Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Job Loses His Health
2 (A)Again 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 The Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.” 3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you [a]considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man [b]fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still (B)holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to [c]ruin him without cause.” 4 Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 (C)However, put forth Your hand now, and (D)touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” 6 So the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your [d]power, only spare his life.”
7 Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with (E)sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took a potsherd to scrape himself while (F)he was sitting among the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. (G)Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?” (H)In all this Job did not sin with his lips.
Protestation of Integrity and Prayer for Protection.
A Psalm of David.
26 [a](A)Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have (B)walked in my integrity,
And I have (C)trusted in the Lord [b](D)without wavering.
2 (E)Examine me, O Lord, and try me;
(F)Test my [c]mind and my heart.
3 For Your (G)lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And I have (H)walked in Your [d]truth.
4 I do not (I)sit with [e]deceitful men,
Nor will I go with [f](J)pretenders.
5 I (K)hate the assembly of evildoers,
And I will not sit with the wicked.
6 I shall (L)wash my hands in innocence,
And I will go about (M)Your altar, O Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of (N)thanksgiving
And declare all Your [g]wonders.
8 O Lord, I (O)love the habitation of Your house
And the place [h]where Your (P)glory dwells.
9 (Q)Do not [i]take my soul away along with sinners,
Nor my life with (R)men of bloodshed,
10 In whose hands is a (S)wicked scheme,
And whose right hand is full of (T)bribes.
11 But as for me, I shall (U)walk in my integrity;
(V)Redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 (W)My foot stands on a (X)level place;
In the (Y)congregations I shall bless the Lord.
God’s Final Word in His Son
1 God, after He (A)spoke long ago to the fathers in (B)the prophets in many portions and (C)in many ways, 2 [a](D)in these last days (E)has spoken to us [b]in (F)His Son, whom He appointed (G)heir of all things, (H)through whom also He made the [c](I)world. 3 [d]And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact (J)representation of His nature, and [e](K)upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made (L)purification of sins, He (M)sat down at the right hand of the (N)Majesty on high, 4 having become as much better than the angels, as He has inherited a more excellent (O)name than they.
Earth Subject to Man
5 For He did not subject to angels [a](A)the world to come, concerning which we are speaking. 6 But one has testified (B)somewhere, saying,
“(C)What is man, that You remember him?
Or the son of man, that You are concerned about him?
7 “(D)You have made him [b]for a little while lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
[c]And have appointed him over the works of Your hands;
8 (E)You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in subjecting all things to him, He left nothing that is not subject to him. But now (F)we do not yet see all things subjected to him.
Jesus Briefly Humbled
9 But we do see Him who was (G)made [d]for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, (H)because of the suffering of death (I)crowned with glory and honor, so that (J)by the grace of God He might (K)taste death (L)for everyone.
10 For (M)it was fitting for Him, (N)for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to (O)perfect the [e](P)author of their salvation through sufferings. 11 For both He who (Q)sanctifies and those who (R)are [f]sanctified are all (S)from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them (T)brethren, 12 saying,
“(U)I will proclaim Your name to My brethren,
In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.”
2 Some Pharisees came up to Jesus, testing Him, and began to question Him whether it was lawful for a man to [a]divorce a wife. 3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “(A)Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and [b]send her away.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “[c](B)Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. 6 But (C)from the beginning of creation, God (D)made them male and female. 7 (E)For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother[d], 8 (F)and the two shall become one flesh; so they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
10 In the house the disciples began questioning Him about this again. 11 And He *said to them, “(G)Whoever [e]divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her; 12 and (H)if she herself [f]divorces her husband and marries another man, she is committing adultery.”
Jesus Blesses Little Children
13 (I)And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. 14 But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; (J)for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15 Truly I say to you, (K)whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.” 16 And He (L)took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.