Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

6 ¶ Woe unto those that are at ease in Zion and to those that trust in the mountain of Samaria, who are named principals among the same nations which shall come upon them, O house of Israel!

⁴ that lie upon beds of ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eat the lambs out of the flock and the calves out of the midst of the stall;

⁵ that chant to the sound of the flute and invent to themselves instruments of music, like David;

⁶ that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.

⁷ Therefore now they shall go captive with the first that go captive, and the banquet of those that stretched themselves upon their couches shall be removed.

¹ ¶ Halelu-JAH. Praise the LORD, O my soul.

² In my life I will praise the LORD; I will sing praises unto my God while I live.

³ Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man in whom there is no salvation.

⁴ His spirit shall go forth, he shall return to his earth; in that very day all his thoughts shall perish.

⁵ ¶ Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God;

⁶ who made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is therein; who keeps truth for ever:

⁷ He who does justice unto the oppressed; who gives bread to the hungry. The LORD looses the prisoners:

⁸ The LORD opens the eyes of the blind; the LORD raises those that are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous:

⁹ The LORD preserves the strangers; he raises up the fatherless and widow; but the way of the wicked he turns upside down.

¹⁰ The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Halelu-JAH.

⁶ ¶ But piety with contentment is great gain.

⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

⁸ So that, sustenance and covering, let us be content with this.

⁹ For those that desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.

¹⁰ For the love of money is the root of all evil, which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

¹¹ But thou, O man of God, flee these things and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, charity, tolerance, meekness.

¹² Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, unto which thou art also called, having made a good profession before many witnesses.

¹³ ¶ I give thee charge in the sight of God, who gives life to all things and before Christ Jesus, who testified before Pontius Pilate a good profession;

¹⁴ that thou keep the commandment without spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵ who in his time shall show the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

¹⁶ the only one who has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto, whom no man has seen nor can see, to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

¹⁷ Charge those that are rich in this world, that they not be highminded, not placing their hope in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy;

¹⁸ but charge them to do good, that they be rich in good works, liberal to distribute, willing to communicate,

¹⁹ laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the future, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

¹⁹ ¶ There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day;

²⁰ and there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores

²¹ and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

²² And it came to pass that the beggar died and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom; the rich man also died and was buried;

²³ and in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴ And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.

²⁵ But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime didst receive thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted here, and thou art tormented.

²⁶ And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass from there to us.

²⁷ Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou would send him to my father’s house,

²⁸ for I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

²⁹ Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.

³⁰ And he said, No, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.

³¹ And he said unto him, If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, even though one rose from the dead.