Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Song of degrees for Solomon.

¹ ¶ Unless the LORD builds the house, they labour in vain that build it; unless the LORD keeps the city, the watchmen watch in vain.

² It is vain for you to rise up early, to come home late, to eat the bread of sorrows, because he shall give his beloved sleep.

³ Behold, sons are a heritage of the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is to be desired.

⁴ As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the young men.

⁵ Happy is the man that has filled his quiver with them: he shall not be ashamed when he speaks with the enemies in the gate.

¹⁶ ¶ And moreover I saw under the sun that instead of judgment, there was wickedness; and instead of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

¹⁷ I said in my heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time determined to judge every will and regarding everything that is done.

¹⁸ I said in my heart concerning the estate of the sons of men that God might manifest them and that they might see that they themselves are beasts one to another.

¹⁹ For that which befalls the sons of men befalls beasts; even one thing befalls them: as the one dies, so dies the other; and they all have one breath; so that a man has no more breath than a beast: for all is vanity.

²⁰ All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all shall turn to dust again.

²¹ Who knows that the spirit of the sons of men goes upward and that the spirit of the beast goes downward to the earth?

²² Therefore I perceive that there is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his own works; for that is his portion; for who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?

4 ¶ So I returned and considered all the violence that is done under the sun and behold the tears of such as are oppressed, and they have no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but the oppressed had no comforter.

² Therefore I praised the dead who are already dead more than the living who are yet alive.

³ And I thought that better is he than both of them who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil works that are done under the sun.

⁴ ¶ Again, I considered all travail and every right work, that for this a man is envied of his neighbour. This is also vanity and vexation of spirit.

⁵ The fool folds his hands together and eats his own flesh.

⁶ Better is a handful with rest than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit.

⁷ ¶ Then I returned, and I saw another vanity under the sun.

⁸ It is the man who is alone, without a successor, who has neither son nor brother; yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity and sore travail.

² ¶ Persevere in prayer and watch in the same with thanksgiving,

³ praying also together for us that God would open unto us the door of the word, to speak the mystery of the Christ, for which I am also in bonds,

⁴ that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.

⁵ ¶ Walk in wisdom towards outsiders, winning the occasion.

⁶ Let your word be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one.