Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Prayer of a Suffering Man
39 I said, “I will watch my ways so I may not sin with my tongue. I will keep my mouth shut as if it were tied with ropes, while the sinful are near me.” 2 I stayed quiet, not even saying anything good. And my sorrow grew worse. 3 My heart was hot within me. As I thought about things, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue, 4 “O Lord, let me know my end and how many days I have to live. Let me know that I do not have long to stay here. 5 You have made each of my days as long as a hand is wide. My whole life is nothing in Your eyes. Every man at his best is only a breath. 6 Every man walks here and there like a shadow. He makes a noise about nothing. He stores up riches, not knowing who will gather them.
7 And now, Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You. 8 Save me from all my sins. Do not let me be put to shame by the foolish. 9 I cannot speak. I do not open my mouth because it is You Who has done it. 10 Do not punish me any more. I am growing weak by the beatings of Your hand. 11 With sharp words You punish a man for sin. You destroy like a moth what is of worth to him. For sure, every man is only a breath.
12 O Lord, hear my prayer, and listen to my cry. Do not be quiet when You see my tears. For I am a stranger with You, a visitor like all my fathers. 13 Look away from me, so I may have joy again before I go and am no more.”
Elihu Talks
32 Then these three men stopped answering Job, because he was right and good in his own eyes. 2 But Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry. He was angry at Job because he said he was right with God. 3 And he was angry at his three friends because they had found no answer, yet they had said that Job was wrong. 4 Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were older than he. 5 And when Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of the three men, he was very angry. 6 So Elihu the son of Barachel the Buzite said, “I am young, and you are old. So I did not feel that I should speak. I was afraid to tell you what I think. 7 I thought the older men should speak, and that the many years should teach wisdom. 8 But it is the spirit in a man and the breath of the All-powerful that gives him understanding. 9 The old may not be wise. They may not understand what is right and fair. 10 So I say, ‘Listen to me. I also will tell you what I think.’
11 “See, I waited for your words. I listened to what you said and waited to hear more from you. 12 I was careful to listen to you. There was no one who could prove that Job was wrong. None of you could answer his words. 13 Do not say, ‘We have found wisdom. God will show he is wrong, not man.’ 14 Now Job has not spoken his words against me. And I will not answer him with your words.
15 “They are troubled and have no more to say. Words do not come. 16 Should I wait because they do not speak, because they stand there and do not answer? 17 I also will give my answer. I will tell what I think. 18 For I am full of words. The spirit within me makes me speak. 19 See, my stomach is like wine that cannot get out. It is ready to break like new wine bottles made of skin. 20 Let me speak, that I may find comfort. Let me open my lips and answer. 21 I will not show favor to anyone, or praise any man in a false way. 22 For I do not know how to say sweet-sounding words that are not true, for then my Maker would soon take me away.
The Rich Man and the Man Who Begged for Food
19 “There was a rich man who dressed in purple linen clothes everyday. He lived like a king would live with the best of food. 20 There was a poor man named Lazarus who had many bad sores. He was put by the door of the rich man. 21 He wanted the pieces of food that fell from the table of the rich man. Even dogs came and licked his sores.
22 “The poor man who asked for food died. He was taken by the angels into the arms of Abraham. The rich man died also and was buried. 23 In hell the rich man was in much pain. He looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus beside him. 24 He cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, take pity on me. Send Lazarus. Let him put the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue. I am in much pain in this fire.’ 25 Abraham said, ‘My son, do not forget that when you were living you had your good things. Lazarus had bad things. Now he is well cared for. You are in pain. 26 And more than all this, there is a big deep place between us. No one from here can go there even if he wanted to go. No one can come from there.’
27 “Then the rich man said, ‘Father, then I beg you to send Lazarus to my father’s house. 28 I have five brothers. Let him tell them of these things, or they will come to this place of much pain also.’ 29 Abraham said, ‘They have the Writings of Moses and of the early preachers. Let them hear what they say.’ 30 But the rich man said, ‘No, Father Abraham. If someone goes to them from the dead, they will be sorry for their sins and turn from them.’ 31 Abraham said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and to the early preachers, they will not listen even if someone is raised from the dead.’”
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