Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Job, the Good Man

1 A man named Job lived in the land of Uz. He was an honest man and innocent of any wrong. He honored God and stayed away from evil.

Satan Appears Before God Again

2 On another day the angels came to show themselves before the Lord. And Satan also came with them. ² The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”

Satan answered the Lord, “I have been wandering around the earth. I have been going back and forth in it.”

³ Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you noticed my servant Job? No one else on earth is like him. He is an honest man, innocent of any wrong. He honors God and stays away from evil. You caused me to ruin him for no good reason. But he continues to be without blame.”

⁴ “One skin for another!” Satan answered. “A man will give all he has to save his own life. ⁵ But reach out your hand and destroy his own flesh and bones. Then he will curse you to your face.”

⁶ The Lord said to Satan, “All right, then. Job is in your power. But you must let him live.”

⁷ So Satan left the Lord’s presence. And he put painful sores all over Job’s body. They went from the top of his head to the soles of his feet. ⁸ Then Job took a piece of broken pottery. And he used it to scrape himself. He sat in ashes to show how upset he was.

⁹ Job’s wife said to him, “Are you still trying to stay innocent? You should just curse God and die!”

¹⁰ Job answered, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Should we take only good things from God and not trouble?” In all this Job did not sin in what he said.

The Prayer of an Innocent Man

Of David.

God Spoke Through His Son

1 In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets. He spoke to them many times and in many different ways. ² And now in these last days God has spoken to us through his Son. God has chosen his Son to own all things. And he made the world through the Son. ³ The Son reflects the glory of God. He is an exact copy of God’s nature. He holds everything together with his powerful word. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of God, the Great One in heaven. ⁴ The Son became much greater than the angels. And God gave him a name that is much greater than theirs.

Christ Became Like Men

⁵ God did not choose angels to be the rulers of the new world that was coming. It is that future world we have been talking about. ⁶ It is written somewhere in the Scriptures,

If God put everything under his control, there was nothing left that he did not rule. But we do not yet see him ruling over everything. ⁹ But we see Jesus! For a short time he was made lower than the angels. But now we see him wearing a crown of glory and honor because he suffered and died. Because of God’s grace, he died for everyone.

¹⁰ God is the One who made all things. And all things are for his glory. God wanted to have many sons share his glory. So God made perfect the One who leads people to salvation. He made Jesus a perfect Savior through Jesus’ suffering.

¹¹ Jesus, who makes people holy, and those who are made holy are from the same family. So he is not ashamed to call them his brothers. ¹² He says,

² Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tried to trick him. They asked, “Is it right for a man to divorce his wife?”

³ Jesus answered, “What did Moses command you to do?”

⁴ They said, “Moses allowed a man to write out divorce papers and send her away.”^[a]

⁵ Jesus said, “Moses wrote that command for you because you refused to accept God’s teaching. ⁶ But when God made the world, ‘he made them male and female.’^{[b] 7} ‘So a man will leave his father and mother and be united with his wife.^{[c] 8} And the two people will become one body.’^[d] So the people are not two, but one. ⁹ God has joined the two people together. So no one should separate them.”

¹⁰ Later, the followers and Jesus were in the house. They asked Jesus again about the question of divorce. ¹¹ He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman is guilty of adultery against her. ¹² And the woman who divorces her husband and marries another man is also guilty of adultery.”

Jesus Accepts Children

¹³ Some people brought their small children to Jesus so he could touch them. But his followers told the people to stop bringing their children to him. ¹⁴ When Jesus saw this, he was displeased. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me. Don’t stop them. The kingdom of God belongs to people who are like these little children. ¹⁵ I tell you the truth. You must accept the kingdom of God as a little child accepts things, or you will never enter it.” ¹⁶ Then Jesus took the children in his arms. He put his hands on them and blessed them.