Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
By David.
26 Judge me favorably, O Lord,
because I have walked with integrity
and I have trusted you without wavering.
2 Examine me, O Lord, and test me.
Look closely into my heart and mind.
3 I see your mercy in front of me.
I walk in the light of your truth.
4 I did not sit with liars,
and I will not be found among hypocrites.
5 I have hated the mob of evildoers
and will not sit with wicked people.
6 I will wash my hands in innocence.
I will walk around your altar, O Lord,
7 so that I may loudly sing a hymn of thanksgiving
and tell about all your miracles.
8 O Lord, I love the house where you live,
the place where your glory dwells.
9 Do not sweep away my soul along with hardened sinners
or my life along with bloodthirsty people.
10 Evil schemes are in their hands.
Their right hands are full of bribes.
11 But I walk with integrity.
Rescue me, and have pity on me.
12 My feet stand on level ground.
I will praise the Lord with the choirs in worship.
Eliphaz Speaks: Be Patient and Listen, Job
4 Then Eliphaz from Teman replied ⌞to Job⌟,
2 “If someone tries to talk to you, will you become impatient?
But who can keep from talking?
3 Certainly, you have instructed many people:
When hands were weak, you made them strong.
4 When someone stumbled, you lifted him up with your words.
When knees were weak, you gave them strength.
5 But trouble comes to you, and you’re impatient.
It touches you, and you panic.
6 Doesn’t your fear of God give you confidence
and your lifetime of integrity give you hope?
Only Evil People Suffer
7 “Now think about this:
Which innocent person ⌞ever⌟ died ⌞an untimely death⌟?
Find me a decent person who has been destroyed.
8 Whenever I saw those who plowed wickedness and planted misery,
they gathered its harvest.
9 God destroys them with his breath
and kills them with a blast of his anger.
10 Though the roar of the lion
and the growl of the ferocious lion ⌞is loud⌟,
the young lions have had their teeth knocked out.
11 The old lions die without any prey ⌞to eat⌟,
and the cubs of the lioness are scattered.
12 “I was told something secretly
and heard something whispered in my ear.
13 With disturbing thoughts from visions in the night,
when deep sleep falls on people,
14 fear and trembling came over me,
and all my bones shook.
15 A spirit passed in front of me.
It made my hair stand on end.
16 Something stood there.
I couldn’t tell what it was.
A vague image was in front of my eyes.
I heard a soft voice:
17 ‘Can ⌞any⌟ mortal be righteous to God?
Can ⌞any⌟ human being be pure to his maker?’
18 “You see, God doesn’t trust his own servants,
and he accuses his angels of making mistakes.
19 How much more will he accuse those who live in clay houses
that have their foundation in the dust.
Those houses can be crushed quicker than a moth!
20 From morning to evening, they are shattered.
They will disappear forever without anyone paying attention.
21 Haven’t the ropes of their tent been loosened?
Won’t they die without wisdom?
God’s Spirit Makes Us His Children
8 So those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned. 2 The standards of the Spirit, who gives life through Christ Jesus, have set you free from the standards of sin and death. 3 It is impossible to do what God’s standards demand because of the weakness our human nature has. But God sent his Son to have a human nature as sinners have and to pay for sin. That way God condemned sin in our corrupt nature. 4 Therefore, we, who do not live by our corrupt nature but by our spiritual nature, are able to meet God’s standards in Moses’ Teachings.
5 Those who live by the corrupt nature have the corrupt nature’s attitude. But those who live by the spiritual nature have the spiritual nature’s attitude. 6 The corrupt nature’s attitude leads to death. But the spiritual nature’s attitude leads to life and peace. 7 This is so because the corrupt nature has a hostile attitude toward God. It refuses to place itself under the authority of God’s standards because it can’t. 8 Those who are under the control of the corrupt nature can’t please God. 9 But if God’s Spirit lives in you, you are under the control of your spiritual nature, not your corrupt nature.
Whoever doesn’t have the Spirit of Christ doesn’t belong to him. 10 However, if Christ lives in you, your bodies are dead because of sin, but your spirits are alive because you have God’s approval. 11 Does the Spirit of the one who brought Jesus back to life live in you? Then the one who brought Christ back to life will also make your mortal bodies alive by his Spirit who lives in you.
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