Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 104
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great!
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 covering Yourself with light as a garment,
who stretches out the heavens like a tent curtain,
3 who lays the upper beams of His chambers on the waters above,
who makes the clouds His chariot,
who rides upon the wings of the wind,
4 who makes His angels as winds,
His ministers a flaming fire.
5 You laid the earth on its foundations,
so that it should never be moved.
6 You covered it with the deep as a garment;
the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At Your rebuke they fled;
at the sound of Your thunder they departed away.
8 The mountains rose up;
the valleys went down
to the place that You appointed them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass over,
that they may not again cover the earth.
24 O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
With wisdom You have made them all;
the earth is full of Your creatures—
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth,
and let the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
Praise the Lord!
Elihu Proclaims God’s Majesty
36 Elihu continued and said:
2 “Bear with me a little, and I will show you
that I have yet to speak on God’s behalf.
3 I will bring my knowledge from afar
and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.
4 For truly my words will not be false;
He who is perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty and despises no one;
He is mighty in strength and wisdom.
6 He does not preserve the life of the wicked,
but gives justice to the poor.
7 He does not withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
but they are on the throne with kings,
for He establishes them forever, and they are exalted.
8 If they are bound in chains
and held in cords of affliction,
9 then He shows them their work,
and their transgressions that they have exceeded;
10 and He opens their ear to discipline,
and commands that they turn from iniquity.
11 If they obey and serve Him,
they will spend their days in prosperity
and their years in pleasures.
12 But if they do not obey,
they will perish by the sword,
and they will die without knowledge.
13 “But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath;
they do not cry out when He binds them.
14 They die in youth,
and their life ends among the unclean.
15 He delivers the poor in their affliction,
and opens their ears in oppression.
16 “Even so He would have removed you out of distress
into a broad place where there is no restraint;
and that which was set on your table would be full of richness.
The Gospel for Jews and Gentiles Alike
7 Therefore welcome one another, just as Christ also welcomed us, for the glory of God. 8 Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcised on behalf of the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs, 9 and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written:
“For this reason I will acknowledge You among the Gentiles,
and I will sing praises to Your name.”[a]
10 He also says:
“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”[b]
11 And again:
“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles;
let all the peoples praise Him.”[c]
12 And again Isaiah says:
“There shall be a root of Jesse;
He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles,
in Him shall the Gentiles hope.”[d]
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.