Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
12 My days are like a lengthening shadow,
and I am withering away like grass.
13 [a]But, you, O Lord, are enthroned forever,
and your renown will endure for all generations.
14 You will arise and show mercy to Zion,
for it is time for you to have pity on her;
the appointed time[b] has come.
15 For her stones are precious to your servants,
and her dust causes them to weep.[c]
16 The nations will revere your name,[d] O Lord,
and all the kings of the earth will sing of your glory.
17 For the Lord will rebuild Zion
and reveal himself in all his glory.[e]
18 He will answer the prayer of the destitute,
and he will not ignore their petition.
19 Let this be written[f] for future generations
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:
20 “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high
and gazed on the earth from heaven,
21 to hear the sighs of the prisoners
and to set free those under sentence of death.”[g]
22 Then the name of the Lord will be proclaimed in Zion,
and his praise[h] in Jerusalem
23 when all peoples and kingdoms come together
to worship the Lord.[i]
24 [j]He has taken away my strength on my life’s journey;
he has cut short my days.
25 So I said: “Do not carry me off, O my God,
before half my days are done,[k]
for your years endure from age to age.
26 [l]“Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
27 They will pass away but you endure;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like clothing,
and they will perish.[m]
28 “However, you remain always the same,
and your years will have no end.[n]
Job’s First Response[a]
Chapter 6
Impetuous Words.[b] 1 Job then answered with these words:
2 “If only my anguish could be weighed
and my misfortune placed with it on the scales.
3 They would then outweigh the sands of the sea—
hence, my words have been impetuous.
4 For the arrows of the Almighty[c] have pierced me,
and my spirit soaks in their poison;
God’s terrors are aligned against me.
5 “Does the wild donkey bray when it has grass?
Does an ox bellow when it has fodder?
6 Can tasteless food be eaten without salt?
Is there any flavor in the whites of eggs?
7 I refuse to even touch them;
they are like uncleanness in my food.
The Consolation of Death[d]
8 “Oh, that I might receive my request
and God would grant me what I hope for:
9 that it would please him to crush me,
cutting me off and ceasing to restrain his hand.
10 Such would be my consolation,
and I would exult in my unrelenting pain,
since I have never rebelled against the commands of the Holy One.
11 “Do I have the strength to continue to wait?
And what future awaits me should I decide to be patient?
12 Is my strength the strength of stone?
Is my flesh made of bronze?
13 How can I summon up the energy to survive?
All possible solutions to my plight are beyond my reach.
The Disciples Bear Witness to the Kingdom of God[a]
Summary of the Activity of Jesus.[b] 7 Thereupon Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the lakeshore, and a great multitude of people from Galilee followed him. 8 In addition, having heard of all he was doing, large numbers also came to him from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, beyond the Jordan, and the region of Tyre and Sidon.[c]
9 He instructed his disciples to have a small boat ready for him so that he would not be crushed by the crowds. 10 For he had healed so many that all who were afflicted in any way came crowding around to touch him. 11 And whenever unclean spirits saw him, they would fall at his feet and shout, “You are the Son of God.” 12 But he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
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