Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Voice of the Lord in the Storm
29 Give to the Lord, O sons of the powerful. Give to the Lord shining-greatness and strength. 2 Give to the Lord the honor that belongs to Him. Worship the Lord in the beauty of holy living.
3 The voice of the Lord is upon the waters. The God of shining-greatness thunders. The Lord is over many waters. 4 The voice of the Lord is powerful. The voice of the Lord is great. 5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars. Yes, the Lord breaks in pieces the tall cedars of Lebanon. 6 He makes Lebanon jump like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild bull. 7 The voice of the Lord sends out lightning. 8 The voice of the Lord shakes the desert. The Lord shakes the desert of Kadesh. 9 The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth, and tears away the leaves of the trees. And in His holy house everything says, “Honor to God!”
10 The Lord sat as King over the flood. The Lord sits as King forever. 11 The Lord will give strength to His people. The Lord will give His people peace.
A Time for Everything
3 There is a special time for everything. There is a time for everything that happens under heaven. 2 There is a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pick what is planted. 3 There is a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up. 4 There is a time to cry, and a time to laugh; a time to have sorrow, and a time to dance. 5 There is a time to throw stones, and a time to gather stones; a time to kiss, and a time to turn from kissing. 6 There is a time to try to find, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to throw away. 7 There is a time to tear apart, and a time to sew together; a time to be quiet, and a time to speak. 8 There is a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
The God-Given Work
9 What does the worker get for his work? 10 I have seen the work which God has given the sons of men to do. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has put thoughts of the forever in man’s mind, yet man cannot understand the work God has done from the beginning to the end.
12 I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and to do good as long as they live. 13 And I know that every man who eats and drinks sees good in all his work. It is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will last forever. There is nothing to add to it, and nothing to take from it. God works so that men will honor Him with fear. 15 That which is, already has been. And that which will be, has already been. For God allows the same things to happen again.
11 Who can know the things about a man, except a man’s own spirit that is in him? It is the same with God. Who can understand Him except the Holy Spirit? 12 We have not received the spirit of the world. God has given us His Holy Spirit that we may know about the things given to us by Him. 13 We speak about these things also. We do not use words of man’s wisdom. We use words given to us by the Holy Spirit. We use these words to tell what the Holy Spirit wants to say to those who put their trust in Him. 14 But the person who is not a Christian does not understand these words from the Holy Spirit. He thinks they are foolish. He cannot understand them because he does not have the Holy Spirit to help him understand. 15 The full-grown Christian understands all things, and yet he is not understood. 16 For who has the thoughts of the Lord? Who can tell Him what to do? But we have the thoughts of Christ.
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