Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

39 I said, “I will take heed of my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me.”

² I was dumb with silence; I held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow was stirred.

³ My heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴ “Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am.

⁵ Behold, Thou hast made my days as a handbreadth, and mine age is as nothing before Thee; verily every man in his best state is altogether vanity. Selah

⁶ “Surely every man walketh in a vain show; surely they are disquieted in vain; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

⁷ “And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in Thee.

⁸ Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the foolish.

⁹ I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because Thou didst it.

¹⁰ Remove Thy stroke away from me; I am consumed by the blow of Thine hand.

¹¹ When with rebukes Thou dost correct man for iniquity, Thou makest his beauty to be consumed away like a moth; surely every man is vanity. Selah

¹² “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not Thy peace at my tears; for I am a stranger with Thee and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

¹³ O spare me, that I may recover strength before I go hence and am no more.”

26 But Job answered and said:

² “How hast thou helped him that is without power? How savest thou the arm that hath no strength?

³ How hast thou counseled him that hath no wisdom? And how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?

⁴ To whom hast thou uttered words? And whose spirit came from thee?

⁵ Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

⁶ “Hell is naked before Him, and destruction hath no covering.

⁷ He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

⁸ He bindeth up the waters in His thick clouds, and the cloud is not rent under them.

⁹ He holdeth back the face of His throne, and spreadeth His cloud upon it.

¹⁰ He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

¹¹ The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at His reproof.

¹² He divideth the sea with His power, and by His understanding He smiteth through the proud.

¹³ By His Spirit He hath garnished the heavens; His hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

¹⁴ Lo, these are parts of His ways, but how little a portion is heard of Him! But the thunder of His power, who can understand?”

⁹ After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and with palms in their hands.

¹⁰ And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb!”

¹¹ And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living beings, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

¹² saying, “Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen!”

¹³ And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, “Who are these that are arrayed in white robes, and from whence have they come?”

¹⁴ And I said unto him, “Sir, thou knowest.” And he said to me, “These are they that came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵ Therefore, “they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

¹⁶ They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

¹⁷ For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”