Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Job’s Life
1 A man named Job lived in Uz. He was a man of integrity: He was decent, he feared Elohim, and he stayed away from evil.
Satan Challenges the Lord Again
2 One day when the sons of Elohim came to stand in front of Yahweh, Satan the Accuser came along with them.
2 Yahweh asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”
Satan answered Yahweh, “From wandering all over the earth.”
3 Yahweh asked Satan, “Have you thought about my servant Job? No one in the world is like him! He is a man of integrity: He is decent, he fears Elohim, and he stays away from evil. And he still holds on to his principles. You’re trying to provoke me into ruining him for no reason.”
4 Satan answered Yahweh, “Skin for skin! Certainly, a man will give everything he has for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand, and strike his flesh and bones. I bet he’ll curse you to your face.”
6 Yahweh told Satan, “He is in your power, but you must spare his life!”
Job’s Second Crisis
7 Satan left Yahweh’s presence and struck Job with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. 8 Job took a piece of broken pottery to scratch himself as he sat in the ashes.
9 His wife asked him, “Are you still holding on to your principles? Curse Elohim and die!”
10 He said to her, “You’re talking like a godless fool. We accept the good that Elohim gives us. Shouldn’t we also accept the bad?”
Through all this Job’s lips did not utter one sinful word.
Psalm 26
By David.
1 Judge me favorably, O Yahweh,
because I have walked with integrity
and I have trusted you without wavering.
2 Examine me, O Yahweh, and test me.
Look closely into my heart and mind.
3 I see your mercy in front of me.
I walk in the light of your truth.
4 I did not sit with liars,
and I will not be found among hypocrites.
5 I have hated the mob of evildoers
and will not sit with wicked people.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence.
I will walk around your altar, O Yahweh,
7 so that I may loudly sing a hymn of thanksgiving
and tell about all your miracles.
8 O Yahweh, I love the house where you live,
the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep away my soul along with hardened sinners
or my life along with bloodthirsty people.
10 Evil schemes are in their hands.
Their right hands are full of bribes.
11 But I walk with integrity.
Rescue me, and have pity on me.
12 My feet stand on level ground.
I will praise Yahweh with the choirs in worship.
God Has Spoken to Us Through His Son
1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors at many different times and in many different ways through the prophets. 2 In these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. God made his Son responsible for everything. His Son is the one through whom God made the universe. 3 His Son is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact likeness of God’s being. He holds everything together through his powerful words. After he had cleansed people from their sins, he received the highest position, the one next to the Father in heaven.
God’s Son Is Superior to the Angels
4 The Son has become greater than the angels since he has been given a name that is superior to theirs.
5 He didn’t put the world that will come (about which we are talking) under the angels’ control. 6 Instead, someone has declared this somewhere in Scripture:
“What is a mortal that you should remember him,
or the Son of Man[a] that you take care of him?
7 You made him a little lower than the angels.
You crowned him with glory and honor.
8 You put everything under his control.”
When God put everything under his Son’s control, nothing was left out.
However, at the present time we still don’t see everything under his Son’s control. 9 Yeshua was made a little lower than the angels, but we see him crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death. Through God’s kindness[b] he died on behalf of everyone. 10 God is the one for whom and through whom everything exists. Therefore, while God was bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was the right time to bring Yeshua, the source of their salvation, to the end of his work through suffering.
Jesus Became One of Us to Help Us
11 Yeshua, who makes people holy, and all those who are made holy have the same Father. That is why Yeshua isn’t ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. 12 He says,
“I will tell my people about your name.
I will praise you within the congregation.”
2 Some Pharisees came to test him. They asked, “Can a husband divorce his wife?”
3 Yeshua answered them, “What command did Moses give you?”
4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to give his wife a written notice to divorce her.”
5 Yeshua said to them, “He wrote this command for you because you’re heartless. 6 But God made them male and female in the beginning, at creation. 7 That’s why a man will leave his father and mother and will remain united with his wife, 8 and the two will be one. So they are no longer two but one. 9 Therefore, don’t let anyone separate what God has joined together.”
10 When they were in a house, the disciples asked him about this. 11 He answered them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery. 12 If a wife divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”
Jesus Blesses Children(A)
13 Some people brought little children to Yeshua to have him hold them. But the disciples told the people not to do that.
14 When Yeshua saw this, he became irritated. He told them, “Don’t stop the children from coming to me. Children like these are part of the kingdom of God. 15 I can guarantee this truth: Whoever doesn’t receive the kingdom of God as a little child receives it will never enter it.”
16 Yeshua put his arms around the children and blessed them by placing his hands on them.
The Names of God Bible (without notes) © 2011 by Baker Publishing Group.