Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Asaph wrote this song for the music leader. He should use special music.
God judges people fairly
75 God, we thank you!
Yes, we thank you!
You are very near to us.
People everywhere say what great things you have done.
2 God says, ‘I choose the time when I will judge people,
and I will be a fair judge.
3 When the earth shakes and the people in it are afraid,
I will keep its foundations strong.’
Selah.
4 I say to people who are proud,
‘Do not be proud.’
I say to wicked people,
‘Do not boast about your power.
5 Do not boast against God.
Do not speak with such proud words.’
6 Who has the power to judge people?
Nobody from the east, or from the west,
or from the desert can be judge.
7 God is the one who judges people.
He decides who to bring down
and who to lift up.[a]
8 The Lord holds a cup of punishment in his hand.[b]
It is full of wine, with spices in it.
The Lord pours out his anger from this cup.
All the wicked people in the world will have to drink it.
They will drink all of it, so that none remains.
9 But as for me, I will always thank you, God.
I will sing to praise you,
the God of Jacob.
10 You say, ‘I will destroy the power of wicked people.
I will give strength to my righteous people.’
God continues to speak to Job
40 The Lord said to Job,
2 ‘Do you still want to argue with me, the Almighty God?
You say that I have not been fair.
Now you must explain what you mean.’
Job replies to God
3 Then Job answered the Lord. This is what he said:
4 ‘I am only a foolish man.
I cannot answer your questions.
I cover my mouth with my hand
so that I say nothing.
5 I have already spoken too many times.
I will say no more.’
God speaks to Job again
6 Then the Lord spoke to Job from inside the storm. This is what he said:
7 ‘Prepare yourself for a difficult job!
I will ask you some more questions and you must answer them.
8 Do you say that I am not a fair judge?
Do you want to show that I am guilty, not you?
Then you could say that you are right.
9 Do you have the same power to do great things as I have?
Can you speak with a voice as loud as thunder?
I can!
10 If you think that you can do all this,
show how great you are!
Show everyone your power and your glory!
11 Show everyone your great anger!
Look at all the people who like to boast
and bring them down low!
12 Yes, cause all the proud people to be humble.
Knock down wicked people to the ground.
13 Bury them all together in the dust of the ground.
Cover their faces and put them in their graves.
14 If you can do these things, Job,
I will praise you.
I will agree that you have the power to save yourself.
15 Listen! I created the monsters called Behemoth.[a]
I made you and I made them too.
They eat grass, as cows do.
16 But look at the strength of their legs and their body!
17 Their tails are like the branches of a cedar tree.
Their legs are thick and very strong.
18 Their bones are like sticks made of bronze.
Their legs are as strong as iron.
19 These monsters are some of the greatest animals that I have made.
But I who made them can take my sword
and go near to them.
20 They eat the grass that grows on the hills.
That is where the wild animals play.
21 They lie down under the thorn trees.
They hide among the reeds at the edge of the water.
22 They rest in the shadow of the thorn trees,
and among the willow trees beside the water.
23 Even when the river is deep and dangerous,
these monsters are not afraid.
The water of the Jordan River may cover their mouths,
but they still feel safe.
24 There is no way that anyone can catch one of them.
No one can make its eyes blind.
No one can put a ring in its nose and lead it away.’
6 So we must go on from the first lessons that we learned about Christ. We must grow as believers so that we understand more and more. We should not go back to those first lessons again and again. We already know that we must turn away from wrong things that lead to death. We know that we must trust God. 2 We have already learned about how to become clean.[a] We know that leaders put their hands on other Christians to pray for God's help.[b] We know that God will raise dead people to live again. And we know that God will judge every person one day at the end of time.
3 Yes, we must choose to go on from those early lessons! God is ready to help us to do that.
We must not turn away from Jesus
4 That is important, because we must not turn away from Christ, after we have first believed in him. Some people have come into God's light. They have understood God's message. They have started to enjoy the true life that God has given them. They have received the Holy Spirit, like other believers. 5 They have understood that God's message is good for them. They have seen powerful things that belong to the future time. 6 But after all that, they have turned against God. Then it is impossible for anyone to help them to turn away from their sins again. It is like they are killing the Son of God on the cross again for themselves. They show other people that they do not think Christ is important.
7 Think about a field where rain has fallen many times. That ground helps the plants in it to grow well. As a result, the farmer receives good things. It shows that God has blessed that ground. 8 But a field where only weeds and thorn bushes grow is worth nothing. God will very soon speak against that ground. In the end, fire will burn all of it.
9 We are telling you this, our good friends, because we want you to continue well. We are sure that God has saved you and that he will continue to bless you. 10 God is always right and fair. He will not forget all the good things that you have done. You have shown that you love him very much, because you have helped the other believers. And you continue to help them as God's servants. 11 But we very much want each of you to continue to trust God to the end. Show that you really want to serve him. Be sure that, in the end, you will receive all the good things that you hope for. 12 Then you will not be slow to learn. Instead, you will copy the example of those people who continue to trust God. They continue to be patient when trouble happens to them. People like that receive what God has promised to his people.
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