Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Job's Character and Wealth

1 There was a man in the land of ^(A)Uz whose name was ^(B)Job, and that man was ^(C)blameless and upright, one who ^(D)feared God and ^(E)turned away from evil.

Satan Attacks Job's Health

2 Again ^(A)there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them to present himself before the Lord. ² And the Lord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.” ³ And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil? He still ^(B)holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him ^(C)without reason.” ⁴ Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. ⁵ But ^(D)stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will ^(E)curse you to your face.” ⁶ And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life.”

⁷ So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and struck Job with loathsome ^(F)sores from ^(G)the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. ⁸ And he took ^(H)a piece of broken pottery with which to scrape himself while he sat in ^(I)the ashes.

⁹ Then his wife said to him, “Do you still ^(J)hold fast your integrity? ^(K)Curse God and die.” ¹⁰ But he said to her, “You speak as one of the ^(L)foolish women would speak. ^(M)Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?”^{[a] (N)}In all this Job did not ^(O)sin with his lips.

I Will Bless the Lord

Of David.

The Supremacy of God's Son

1 Long ago, at many times and ^(A)in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but ^(B)in these last days ^(C)he has spoken to us by ^(D)his Son, whom he appointed ^(E)the heir of all things, ^(F)through whom also he created ^(G)the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and ^(H)the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. ^(I)After making purification for sins, ^(J)he sat down ^(K)at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become as much superior to angels as the name ^(L)he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

The Founder of Salvation

⁵ For it was not to angels that God subjected the world ^(A)to come, of which we are speaking. ⁶ It has been testified somewhere,

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, ^(C)we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. ⁹ But we see him ^(D)who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, ^(E)crowned with glory and honor ^(F)because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might ^(G)taste death ^(H)for everyone.

¹⁰ For it ^(I)was fitting that he, ^(J)for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons ^(K)to glory, should make the ^(L)founder of their salvation ^(M)perfect through suffering. ¹¹ For ^(N)he who sanctifies and ^(O)those who are sanctified ^(P)all have one source.^[b] That is why he is not ashamed to call them ^(Q)brothers,^{[c] 12} saying,

² And Pharisees came up and in order ^(A)to test him asked, ^(B)“Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” ³ He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” ⁴ They said, ^(C)“Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” ⁵ And Jesus said to them, “Because of your ^(D)hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. ⁶ But ^(E)from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them ^(F)male and female.’ ^7 (G)‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife,^{[a] 8} and ^(H)the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. ^9 (I)What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

¹⁰ And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. ¹¹ And he said to them, ^(J)“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, ¹² and ^(K)if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”

Let the Children Come to Me

^13 (L)And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples ^(M)rebuked them. ¹⁴ But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, ^(N)“Let the children come to me; ^(O)do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. ^15 (P)Truly, I say to you, whoever does not ^(Q)receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” ¹⁶ And ^(R)he took them in his arms and blessed them, ^(S)laying his hands on them.