Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Futility of Life.
For the music director, for [a]Jeduthun. A Psalm of David.
39 I said, “I will (A)keep watch over my ways
So that I (B)do not sin with my tongue;
I will keep watch over (C)my mouth as with a muzzle
While the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was (D)mute [b]and silent,
I [c]refused to say even something good,
And my pain was stirred up.
3 My (E)heart was hot within me,
While I was musing the fire burned;
Then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “Lord, let me know (F)my end,
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how (G)transient I am.
5 Behold, You have made (H)my days like [d]hand widths,
And my (I)lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Certainly all mankind standing is [e]a mere (J)breath. Selah
6 Certainly every person (K)walks around as [f]a fleeting shadow;
They certainly make an (L)uproar for nothing;
He (M)amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.
7 “And now, Lord, for what do I wait?
My (N)hope is in You.
8 (O)Save me from all my wrongdoings;
Do not make me an object of (P)reproach for the foolish.
9 I have become (Q)mute, I do not open my mouth,
Because it is (R)You who have done it.
10 (S)Remove Your plague from me;
Because of (T)the opposition of Your hand I am [g]perishing.
11 With (U)rebukes You punish a person for wrongdoing;
You (V)consume like a moth what is precious to him;
Certainly (W)all mankind is mere breath! Selah
Job Rebukes Bildad
26 Then Job responded,
2 “What a help you are to [a](A)the weak!
You have saved the arm (B)without strength!
3 What advice you have given to one without wisdom!
What helpful insight you have abundantly [b]provided!
4 To whom have you uttered words?
And whose [c]spirit was expressed through you?
The Greatness of God
5 “The [d](C)departed spirits are made to tremble
Under the waters and their inhabitants.
6 [e](D)Sheol is naked before Him,
And [f](E)Abaddon has no covering.
7 He (F)stretches out the north over empty space
And hangs the earth on nothing.
8 He (G)wraps up the waters in His clouds,
And the cloud does not burst under them.
9 He [g](H)obscures the face of the [h]full moon
And spreads His cloud over it.
10 He has inscribed a (I)circle on the surface of the waters
At the (J)boundary of light and darkness.
11 The pillars of heaven tremble
And are amazed at His rebuke.
12 With His power He (K)quieted the sea,
And by His (L)understanding He shattered [i](M)Rahab.
13 By His breath the (N)heavens are [j]cleared;
His hand has pierced (O)the fleeing serpent.
14 Behold, these are the fringes of His ways;
And how faint (P)a word we hear of Him!
But His mighty (Q)thunder, who can understand?”
A Multitude from the Tribulation
9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from (A)every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing (B)before the throne and (C)before the Lamb, clothed in (D)white robes, and (E)palm branches were in their hands; 10 and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying,
11 And all the angels were standing (H)around the throne and around (I)the elders and the (J)four living creatures; and they (K)fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying,
“(L)Amen, (M)blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. (N)Amen.”
13 Then one of the elders (O)responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the (P)white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” 14 I [a]said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the (Q)great tribulation, and they have (R)washed their robes and made them (S)white in the (T)blood of the Lamb. 15 For this reason they are (U)before the throne of God, and they (V)serve Him day and night in His [b](W)temple; and (X)He who sits on the throne will spread His (Y)tabernacle over them. 16 (Z)They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun [c]beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; 17 for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their (AA)shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the [d](AB)water of life; and (AC)God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
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