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.
God Speaks of Nature and Its Beings
39 “Do you know the time the [a](A)mountain goats give birth?
Do you observe the calving of the (B)deer?
2 “Can you count the months they fulfill,
Or do you know the time they give birth?
3 “They kneel down, they bring forth their young,
They get rid of their labor pains.
4 “Their offspring become strong, they grow up in the open field;
They leave and do not return to them.
5 “Who sent out the (C)wild donkey free?
And who loosed the bonds of the swift donkey,
6 To whom I gave (D)the wilderness for a home
And the salt land for his dwelling place?
7 “He scorns the tumult of the city,
The shoutings of the driver he does not hear.
8 “He explores the mountains for his pasture
And searches after every green thing.
9 “Will the (E)wild ox consent to serve you,
Or will he spend the night at your manger?
10 “Can you bind the wild ox in a furrow with [b]ropes,
Or will he harrow the valleys after you?
11 “Will you trust him because his strength is great
And leave your labor to him?
12 “Will you have faith in him that he will return your [c]grain
And gather it from your threshing floor?
13 “The ostriches’ wings flap joyously
With the pinion and plumage of [d]love,
14 For she abandons her eggs to the earth
And warms them in the dust,
15 And she forgets that a foot may crush [e]them,
Or that a wild beast may trample [f]them.
16 “She treats her young (F)cruelly, as if they were not hers;
Though her labor be in vain, she is [g]unconcerned;
17 Because God has made her forget wisdom,
And has not given her a share of understanding.
18 “When she lifts herself [h]on high,
She laughs at the horse and his rider.
19 “Do you give the horse his might?
Do you clothe his neck with a mane?
20 “Do you make him (G)leap like the locust?
His majestic (H)snorting is terrible.
21 “[i]He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength;
He (I)goes out to meet the weapons.
22 “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
And he does not turn back from the sword.
23 “The quiver rattles against him,
The flashing spear and javelin.
24 “With shaking and rage he [j]races over the ground,
And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet.
25 “As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’
And he scents the battle from afar,
And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.
26 “Is it by your understanding that the hawk soars,
Stretching his wings toward the south?
27 “Is it at your [k]command that the eagle mounts up
And makes (J)his nest on high?
28 “On the cliff he dwells and lodges,
Upon the rocky crag, an inaccessible place.
29 “From there he (K)spies out food;
His eyes see it from afar.
30 “His young ones also suck up blood;
And (L)where the slain are, there is he.”
Who Is Greatest
24 And there arose also (A)a dispute among them as to which one of them was regarded to be greatest. 25 (B)And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who have authority over them are called ‘Benefactors.’ 26 But it is not this way with you, (C)but the one who is the greatest among you must become like (D)the youngest, and the leader like the servant. 27 For (E)who is greater, the one who reclines at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at the table? But (F)I am among you as the one who serves.
28 “You are those who have stood by Me in My (G)trials; 29 and just as My Father has granted Me a (H)kingdom, I grant you 30 that you may (I)eat and drink at My table in My (J)kingdom, and (K)you will sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.