Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 26[a]
By David.
26 Vindicate me, O Lord,
for I have integrity,[b]
and I trust in the Lord without wavering.
2 Examine me, O Lord, and test me.
Evaluate my inner thoughts and motives.[c]
3 For I am ever aware of your faithfulness,[d]
and your loyalty continually motivates me.[e]
4 I do not associate[f] with deceitful men,
or consort[g] with those who are dishonest.[h]
5 I hate the mob[i] of evil men,
and do not associate[j] with the wicked.
6 I maintain a pure lifestyle,[k]
so I can appear before your altar,[l] O Lord,
7 to give you thanks,[m]
and to tell about all your amazing deeds.[n]
8 O Lord, I love the temple where you live,[o]
the place where your splendor is revealed.[p]
9 Do not sweep me away[q] with sinners,
or execute me along with violent people,[r]
10 who are always ready to do wrong[s]
or offer a bribe.[t]
11 But I have integrity.[u]
Rescue me[v] and have mercy on me!
12 I am safe,[w]
and among the worshipers I will praise the Lord.
The Visit of Job’s Friends[a]
11 When Job’s three friends heard about all this calamity that had happened to him, each of them came from his own country[b]—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.[c] They met together[d] to come to show sympathy[e] for him and to console[f] him. 12 But when they gazed intently[g] from a distance but did not recognize[h] him, they began to weep loudly. Each of them tore his robes, and they threw dust into the air over their heads.[i] 13 Then they sat down with him on the ground for seven days and seven nights, yet no one spoke a word to him, for they saw that his pain[j] was very great.[k]
II. Job’s Dialogue With His Friends (3:1-27:23)[l]
Job Regrets His Birth
3 After this Job opened his mouth[m] and cursed[n] the day he was born.[o] 2 Job spoke up[p] and said:
3 “Let the day on which[q] I was born[r] perish,
and the night that said,[s]
‘A man[t] has been conceived!’[u]
4 That day[v]—let it be darkness;[w]
let not God on high regard[x] it,
nor let light shine[y] on it!
5 Let darkness and the deepest shadow[z] claim it;[aa]
let a cloud settle on it;
let whatever blackens the day[ab] terrify it.
6 That night—let darkness seize[ac] it;
let it not be included[ad] among the days of the year;
let it not enter among the number of the months![ae]
7 Indeed,[af] let that night be barren;[ag]
let no shout of joy[ah] penetrate[ai] it!
8 Let those who curse the day[aj] curse it[ak]—
those who are prepared to rouse[al] Leviathan.[am]
9 Let its morning stars[an] be darkened;
let it wait[ao] for daylight but find none,[ap]
nor let it see the first rays[aq] of dawn,
10 because it[ar] did not shut the doors[as] of my mother’s womb on me,[at]
nor did it hide trouble[au] from my eyes.
Job Wishes He Had Died at Birth[av]
11 “Why did I not[aw] die[ax] at birth,[ay]
and why did I not expire
as[az] I came out of the womb?
12 Why did the knees welcome me,[ba]
and why were there[bb] two breasts[bc]
that I might nurse at them?[bd]
13 For now[be] I would be lying down
and[bf] would be quiet,[bg]
I would be asleep and then at peace[bh]
14 with kings and counselors of the earth
who built for themselves places now desolate,[bi]
15 or with princes who possessed gold,[bj]
who filled their palaces[bk] with silver.
16 Or why[bl] was[bm] I not buried[bn]
like a stillborn infant,[bo]
like infants[bp] who have never seen the light?[bq]
17 There[br] the wicked[bs] cease[bt] from turmoil,[bu]
and there the weary[bv] are at rest.
18 There[bw] the prisoners[bx] relax[by] together;[bz]
they do not hear the voice of the oppressor.[ca]
19 Small and great are[cb] there,
and the slave is free[cc] from his master.[cd]
Longing for Death[ce]
20 “Why does God[cf] give[cg] light to one who is in misery,[ch]
and life to those[ci] whose soul is bitter,
21 to[cj] those who wait[ck] for death that[cl] does not come,
and search for it[cm]
more than for hidden treasures,
22 who rejoice[cn] even to jubilation,[co]
and are exultant[cp] when[cq] they find the grave?[cr]
23 Why is light given[cs] to a man[ct]
whose way is hidden,[cu]
and whom God has hedged in?[cv]
24 For my sighing comes in place of[cw] my food,[cx]
and my groanings[cy] flow forth like water.[cz]
25 For the very thing I dreaded[da] has happened[db] to me,
and what I feared has come upon me.[dc]
26 I have no ease,[dd] I have no quietness;
I cannot rest;[de] turmoil has come upon me.”[df]
Sons of God Are Heirs of Promise
23 Now before faith[a] came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners[b] until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 Thus the law had become our guardian[c] until Christ, so that we could be declared righteous[d] by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian.[e] 26 For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith.[f] 27 For all of you who[g] were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave[h] nor free, there is neither male nor female[i]—for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants,[j] heirs according to the promise.
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