Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
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 came also among them to present himself before the Lord. 2 And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?”
(B)Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.”
3 Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, (C)a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he (D)holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, (E)to [a]destroy him without cause.”
4 So Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. 5 (F)But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his (G)bone and his flesh, and he will surely [b]curse You to Your face!”
6 (H)And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life.”
7 So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils (I)from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. 8 And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself (J)while he sat in the midst of the ashes.
9 Then his wife said to him, “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? [c]Curse God and die!”
10 But he said to her, “You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. (K)Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?” (L)In all this Job did not (M)sin with his lips.
A Prayer for Divine Scrutiny and Redemption
A Psalm of David.
26 Vindicate (A)me, O Lord,
For I have (B)walked in my integrity.
(C)I have also trusted in the Lord;
I shall not slip.
2 (D)Examine me, O Lord, and [a]prove me;
Try my mind and my heart.
3 For Your lovingkindness is before my eyes,
And (E)I have walked in Your truth.
4 I have not (F)sat with idolatrous mortals,
Nor will I go in with hypocrites.
5 I have (G)hated the assembly of evildoers,
And will not sit with the wicked.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence;
So I will go about Your altar, O Lord,
7 That I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving,
And tell of all Your wondrous works.
8 Lord, (H)I have loved the habitation of Your house,
And the place [b]where Your glory dwells.
9 (I)Do[c] not gather my soul with sinners,
Nor my life with bloodthirsty men,
10 In whose hands is a sinister scheme,
And whose right hand is full of (J)bribes.
11 But as for me, I will walk in my integrity;
Redeem me and be merciful to me.
12 (K)My foot stands in an even place;
In the congregations I will bless the Lord.
God’s Supreme Revelation(A)
1 God, who [a]at various times and (B)in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the [b]worlds; 3 (C)who being the brightness of His glory and the express (D)image of His person, and (E)upholding all things by the word of His power, (F)when He had [c]by Himself [d]purged [e]our sins, (G)sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as (H)He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
The Son Made Lower than Angels(A)
5 For He has not put (B)the world to come, of which we speak, in subjection to angels. 6 But one testified in a certain place, saying:
(C)“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
7 You have made him [a]a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
[b]And set him over the works of Your hands.
8 (D)You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”
For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now (E)we do not yet see all things put under him. 9 But we see Jesus, (F)who was made [c]a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death (G)crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death (H)for everyone.
Bringing Many Sons to Glory
10 For it was fitting for Him, (I)for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation (J)perfect through sufferings. 11 For (K)both He who [d]sanctifies and those who are being sanctified (L)are all of one, for which reason (M)He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying:
(N)“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”
2 (A)The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.
3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?”
4 They said, (B)“Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.”
5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this [a]precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation, God (C)‘made them male and female.’ 7 (D)‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”
10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. 11 So He said to them, (E)“Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. 12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.”
Jesus Blesses Little Children(F)
13 (G)Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for (H)of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, (I)whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will (J)by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.