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.

12 ¶ Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days do not come nor the years draw near when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;

² before the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened and the clouds return after the rain:

³ In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble and the strong men shall bow themselves and the grinders cease because they are few and those that look out of the windows are darkened;

⁴ and the doors outside shall be shut because the voice of the grinder is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird and all the daughters of song shall be humbled;

⁵ when they shall also be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and appetite shall fail: because man goes to the home of his age, and the mourners shall go about the streets;

⁶ before the silver chain is broken, and the golden bowl is broken, and the pitcher is broken at the fountain, and the wheel is broken at the cistern;

⁷ and the dust returns to the earth as it was before and the spirit returns unto God who gave it.

⁸ ¶ Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.

¹³ ¶ The conclusion of the entire sermon is heard: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole happiness of man.

¹⁴ For God shall bring every work to judgment with every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.

²² ¶ And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

²³ The life is more than food, and the body is more than raiment.

²⁴ Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

²⁵ And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

²⁶ If ye then are not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

²⁷ Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

²⁸ If then God so clothes the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?

²⁹ And seek not what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, neither be ye high minded.

³⁰ For all these things do the Gentiles of the world seek after, and your Father knows that ye have need of these things.

³¹ But rather seek ye the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.