Tuesday in Season after Pentecost

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Job 11:1-20

Verse 1. Then Zophar the Naamathite replied: Verse 2. “Should this stream of words go unanswered and such a speaker be vindicated? Verse 3. Should your babbling put others to silence? Will you scoff without rebuke? Verse 4. You have said, ‘My doctrine is sound, and I am pure in Your sight.’ Verse 5. But if only God would speak and open His lips against you, Verse 6. and disclose to you the secrets of wisdom, for true wisdom has two sides. Know then that God exacts from you less than your iniquity deserves. Verse 7. Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty? Verse 8. They are higher than the heavens— what can you do? They are deeper than Sheol— what can you know? Verse 9. Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea. Verse 10. If He comes along to imprison you, or convenes a court, who can stop Him? Verse 11. Surely He knows the deceit of men. If He sees iniquity, does He not take note? Verse 12. But a witless man can no more become wise than the colt of a wild donkey can be born a man! Verse 13. As for you, if you direct your heart and lift up your hands to Him, Verse 14. if you put away the iniquity in your hand, and allow no injustice to dwell in your tents, Verse 15. then indeed you will lift up your face without blemish; you will stand firm and unafraid. Verse 16. For you will forget your misery, recalling it only as waters gone by. Verse 17. Your life will be brighter than noonday; its darkness will be like the morning. Verse 18. You will be secure, because there is hope, and you will look around and lie down in safety. Verse 19. You will lie down without fear, and many will court your favor. Verse 20. But the eyes of the wicked will fail, and escape will elude them; they will hope for their last breath.”

PSALM

Psalm 55:1-15

For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea.

Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught

at the voice of the enemy, at the pressure of the wicked. For they bring down disaster upon me and resent me in their anger.

My heart pounds within me, and the terrors of death assail me.

Fear and trembling grip me, and horror has overwhelmed me.

I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and find rest.

How far away I would flee! In the wilderness I would remain.

I would hurry to my shelter, far from this raging tempest.”

O Lord, confuse and confound their speech, for I see violence and strife in the city.

Day and night they encircle the walls, while malice and trouble lie within.

Destruction is within; oppression and deceit never leave the streets.

For it is not an enemy who insults me; that I could endure. It is not a foe who rises against me; from him I could hide.

But it is you, a man like myself, my companion and close friend.

We shared sweet fellowship together; we walked with the crowd into the house of God.

Let death seize them by surprise; let them go down to Sheol alive, for evil is with them in their homes.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Deuteronomy 24:1-5

Verse 1. If a man marries a woman, but she becomes displeasing to him because he finds some indecency in her, he may write her a certificate of divorce, hand it to her, and send her away from his house. Verse 2. If, after leaving his house, she goes and becomes another man’s wife, Verse 3. and the second man hates her, writes her a certificate of divorce, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house, or if he dies, Verse 4. then the husband who divorced her first may not remarry her after she has been defiled, for that is an abomination to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance. Verse 5. If a man is newly married, he must not be sent to war or be pressed into any duty. For one year he is free to stay at home and bring joy to the wife he has married.

PSALM

Psalm 112

Hallelujah! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who greatly delights in His commandments.

His descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.

Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.

Light dawns in the darkness for the upright — for the gracious, compassionate, and righteous.

It is well with the man who is generous and lends freely, whose affairs are guided by justice.

Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous man will be remembered forever.

He does not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.

His heart is assured; he does not fear, until he looks in triumph on his foes.

He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor; his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.

The wicked man will see and be grieved; he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the desires of the wicked will perish.

SECOND READING

1 Corinthians 7:10-16

Verse 10. To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. Verse 11. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. Verse 12. To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If a brother has an unbelieving wife and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. Verse 13. And if a woman has an unbelieving husband and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. Verse 14. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his believing wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. Verse 15. But if the unbeliever leaves, let him go. The believing brother or sister is not bound in such cases. God has called you to live in peace. Verse 16. How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?