Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God Will Judge with Equity
To the choirmaster: according to (A)Do Not Destroy. (B)A Psalm of Asaph. A Song.
75 We give thanks to you, O God;
we give thanks, for your name is (C)near.
We[a] recount your wondrous deeds.
2 “At (D)the set time that I appoint
I will judge (E)with equity.
3 When the earth (F)totters, and all its inhabitants,
it is I who keep steady its (G)pillars. Selah
4 I say to the boastful, ‘Do not boast,’
and to the wicked, (H)‘Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high,
or speak with haughty neck.’”
6 For not from the east or from the west
and not from the wilderness comes (I)lifting up,
7 but it is (J)God who executes judgment,
(K)putting down one and lifting up another.
8 (L)For in the hand of the Lord there is (M)a cup
with foaming wine, (N)well mixed,
and he pours out from it,
and all the wicked of the earth
shall (O)drain it down to the dregs.
40 And the Lord (A)said to Job:
2 “Shall a faultfinder (B)contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
Job Promises Silence
3 Then Job answered the Lord and said:
4 “Behold, I am (C)of small account; what shall I answer you?
(D)I lay my hand on my mouth.
5 I have spoken (E)once, and I will not answer;
(F)twice, but I will proceed no further.”
The Lord Challenges Job
6 Then the Lord (G)answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
7 (H)“Dress for action[a] like a man;
(I)I will question you, and you make it known to me.
8 Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that (J)you may be in the right?
9 Have you (K)an arm like God,
and can you thunder with (L)a voice like his?
10 “Adorn yourself with majesty and dignity;
(M)clothe yourself with glory and splendor.
11 Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
and look on everyone who is (N)proud and abase him.
12 Look on everyone who is proud and bring him low
and (O)tread down the wicked (P)where they stand.
13 (Q)Hide them all in (R)the dust together;
bind their faces in the world below.[b]
14 Then will I also acknowledge to you
that your own (S)right hand can save you.
15 “Behold, Behemoth,[c]
which I made as I made you;
he eats (T)grass like an ox.
16 Behold, his strength in his loins,
and his power in the muscles of his belly.
17 He makes his tail stiff like a cedar;
the sinews of his thighs are knit together.
18 His bones are tubes of bronze,
his limbs like bars of iron.
19 “He is (U)the first of (V)the works[d] of God;
let him who made him bring near his sword!
20 For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beasts play.
21 Under the lotus plants he lies,
in the shelter of (W)the reeds and in the marsh.
22 For his shade the lotus trees cover him;
the willows of the brook surround him.
23 Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened;
he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth.
24 Can one take him by his eyes,[e]
or pierce his nose with a snare?
6 Therefore (A)let us leave (B)the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance (C)from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of (D)instruction about washings,[a] (E)the laying on of hands, (F)the resurrection of the dead, and (G)eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do (H)if God permits. 4 For it is impossible, in the case of those (I)who have once been enlightened, who have tasted (J)the heavenly gift, and (K)have shared in the Holy Spirit, 5 and (L)have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6 and (M)then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since (N)they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt. 7 For (O)land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. 8 But (P)if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, (Q)and its end is to be burned.
9 Though we speak in this way, yet in your case, beloved, we feel sure of better things—things that belong to salvation. 10 For (R)God is not unjust so as to overlook (S)your work and the love that you have shown for his name in (T)serving the saints, as you still do. 11 And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness to have the full assurance (U)of hope until the end, 12 so that you may not be sluggish, but (V)imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.