Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Job’s Argument with God
23 Then Job answered:
2 “Even today my complaint is rebellious;
His hand is heavy despite my groaning.
3 If only I knew where to find Him;
if only I could go to His dwelling.
4 I would lay out my case before Him
and fill my mouth with arguments.
5 I would know with what words He would answer me,
and understand what He would say to me.
6 Would He oppose me with great power?
No, He would only pay attention to me.
7 There the upright can reason with Him,
and there I would forever be delivered from my Judge.
8 But, if I go to the east, He is not there;
if I go to the west,
I do not find Him.
9 When He is in the north, I cannot perceive Him;
When He turns south, I do not see Him.
16 God has made my heart faint;
Shaddai has terrified me.
17 Yet I am not silenced because of the darkness,
nor by the thick darkness that covers my face.”
Suffering Servant
Psalm 22
1 For the music director, on “The Doe of the Dawn,” a psalm of David.
2 My God, my God,
why have You forsaken me?
Distant from my salvation
are the words of my groaning.[a]
3 O my God, I cried out by day, but You did not answer,
by night, but there was no rest for me.
4 Yet You are holy,
enthroned on the praises of Israel.
5 In You our fathers put their trust.
They trusted, and You delivered them.
6 They cried to you and were delivered.
In You they trusted, and were not disappointed.
7 Am I a worm, and not a man?
Am I a scorn of men, despised by people?
8 All who see me mock me.
They curl their lips, shaking their heads:
9 “Rely on Adonai! Let Him deliver him!
Let Him rescue him—since he delights in Him!”[b]
10 Yet You brought me out of the womb,
made me secure at my mother’s breasts.
11 From the womb I was cast on You—
from my mother’s womb You have been my God.
12 Be not far from me!
For trouble is near—
there is no one to help.
13 Many bulls have surrounded me.
Strong bulls of Bashan encircled me.
14 They open wide their mouths against me,
like a tearing, roaring lion.
15 I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are disjointed.
My heart is like wax—
melting within my innards.
12 For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword—piercing right through to a separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 No creature is hidden from Him, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.[a]
Yeshua, Our Compassionate Kohen Gadol
14 Therefore, since we have a great Kohen Gadol who has passed through the heavens, Yeshua Ben-Elohim, let us hold firmly to our confessed allegiance. 15 For we do not have a kohen gadol who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all the same ways—yet without sin. 16 Therefore let us draw near to the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help in time of need.
The Cost of Discipleship
17 As Yeshua was setting out on His way, a man ran up to Him, fell on his knees before Him, and asked, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call Me good?” Yeshua said to him. “No one is good except One—that is God. 19 You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,’ do not cheat, ‘honor your father and mother.’”[a]
20 The man responded, “Teacher, all these I have kept since my youth!”
21 Looking at him, Yeshua loved him and said, “One thing you lack. Go, sell as much as you have, and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” 22 But at this statement, the man became sad and went away grieving, for he had much property.
23 Then looking around, Yeshua says to His disciples, “How hard it will be for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” 24 The disciples were amazed at His words. But Yeshua answers again and says to them, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26 The disciples were even more astonished, saying among themselves, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Looking at them, Yeshua said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God!”[b]
28 Peter began to say to Him, “Look, we’ve left everything to follow You!”
29 “Amen, I tell you,” Yeshua replied, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for My sake and for the sake of the Good News, 30 who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and property, along with persecutions; and in the olam ha-ba, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.