Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer of a Man Hurt by a Friend

55 Listen to my prayer, O God. Do not hide Yourself from what I ask. ² Hear me and answer me. My thoughts trouble me and I have no peace, ³ because of the voice of those who hate me and the power of the sinful. For they bring trouble upon me, and in anger they keep on having bad thoughts against me.

⁴ My heart is in pain within me. The fears of death have come upon me. ⁵ I have begun shaking with fear. Fear has power over me. ⁶ And I say, “If only I had wings like a dove, I would fly away and be at rest. ⁷ Yes, I would go far away. I would live in the desert. ⁸ I would hurry to my safe place, away from the wild wind and storm.”

⁹ Mix them up, O Lord. Divide their tongues. For I have seen fighting and trouble in the city. ¹⁰ They go around on its walls day and night. Sin and wrong-doing are within it. ¹¹ Destroying powers are in the city. Trouble and lies never leave its streets.

¹² I would be able to take it if one who hates me were putting me to shame. I could hide from him. It is not one who hates me who has put himself up against me. ¹³ But it is you, a man like myself, one who has gone with me, my close friend. ¹⁴ We shared together. And we walked with the people in the house of God. ¹⁵ Let death take them by surprise. Let them go down alive to the grave. For sin is with them where they live.

Eliphaz Talks

15 Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered, ² “Should a wise man answer with learning that is of no worth, and fill himself with the east wind? ³ Should he argue with talk that will not help, or with words that do no good? ⁴ For sure you are doing away with the fear of the Lord. You are stopping the quiet worship of God. ⁵ You show your sin by what you say. You are trying to hide behind your words. ⁶ Your own mouth says you are guilty, and not I. Your own lips speak against you.

⁷ “Were you the first man to be born? Or were you made before the hills? ⁸ Were you there to hear the secret plans of God? Are you the only one who has wisdom? ⁹ What do you know that we do not know? What do you understand that is not clear to us? ¹⁰ Men whose hair has grown white and those who have lived many years are among us. They are older than your father. ¹¹ Are the gentle words spoken to you, which give comfort from God, too little for you? ¹² Why does your heart carry you away? And why do your eyes shine, ¹³ that you turn your spirit against God and let such words go out of your mouth? ¹⁴ What is man, that he can be pure, or he who is born of a woman, that he can be right and good? ¹⁵ See, God puts no trust in His holy ones. The heavens are not pure in His eyes. ¹⁶ How much less one who is hated and sinful, a man who drinks sin like water!

¹⁷ “I will tell you, listen to me. I will make known what I have seen, ¹⁸ what wise men have told that they learned from their fathers. They have not hidden anything. ¹⁹ These were the ones to whom the land was given, and no stranger passed among them. ²⁰ The sinful man suffers in pain all his days. His years are numbered because of all his sin. ²¹ Sounds of fear are in his ears. When all seems to be going well, the one who destroys will come upon him. ²² He does not believe that he will be taken away from darkness, and the sword is meant for him. ²³ He goes to look for food, saying, ‘Where is it?’ He knows that a day of darkness is near. ²⁴ Trouble and pain fill him with fear. They have power over him like a king ready for battle. ²⁵ He has put out his hand against God, and is full of pride against the All-powerful. ²⁶ He rushes in pride against Him with his big battle-covering. ²⁷ His face is fat, and his thighs are heavy with fat. ²⁸ He has lived in cities that have been laid waste, in houses where no one lives which will be destroyed. ²⁹ He will no longer be rich, and what he has will not last. His grain will come to nothing. ³⁰ He will not get away from darkness. The fire will dry up his branches, and the breath of God’s mouth will drive him away. ³¹ Let him not lie to himself and trust in what is empty. For what is empty will be his reward. ³² It will be paid in full while he still lives, and his branch will not be green. ³³ He will be like the vine that drops off its grapes before they are ready. And he will throw off his flower like the olive tree. ³⁴ Those who visit the sinful bring no fruit. And fire destroys the tents of those who do wrong. ³⁵ They give birth to trouble and bring sin. Their minds plan lies.”

Jesus Teaches about Husband and Wife

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said long ago, ‘You must not do sex sins.’ ²⁸ But I tell you, anyone who even looks at a woman with a sinful desire of wanting her has already sinned in his heart. ²⁹ If your right eye is the reason you sin, take it out and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. ³⁰ If your right hand is the reason you sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go to hell.

Jesus Teaches about Marriage

³¹ “It has been said, ‘Whoever wants to divorce his wife should have it put in writing, telling her he is leaving her.’ ³² But I tell you, whoever divorces his wife except if she has not been faithful to him, makes her guilty of a sex sin. Whoever marries a woman who has been divorced is guilty of a sex sin.

Jesus Teaches about What to Say

³³ “You have heard that it was said long ago, ‘You must not make a promise you cannot keep. You must carry out your promises to the Lord.’ ³⁴ I tell you, do not use strong words when you make a promise. Do not promise by heaven. It is the place where God is. ³⁵ Do not promise by earth. It is where He rests His feet. Do not promise by Jerusalem. It is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Do not promise by your head. You are not able to make one hair white or black.