Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 55[a]
For the music director, to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a well-written song[b] by David.
55 Listen, O God, to my prayer.
Do not ignore[c] my appeal for mercy.
2 Pay attention to me and answer me.
I am so upset[d] and distressed,[e] I am beside myself,[f]
3 because of what the enemy says,[g]
and because of how the wicked[h] pressure me,[i]
for they hurl trouble[j] down upon me[k]
and angrily attack me.
4 My heart beats violently[l] within me;
the horrors of death overcome me.[m]
5 Fear and panic overpower me;[n]
terror overwhelms[o] me.
6 I say,[p] “I wish I had wings like a dove.
I would fly away and settle in a safe place.
7 Look, I will escape to a distant place;
I will stay in the wilderness. (Selah)
8 I will hurry off to a place that is safe
from the strong wind[q] and the gale.”
9 Confuse them,[r] O Lord.
Frustrate their plans.[s]
For I see violence and conflict in the city.
10 Day and night they walk around on its walls,[t]
while wickedness and destruction[u] are within it.
11 Disaster is within it;
violence[v] and deceit do not depart from its public square.
12 Indeed,[w] it is not an enemy who insults me,
or else I could bear it;
it is not one who hates me who arrogantly taunts me,[x]
or else I could hide from him.
13 But it is you,[y] a man like me,[z]
my close friend in whom I confided.[aa]
14 We would share personal thoughts with each other;[ab]
in God’s temple we would walk together among the crowd.
15 May death destroy them.[ac]
May they go down alive into Sheol.[ad]
For evil is in their dwelling place and in their midst.
Eliphaz’s Second Speech[a]
15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered:
2 “Does a wise man answer with blustery knowledge,[b]
or fill his belly[c] with the east wind?[d]
3 Does he argue[e] with useless[f] talk,
with words that have no value in them?
4 But you even break off[g] piety,[h]
and hinder[i] meditation[j] before God.
5 Your sin inspires[k] your mouth;
you choose the language[l] of the crafty.[m]
6 Your own mouth condemns[n] you, not I;
your own lips testify against[o] you.
7 “Were you the first man ever born?
Were you brought forth before the hills?
8 Do you listen in on God’s secret council?[p]
Do you limit[q] wisdom to yourself?
9 What do you know that we don’t know?
What do you understand that we don’t understand?[r]
10 The gray-haired[s] and the aged are on our side,[t]
men far older than your father.[u]
11 Are God’s consolations[v] too trivial for you,[w]
or a word spoken[x] in gentleness to you?
12 Why[y] has your heart carried you away,[z]
and why do your eyes flash,[aa]
13 when you turn your rage[ab] against God
and allow such words to escape[ac] from your mouth?
14 What is man that he should be pure,
or one born of woman, that he should be righteous?
15 If God[ad] places no trust in his holy ones,[ae]
if even the heavens[af] are not pure in his eyes,
16 how much less man, who is abominable and corrupt,[ag]
who drinks in evil like water![ah]
17 “I will explain to you;
listen to me,
and what[ai] I have seen, I will declare,[aj]
18 what wise men declare,
hiding nothing,
from the tradition of[ak] their ancestors,[al]
19 to whom alone the land was given
when no foreigner passed among them.[am]
20 All his days[an] the wicked man suffers torment,[ao]
throughout the number of the years
that[ap] are stored up for the tyrant.[aq]
21 Terrifying sounds fill[ar] his ears;
in a time of peace marauders[as] attack him.
22 He does not expect[at] to escape from darkness;[au]
he is marked for the sword;[av]
23 he wanders about—food for vultures[aw]—
he knows that the day of darkness is at hand.[ax]
24 Distress and anguish[ay] terrify him;
they prevail against him
like a king ready to launch an attack,[az]
25 for he stretches out his hand against God,[ba]
and vaunts himself[bb] against the Almighty,
26 defiantly charging against him[bc]
with a thick, strong shield![bd]
27 Because he covered his face with fat,[be]
and made[bf] his hips bulge with fat,[bg]
28 he lived in ruined towns[bh]
and in houses where[bi] no one lives,
where they are ready to crumble into heaps.[bj]
29 He will not grow rich,
and his wealth will not endure,
nor will his possessions[bk] spread over the land.
30 He will not escape the darkness;[bl]
a flame will wither his shoots
and he will depart
by the breath of God’s mouth.[bm]
31 Let him not trust in what is worthless,[bn]
deceiving himself;
for worthlessness will be his reward.[bo]
32 Before his time[bp] he will be paid in full,[bq]
and his branches will not flourish.[br]
33 Like a vine he will let his sour grapes fall,[bs]
and like an olive tree
he will shed his blossoms.[bt]
34 For the company of the godless is barren,[bu]
and fire[bv] consumes the tents of those who accept bribes.[bw]
35 They conceive[bx] trouble and bring forth evil;
their belly[by] prepares deception.”
Adultery
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’[a] 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to desire her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body thrown into hell.[b] 30 If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.
Divorce
31 “It was said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife must give her a legal document.’[c] 32 But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except for immorality,[d] makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Oaths
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to an older generation,[e] ‘Do not break an oath, but fulfill your vows to the Lord.’[f] 34 But I say to you, do not take oaths at all—not by heaven, because it is the throne of God, 35 not by earth, because it is his footstool, and not by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King.[g] 36 Do not take an oath by your head, because you are not able to make one hair white or black.
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