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Psalm 75

1  We give you thanks, O God, we give you thanks, ♦︎
   for your name is near, as your wonderful deeds declare.
2  ‘I will seize the appointed time; ♦︎
   I, the Lord, will judge with equity.
3  ‘Though the earth reels and all that dwell in her, ♦︎
   it is I that hold her pillars steady.
4  ‘To the boasters I say, “Boast no longer,” ♦︎
   and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn.
5  ‘ “Do not lift up your horn on high; ♦︎
   do not speak with a stiff neck.” ’
6  For neither from the east nor from the west, ♦︎
   nor yet from the wilderness comes exaltation.
7  But God alone is judge; ♦︎
   he puts down one and raises up another.
8  For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, ♦︎
   well mixed and full of foaming wine.
9  He pours it out for all the wicked of the earth; ♦︎
   they shall drink it, and drain the dregs.
10  But I will rejoice for ever ♦︎
   and make music to the God of Jacob.
11  All the horns of the wicked will I break, ♦︎
   but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

40And the Lord said to Job:
² ‘Shall a fault-finder contend with the Almighty?^*
   Anyone who argues with God must respond.’

Job’s Response to God

³ Then Job answered the Lord:
⁴ ‘See, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
   I lay my hand on my mouth.
⁵ I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
   twice, but will proceed no further.’

God’s Challenge to Job

6 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind:
⁷ ‘Gird up your loins like a man;
   I will question you, and you declare to me.
⁸ Will you even put me in the wrong?
   Will you condemn me that you may be justified?
⁹ Have you an arm like God,
   and can you thunder with a voice like his?

¹⁰ ‘Deck yourself with majesty and dignity;
   clothe yourself with glory and splendour.
¹¹ Pour out the overflowings of your anger,
   and look on all who are proud, and abase them.
¹² Look on all who are proud, and bring them low;
   tread down the wicked where they stand.
¹³ Hide them all in the dust together;
   bind their faces in the world below.^*
14 Then I will also acknowledge to you
   that your own right hand can give you victory.

¹⁵ ‘Look at Behemoth,
   which I made just as I made you;
   it eats grass like an ox.
¹⁶ Its strength is in its loins,
   and its power in the muscles of its belly.
¹⁷ It makes its tail stiff like a cedar;
   the sinews of its thighs are knit together.
¹⁸ Its bones are tubes of bronze,
   its limbs like bars of iron.

¹⁹ ‘It is the first of the great acts of God—
   only its Maker can approach it with the sword.
²⁰ For the mountains yield food for it
   where all the wild animals play.
²¹ Under the lotus plants it lies,
   in the covert of the reeds and in the marsh.
²² The lotus trees cover it for shade;
   the willows of the wadi surround it.
²³ Even if the river is turbulent, it is not frightened;
   it is confident though Jordan rushes against its mouth.
²⁴ Can one take it with hooks^*
   or pierce its nose with a snare?

The Peril of Falling Away

6Therefore let us go on towards perfection,^* leaving behind the basic teaching about Christ, and not laying again the foundation: repentance from dead works and faith towards God, ²instruction about baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement. ³And we will do^* this, if God permits. ⁴For it is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, ⁵and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶and then have fallen away, since on their own they are crucifying again the Son of God and are holding him up to contempt. ⁷Ground that drinks up the rain falling on it repeatedly, and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. ⁸But if it produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and on the verge of being cursed; its end is to be burned over.

9 Even though we speak in this way, beloved, we are confident of better things in your case, things that belong to salvation. ¹⁰For God is not unjust; he will not overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake^* in serving the saints, as you still do. ¹¹And we want each one of you to show the same diligence, so as to realize the full assurance of hope to the very end, ¹²so that you may not become sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.