Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

23 And Job answered, and said,

² Now also my word is in bitterness, and the hand of my wound is aggrieved on my wailing. (Now my word is bitter, and the hand causing my pain is heavy upon me in my wailing.)

³ Who giveth to me, that I know, and find him, and come unto his throne? (Who giveth to me, that I might know where to find him, and come unto his throne?)

⁴ I shall set doom before him (I shall state my case before him), and I shall fill my mouth with arguments;

⁵ that I know the words, which he shall answer to me, and that I understand, what he shall speak to me. (then I shall know the words, which he shall answer to me, and I shall understand, what he shall say to me.)

⁶ I will not, that he strive with me by great strength, neither that he oppress me with the heaviness of his greatness. (I do not desire, that he fight me with his great strength, nor oppress me with his great might, or his great power.)

⁷ Set he forth equity against me, and my doom come perfectly to victory. (Yea, I shall be righteous before him, and my judge shall find me altogether innocent.)

⁸ If I go to the east, God appeareth not there; if I go to the west, I shall not understand him;

⁹ if I go to the left side, what shall I do? I shall not take (hold of) him (I shall not catch him); if I turn me to the right side, I shall not see him.

¹⁶ God hath made nesh mine heart (God hath made my heart weak, or faint), and Almighty God hath troubled me.

¹⁷ Certainly I perished not for darknesses nighing to me; neither mist covered my face. (For I did not perish because the darkness nighed to me, nor because the mist covered my face.)

22 To (the) overcomer, for the morrowtide hind, the psalm of David. God, my God, behold thou on me, why hast thou forsaken me? the words of my trespasses be far from mine health. (To the overcomer, for the labourer in the morning, the song of David. God, my God, look thou upon me, why hast thou abandoned me? why is thy help so far from me, yea, from answering my plea?)

² My God, I shall cry by day, and thou shalt not hear; and by night, and not to unwisdom to me. (My God, I cry to thee all day long, but thou answerest me not; and I cry to thee all night, without any ceasing.)

³ Forsooth thou, the praising of Israel, dwellest in holiness;

⁴ our fathers hoped in thee; they hoped, and thou deliveredest them. (our forefathers put their trust in thee; yea, they trusted thee, and thou deliveredest them.)

⁵ They cried to thee, and they were made safe; they hoped in thee, and they were not shamed. (They cried to thee, and they were saved; they trusted thee, and they were not put to shame, or were not disappointed.)

⁶ But I am a worm, and not a man; the shame of men, and the outcasting of the people. (But I am a worm, and not a man; despised, and an outcast among the people.)

⁷ All men seeing me scorned me; they spake with lips, and wagged the head, and said,

⁸ He hoped in the Lord, deliver he him; make he him safe, for he will him. (He hoped in the Lord, that he would rescue him; so let him save him, if he delighteth in him.)

⁹ For thou it art that drewest me out of the womb, that art mine hope from the teats of my mother; (For thou art he who drew me out of the womb, thou who art my hope from my mother’s breast;)

¹⁰ into thee I am cast forth from the womb. From the womb of my mother thou art my God; (and I was cast upon thee from the womb. Thou art my God from my mother’s womb;)

¹¹ depart thou not from me. For tribulation is next; for none there is that helpeth. (go thou not away from me. For trouble is near; and there is no one to help me.)

¹² Many calves (en)compassed me; fat bulls besieged me. (Many calves surrounded me; the strong bulls of Bashan besieged me.)

¹³ They opened their mouth on me; as a lion ravishing and roaring. (They opened their mouths upon me; like a roaring and ravaging lion.)

¹⁴ I am poured out as water; and all my bones be scattered. Mine heart is made, as wax floating abroad; in the midst of my womb. (I am poured out like water; and all my bones be out of joint. My heart hath turned to wax; and it melteth within me.)

¹⁵ My virtue dried as a tilestone, and my tongue cleaved to my cheeks; and thou hast brought forth me into the dust of death. (My strength dried up like a tilestone, and my tongue cleaved to my cheeks; and thou hast brought me down into the dust of death.)

¹² For the word of God is quick, and speedy in working, and more able to pierce than any twain-edged sword [two-edged sword], and stretcheth forth [till] to the parting of the soul and of the spirit, and of the jointures and marrows, and deemer of thoughts, and of intents of hearts^[a].

¹³ And no creature is invisible in the sight of God. For all things be naked and open to his eyes, to whom a word to us.

¹⁴ Therefore we that have a great bishop, that pierced heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, hold we the acknowledging of our hope [hold we the confession, or acknowledging, of our faith].

¹⁵ For we have not a bishop, that may not have compassion on our infirmities, but was tempted by all things by likeness, without sin.

¹⁶ Therefore go we with trust to the throne of his grace, that we get mercy, and find grace in opportune help [in covenable help].

¹⁷ And when Jesus was gone out into the way, a man ran before, and kneeled before him, and prayed him, and said^[a], Good master, what shall I do, that I receive everlasting life?

¹⁸ And Jesus said to him, What sayest thou, that I am good? There is no man good, but God himself.^[b]

¹⁹ Thou knowest the commandments, do thou none adultery, slay not, steal not, say not false witnessing, do no fraud, honour thy father and thy mother [worship thy father and mother].

²⁰ And he answered, and said to him, Master, I have kept all these things from my youth.

²¹ And Jesus beheld him, and loved him [Soothly Jesus beholding him loved him], and said to him, One thing faileth to thee; go thou, and sell all things that thou hast [sell whatever things thou hast], and give to poor men, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven; and come, [and] follow thou me.

²² And he was full sorry in the word, and went away mourning [The which made sorrowful in the word, went away mourning], for he had many possessions.

²³ And Jesus beheld about, and said to his disciples [And Jesus beholding about, saith to his disciples], How hard they that have riches shall enter into the kingdom of God.

²⁴ And the disciples were astonished in his words. And Jesus again answered, and said to them, Ye little children, how hard it is for men that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God^[c].

²⁵ It is lighter a camel to pass through a needle's eye, than a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. [It is easier that a camel pass through a needle's eye, than that a rich man enter into the realm of God.]

²⁶ And they wondered more, and said among themselves [saying at themselves], And who may be saved?

²⁷ And Jesus beheld them, and said [And Jesus beholding them, saith to them], With men it is impossible, but not with God; for all things be possible with God.

²⁸ And Peter began to say to him, Lo! we have left all things, and have followed thee.

²⁹ Jesus answered, and said, Truly I say to you, there is no man that leaveth house, or brethren, or sisters [or sistren], or father, or mother, or children, or fields for me and for the gospel,

³⁰ which shall not take an hundredfold so much now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters [and sistren], and mothers, and children, and fields, with persecutions, and in the world to coming everlasting life [and in the world to come everlasting life].

³¹ But many shall be, the first the last, and the last the first.