Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 22
For the Music Director. To the melody of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David.
1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?
Why are You so far from delivering me,
and from my roaring words of distress?
2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but You do not answer;
and at night, but I have no rest.
3 But You are holy,
O You who inhabits the praises of Israel.
4 Our fathers trusted in You;
they trusted, and You did deliver them.
5 They cried to You and were delivered;
they trusted in You and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm, and not a man;
a reproach of men and despised by the people.
7 All who see me laugh me to scorn;
they sneer with the lip, they shake the head, saying,
8 “Trust in the Lord,
let Him deliver him;
let Him rescue him,
seeing He delights in him.”
9 But You are He who took me out of the womb;
You caused me to trust
while I was on my mother’s breasts.
10 I was cast on You from birth;
You are my God from my mother’s womb.
11 Be not far from me
for trouble is near,
for there is none to help.
12 Many bulls encircle me;
strong bulls of Bashan surround me.
13 They open their mouths against me,
as a preying and roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted inside my body.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue cleaves to my jaws;
and You have set me toward the dust of death.
Bildad Speaks: God Punishes the Wicked
18 Then Bildad the Shuhite answered:
2 “How long will it be until you put an end to words?
Gain understanding, and afterwards we will speak.
3 Why are we counted as beasts
and regarded as stupid in your sight?
4 You who tear yourself in anger,
will the earth be forsaken for you?
And will the rock be removed from its place?
5 “Yes, the light of the wicked will be put out,
and the spark of his fire will not shine.
6 The light will be dark in his tent,
and his candle beside him will be put out.
7 The steps of his strength will be shortened,
and his own counsel will cast him down.
8 For he is cast into a net by his own feet,
and he walks upon a snare.
9 The trap will take him by the heel,
and the snare will prevail against him.
10 The snare is laid for him in the ground,
and a trap for him in the path.
11 Terrors will make him afraid on every side
and will drive him to his feet.
12 His strength will be hungry,
and destruction will be ready at his side.
13 It will devour the parts of his skin;
the firstborn of death will devour his limbs.
14 His confidence will be rooted out of his tent,
and it will bring him to the king of terrors.
15 They dwell in his tent who have no part with him;
brimstone will be scattered upon his habitation.
16 His roots will be dried up beneath,
and above his branch will dry up.
17 The memory of him will perish from the earth,
and he will have no name in the street.
18 He will be driven from light into darkness,
and chased out of the world.
19 He has neither descendant nor posterity among his people,
nor anyone remaining in his dwellings.
20 They who come after him will be astonished at his day,
as they who went before were seized with fright.
21 Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked,
and this is the place of him who does not know God.”
4 Therefore, since the promise of entering His rest remains, let us fear lest any of you should seem to come short of it. 2 For the gospel was preached to us as well as to them. But the word preached did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed have entered this rest, as He has said,
“As I have sworn in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”[a]
However, His works have been finished since the creation of the world. 4 For He spoke somewhere about the seventh day like this: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works.”[b] 5 And again in the present passage He said, “They shall not enter My rest.”[c]
6 Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and they to whom it was first preached did not enter due to unbelief, 7 again He establishes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David, after so long a time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts.”[d]
8 For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have later spoken of another day. 9 Therefore a rest remains for the people of God. 10 For whoever enters His rest will also cease from his own works, as God did from His. 11 Let us labor therefore to enter that rest, lest anyone fall by the same pattern of unbelief.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.