Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for (A)I am in distress;
My (B)eye is wasted away from grief, (C)my soul and my body also.
10 For my life is spent with (D)sorrow
And my years with sighing;
My (E)strength has failed because of my iniquity,
And (F)my [a]body has wasted away.
11 Because of all my adversaries, I have become a (G)reproach,
Especially to my (H)neighbors,
And an object of dread to my acquaintances;
Those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I am (I)forgotten as a dead man, out of mind;
I am like a broken vessel.
13 For I have heard the [b](J)slander of many,
(K)Terror is on every side;
While they (L)took counsel together against me,
They (M)schemed to take away my life.
Job Is Sure He Will Be Vindicated
13 “(A)Be silent before me so that I may speak;
Then let come on me what may.
14 “Why should I take my flesh in my teeth
And (B)put my life in my [a]hands?
15 “(C)Though He slay me,
I will hope in Him.
Nevertheless I (D)will argue my ways [b]before Him.
16 “This also will be my (E)salvation,
For (F)a godless man may not come before His presence.
17 “Listen carefully to my speech,
And let my declaration fill your ears.
18 “Behold now, I have (G)prepared my case;
I know that (H)I will be vindicated.
19 “(I)Who will contend with me?
For then I would be silent and (J)die.
To Live Is Christ
21 For to me, (A)to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 [a]But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean (B)fruitful labor for me; and I do not know [b]which to choose. 23 But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the (C)desire to depart and (D)be with Christ, for that is very much better; 24 yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. 25 (E)Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy [c]in the faith, 26 so that your (F)proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.
27 Only conduct yourselves in a manner (G)worthy of the (H)gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are (I)standing firm in (J)one spirit, with one [d]mind (K)striving together for the faith of the gospel; 28 in no way alarmed by your opponents—which is a (L)sign of destruction for them, but of salvation for you, and that too, from God. 29 For to you (M)it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to (N)suffer for His sake, 30 experiencing the same (O)conflict which (P)you saw in me, and now hear to be in me.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.