Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 127[a]
Need of Divine Assistance
1 A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
[b]If the Lord does not build the house,[c]
those who construct it labor in vain.
If the Lord does not guard the city,
those who keep watch over it do so in vain.
2 It is useless for you to rise earlier
and delay taking your rest at night,
toiling relentlessly for the bread you eat;
for while those he loves sleep,
he provides all of this for them.[d]
3 [e]Behold, children are a gift from the Lord,
a reward of the fruit of the womb.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are the children born in one’s youth.[f]
5 Blessed is the man
who has filled his quiver with them.
He will never be forced to retreat
when he is confronted by his enemies at the city gate.[g]
16 The Problem of Retribution.[a] Moreover, I observed something else under the sun:
Where justice should be, there was wickedness,
and iniquity was in the place of righteousness.
17 But I remained confident in my belief
that God will judge both the righteous and the wicked,
for he has appointed a time for every matter
and he will issue a judgment on every work.
18 I said to myself that in dealing with men it is God’s purpose to test them in order to show them that they are animals. 19 For the fate of men and beasts is identical: as the one dies, so does the other. They all have the same life-breath, and man has no advantage over the beast in this regard. For everything is vanity. 20 All go to the same place: all were made from the dust, and to the dust all will return.
21 Who knows whether the human spirit goes upward and the spirit of an animal goes downward to the earth?[b] 22 And so I came to realize that there is nothing better for man than to enjoy his work, since that is his lot. No one has the power to let him see what will happen after he is gone.
Chapter 4
The Victor and the Tyrant. 1 Then I contemplated all the acts of oppression that are committed under the sun:
I saw the tears of the oppressed,
with no one present to comfort them.
Power was wielded by their oppressors,
and no one was there to comfort them.
2 As a result, I regarded the dead as fortunate,
because they had already died
and thus were happier than the living
who were still alive.
3 But happier than both of these
is the one yet unborn
who has not witnessed the evil deeds
that are done under the sun.
Concurrence of Toil and Envy.[c] 4 Then I came to realize that all toil and skill in work derive from one person’s envy of another. This also is vanity and a chase after the wind.
5 The fool folds his arms
and consumes his own flesh.[d]
6 Better is one handful with peace of mind
than two handfuls with toil
and a chase after the wind.
Union Builds Strength. 7 Again I observed vanity under the sun:
8 There was a solitary individual,
without a friend, with neither a son nor a brother.
Yet there was no end to his toil,
and wealth did not satisfy his greed.
“For whom am I toiling,” he asked,
“and depriving myself of pleasures?”
This also is vanity
and a worthless task.
Assiduous Prayer.[a] 2 Persevere in prayer, with alert minds and thankful hearts. 3 At the same time, pray for us too, so that God may open a door to us to proclaim the word, the mystery of Christ, for which I am in prison. 4 Pray that I may proclaim it as clearly as I should.
Christian Behavior.[b] 5 Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of your opportunity. 6 Let your speech always be gracious and seasoned with wisdom, so that you will know how to respond properly to all.
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