Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord’s Care over All His Works.
104 (A)Bless the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, You are very great;
You are (B)clothed with splendor and majesty,
2 Covering Yourself with (C)light as with a cloak,
(D)Stretching out heaven like a tent curtain.
3 [a]He (E)lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters;
[b]He makes the (F)clouds His chariot;
[c]He walks upon the (G)wings of the wind;
4 [d]He makes [e](H)the winds His messengers,
[f]Flaming (I)fire His ministers.
5 He (J)established the earth upon its foundations,
So that it will not [g]totter forever and ever.
6 You (K)covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters were standing above the mountains.
7 At Your (L)rebuke they fled,
At the (M)sound of Your thunder they hurried away.
8 The mountains rose; the valleys sank down
To the (N)place which You established for them.
9 You set a (O)boundary that they may not pass over,
So that they will not return to cover the earth.
Elihu Speaks of God’s Dealings with Men
36 Then Elihu continued and said,
2 “Wait for me a little, and I will show you
That there [a]is yet more to be said in God’s behalf.
3 “I will fetch my knowledge from afar,
And I will ascribe (A)righteousness to my Maker.
4 “For truly (B)my words are not false;
One who is (C)perfect in knowledge is with you.
5 “Behold, God is mighty but does not (D)despise any;
He is (E)mighty in strength of understanding.
6 “He does not (F)keep the wicked alive,
But gives justice to (G)the afflicted.
7 “He does not (H)withdraw His eyes from the righteous;
But (I)with kings on the throne
He has seated them forever, and they are exalted.
8 “And if they are bound in fetters,
And are caught in the cords of (J)affliction,
9 Then He declares to them their work
And their transgressions, that they have (K)magnified themselves.
10 “(L)He opens their ear to instruction,
And (M)commands that they return from evil.
11 “If they hear and serve Him,
They will (N)end their days in prosperity
And their years in (O)pleasures.
12 “But if they do not hear, they shall [b]perish (P)by the sword
And they will (Q)die without knowledge.
13 “But the godless in heart lay up anger;
They do not cry for help when He binds them.
14 “[c]They die in youth,
And their life perishes among the (R)cult prostitutes.
15 “He delivers the afflicted in [d]their (S)affliction,
And (T)opens their ear [e]in time of oppression.
16 “Then indeed, He (U)enticed you from the mouth of distress,
Instead of it, a broad place with no constraint;
And that which was set on your table was full of [f]fatness.
7 Therefore, (A)accept one another, just as Christ also accepted [a]us to the glory of God. 8 For I say that Christ has become a servant to (B)the circumcision on behalf of the truth of God to confirm (C)the promises given to the fathers, 9 and for (D)the Gentiles to (E)glorify God for His mercy; as it is written,
10 Again he says,
“(G)Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people.”
11 And again,
“(H)Praise the Lord all you Gentiles,
And let all the peoples praise Him.”
12 Again Isaiah says,
“(I)There shall come (J)the root of Jesse,
And He who arises to rule over the Gentiles,
(K)In Him shall the Gentiles hope.”
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all (L)joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope (M)by the power of the Holy Spirit.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.