Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
He Heals the Brokenhearted
147 [a]Praise Yah!
For (A)it is good to sing praises to our God;
For [b]it is pleasant and praise is (B)becoming.
2 Yahweh (C)builds up Jerusalem;
He (D)gathers the [c]outcasts of Israel.
3 He is the One who heals the (E)brokenhearted
And who (F)binds up their [d]wounds,
4 Who (G)counts the number of the stars;
He [e](H)gives names to all of them.
5 (I)Great is our Lord and abundant in power;
His (J)discernment is [f]infinite.
6 Yahweh [g](K)helps up the afflicted;
He brings down the wicked to the ground.
7 (L)Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre.
8 He is the One who (M)covers the heavens with clouds,
The One who (N)provides rain for the earth,
The One who (O)makes grass to sprout on the mountains,
9 Who (P)gives to the animal its food,
And to the (Q)young ravens which call out.
10 He does not delight in the might of the (R)horse;
He (S)does not take pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 Yahweh (T)is pleased with those who fear Him,
(U)Those who wait for His lovingkindness.
Elihu Says God Gives the Afflicted Justice
36 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there [a]is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 I will take up my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe (A)righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly (B)my words are not a lie;
One who is [b](C)perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 Behold, God is mighty but does not (D)reject;
He is (E)mighty in the power of His heart.
6 He does not (F)keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to (G)the afflicted.
7 He does not (H)withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But (I)with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
8 And if they are bound in fetters,
And are caught in the cords of (J)affliction,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their transgressions, that they have (K)magnified themselves.
10 (L)He opens their ear to discipline,
And (M)says that they return from wickedness.
11 If they hear and serve Him,
They will (N)end their days in prosperity
And their years in (O)pleasures.
12 But if they do not hear, they shall pass away (P)by a weapon
And they will (Q)breathe their last without knowledge.
13 But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 [c]They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the (R)cult prostitutes.
15 He delivers the afflicted in [d]their (S)affliction,
And (T)opens their ear in [e]time of oppression.
16 Then indeed, He (U)enticed you from the mouth of distress,
Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And the comfort of your table full of [f]fatness.
17 “But you were full of (V)judgment on the wicked;
Judgment and justice take hold of you.
18 Beware lest (W)wrath entice you to scoffing;
And do not let the greatness of the (X)atonement turn you aside.
19 Will your [g]cries keep you from distress,
Or all the forces of your power?
20 Do not long for (Y)the night,
When people [h]vanish in their place.
21 Be careful, do (Z)not turn to wickedness,
For you have chosen this to (AA)affliction.
22 Behold, God is exalted in His power;
Who is a (AB)teacher like Him?
23 Who has appointed Him His way,
And who has said, ‘(AC)You have worked out [i]unrighteousness’?
Paul Gives Up His Rights
9 Am I not (A)free? Am I not an (B)apostle? Have I not (C)seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not (D)my work in the Lord? 2 If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the (E)seal of my (F)apostleship in the Lord.
3 My defense to those who examine me is this: 4 (G)Do we not have authority to eat and drink? 5 (H)Do we not have authority to take along a [a]believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the (I)brothers of the Lord and (J)Cephas? 6 Or do only [b](K)Barnabas and I not have authority to refrain from working? 7 Who at any time serves (L)as a soldier at his own expense? Who (M)plants a vineyard and does not [c]consume the fruit of it? Or who shepherds a flock and does not [d]consume the milk of the flock?
8 Am I speaking these things (N)according to [e]human judgment? Or does not the Law also say these things? 9 For it is written in the Law of Moses, “(O)You shall not muzzle the ox while it is threshing.” Is God merely concerned about (P)oxen? 10 Or is He speaking altogether for our sake? Yes, (Q)for our sake it was written, because (R)the plowman ought to plow in hope, and the thresher to thresh in hope of sharing the crops. 11 (S)If we sowed spiritual things in you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? 12 If others share this authority over you, do we not more? Nevertheless, we (T)did not use this authority, but we endure all things (U)so that we will cause no hindrance to the (V)gospel of Christ. 13 (W)Do you not know that those who (X)perform sacred services eat the food of the temple, and those who attend regularly to the altar have their share [f]from the altar? 14 So also (Y)the Lord directed those who proclaim the (Z)gospel to (AA)get their living from the gospel.
15 But I have (AB)used none of these things. And I am not writing these things so that it will be done so in my case, for it would be better for me to die than have anyone make (AC)my boast an empty one. 16 For if I proclaim the gospel, I have nothing to boast, for (AD)I am under compulsion. For woe is me if I do not proclaim (AE)the gospel.
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