and to be an apostle and a teacher. 12 And I suffer now because I tell the Good News. But I am not ashamed. I know Jesus, the One I have believed in. And I am sure that he is able to protect what he has trusted me with until that Day.[a]
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.