Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 104[a]
104 Praise the Lord, O my soul!
O Lord my God, you are magnificent.[b]
You are robed in splendor and majesty.
2 He covers himself with light as if it were a garment.
He stretches out the skies like a tent curtain,
3 and lays the beams of the upper rooms of his palace on the rain clouds.[c]
He makes the clouds his chariot,
and travels on the wings of the wind.[d]
4 He makes the winds his messengers,
and the flaming fire his attendant.[e]
5 He established the earth on its foundations;
it will never be moved.
6 The watery deep covered it[f] like a garment;
the waters reached[g] above the mountains.[h]
7 Your shout made the waters retreat;
at the sound of your thunderous voice they hurried off—
8 as the mountains rose up,
and the valleys went down—
to the place you appointed for them.[i]
9 You set up a boundary for them that they could not cross,
so that they would not cover the earth again.[j]
35 May sinners disappear[a] from the earth,
and the wicked vanish.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
Praise the Lord.
Elihu’s Fourth Speech[a]
36 Elihu said further:[b]
2 “Be patient[c] with me a little longer
and I will instruct you,
for I still have words to speak on God’s behalf.[d]
3 With my knowledge I will speak comprehensively,[e]
and to my Creator I will ascribe righteousness.[f]
4 For in truth, my words are not false;
it is one complete[g] in knowledge
who is with you.
5 Indeed, God is mighty; and he does not despise people,[h]
he[i] is mighty, and firm[j] in his intent.[k]
6 He does not allow the wicked to live,[l]
but he gives justice to the poor.
7 He does not take his eyes[m] off the righteous;
but with kings on the throne
he seats the righteous[n] and exalts them forever.[o]
8 But if they are bound in chains,[p]
and held captive by the cords of affliction,
9 then he reveals[q] to them what they have done,[r]
and their transgressions,
that they were behaving proudly.
10 And he reveals[s] this[t] for correction,
and says that they must turn[u] from evil.
11 If they obey and serve him,
they live out their days in prosperity
and their years in pleasantness.[v]
12 But if they refuse to listen,
they pass over the river of death,[w]
and expire without knowledge.
13 The godless at heart[x] nourish anger,[y]
they do not cry out even when he binds them.
14 They die[z] in their youth,
and their life ends among the male cultic prostitutes.[aa]
15 He delivers the afflicted by[ab] their[ac] afflictions,
he reveals himself to them[ad] by their suffering.
16 And surely, he drew you[ae] from the mouth of distress,
to a wide place, unrestricted,[af]
and to the comfort[ag] of your table
filled with rich food.[ah]
Exhortation to Mutual Acceptance
7 Receive one another, then, just as Christ also received you, to God’s glory. 8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the circumcised[a] on behalf of God’s truth to confirm the promises made to the fathers,[b] 9 and thus the Gentiles glorify God for his mercy.[c] As it is written, “Because of this I will confess you among the Gentiles, and I will sing praises to your name.”[d] 10 And again it says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”[e] 11 And again, “Praise the Lord all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.”[f] 12 And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, and the one who rises to rule over the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope.”[g] 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him,[h] so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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