Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

39 Unto the end, a psalm for David himself.

² With expectation I have waited for the Lord, and he was attentive to me.

³ And he heard my prayers, and brought me out of the pit of misery and the mire of dregs. And he set my feet upon a rock, and directed my steps.

⁴ And he put a new canticle into my mouth, a song to our God. Many shall see, and shall fear: and they shall hope in the Lord.

⁵ Blessed is the man whose trust is in the name of the Lord; and who hath not had regard to vanities, and lying follies.

⁶ Thou hast multiplied thy wonderful works, O Lord my God: and in thy thoughts there is no one like to thee. I have declared and I have spoken they are multiplied above number.

⁷ Sacrifice and oblation thou didst not desire; but thou hast pierced ears for me. Burnt offering and sin offering thou didst not require:

⁸ Then said I, Behold I come. In the head of the book it is written of me

⁹ That I should do thy will: O my God, I have desired it, and thy law in the midst of my heart.

¹⁰ I have declared thy justice in a great church, lo, I will not restrain my lips: O Lord, thou knowest it.

¹¹ I have not hid thy justice within my heart: I have declared thy truth and thy salvation. I have not concealed thy mercy and thy truth from a great council.

¹² Withhold not thou, O Lord, thy tender mercies from me: thy mercy and thy truth have always upheld me.

¹³ For evils without number have surrounded me; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I was not able to see. They are multiplied above the hairs of my head: and my heart hath forsaken me.

¹⁴ Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me, look down, O Lord, to help me.

¹⁵ Let them be confounded and ashamed together, that seek after my soul to take it away. Let them be turned backward and be ashamed that desire evils to me.

¹⁶ Let them immediately bear their confusion, that say to me: 'T is well, 't is well.

¹⁷ Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say always: The Lord be magnified.

¹⁸ But I am a beggar and poor: the Lord is careful for me. Thou art my helper and my protector: O my God, be not slack.

26 Then Job answered, and said:

² Whose helper art thou? is it of him that is weak? and dost thou hold up the arm of him that has no strength?

³ To whom hast thou given counsel? perhaps to him that hath no wisdom, and thou hast shewn thy very great prudence.

⁴ Whom hast thou desired to teach? was it not him that made life?

⁵ Behold the giants groan under the waters, and they that dwell with them.

⁶ Hell is naked before him, and there is no covering for destruction.

⁷ He stretched out the north over the empty space, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

⁸ He bindeth up the waters in his clouds, so that they break not out and fall down together.

⁹ He withholdeth the face of his throne, and spreadeth his cloud over it.

¹⁰ He hath set bounds about the waters, till light and darkness come to an end.

¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble, and dread at his beck.

¹² By his power the seas are suddenly gathered together, and his wisdom has struck the proud one.

¹³ His spirit hath adorned the heavens, and his obstetric hand brought forth the winding serpent.

¹⁴ Lo, these things are said in part of his ways: and seeing we have heard scarce a little drop of his word, who shall be able to behold the thunder of his greatness?

⁹ After this I saw a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne, and in sight of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands:

¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying: Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and to the Lamb.

¹¹ And all the angels stood round about the throne, and the ancients, and the four living creatures; and they fell down before the throne upon their faces, and adored God,

¹² Saying: Amen. Benediction, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, honour, and power, and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.

¹³ And one of the ancients answered, and said to me: These that are clothed in white robes, who are they? and whence came they?

¹⁴ And I said to him: My Lord, thou knowest. And he said to me: These are they who are come out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵ Therefore they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple: and he, that sitteth on the throne, shall dwell over them.

¹⁶ They shall no more hunger nor thirst, neither shall the sun fall on them, nor any heat.

¹⁷ For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall rule them, and shall lead them to the fountains of the waters of life, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.