Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 127

The Lord Builds the House

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A song of the ascents. By Solomon.

The Lord Builds the House

There Is No Justice

¹⁶ I saw something else under the sun: In the place where justice should be, there was wickedness, and in the place for righteousness, there was wickedness. ¹⁷ I said in my heart, “God will judge the righteous and the wicked. Yes, there will be a time for every case to be settled before God.”^[a]

¹⁸ So I said in my heart, “This is done so that God can test the children of Adam, so that they can see what animals they are if left to themselves.”^{[b] 19} For the outcome^[c] for the children of Adam and the outcome for animals is the same. One dies just like the other. All have the same breath. Mankind has no advantage over animals, because everything is vapor. ²⁰ All go to the same place. All were from the dust, and to the dust all return. ²¹ Who knows whether the spirit^[d] of the man goes upward, and the spirit of the animal goes down into the earth?

²² So I saw that there is nothing better for man than to be happy in his activities, since that is his reward.^[e] For who will show him what there will be after him?

4 I looked again, and I saw all the acts of oppression being done under the sun. Just look at the tears of the oppressed, who have no one to comfort them! Their violent oppressors had the upper hand, and there was no one to comfort them.

² So I congratulate the dead, who already have died, more than the living, who are still alive. ³ But better than either of them is the one who has never existed, who has never seen the evil done under the sun.

⁴ I also saw that all hard work and all accomplishment are the result of a person’s envy of his neighbor. This too is vapor and chasing the wind.

⁵ The fool idly folds his hands and eats his own flesh. ⁶ Better one handful with relaxation, than two handfuls with hard work and chasing the wind.

⁷ I looked again and saw another example of meaningless vapor under the sun: ⁸ There was a single person all alone, without even a son or a brother, and there was no end to all his hard work. His eyes also were not satisfied with wealth. “So for whom am I working so hard,” he asks, “and depriving myself of enjoyment?” This too is vapor and a miserable task.

Exhortations

² Be persistent in prayer, and as you pray, be alert and thankful. ³ At the same time, pray for us too, that God might open a door for our message, so that we can tell the mystery about Christ, for which I am in prison. ⁴ Pray that I may make it known clearly, as it is necessary for me to speak. ⁵ Walk in wisdom in the way you act toward those on the outside, making the most of your opportunity.^{[a] 6} Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you know how you are to answer each person.