Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
98 (0) A psalm:
(1) Sing a new song to Adonai,
because he has done wonders.
His right hand, his holy arm
have won him victory.
2 Adonai has made known his victory;
revealed his vindication in full view of the nations,
3 remembered his grace and faithfulness
to the house of Isra’el.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the victory of our God.
4 Shout for joy to Adonai, all the earth!
Break forth, sing for joy, sing praises!
5 Sing praises to Adonai with the lyre,
with the lyre and melodious music!
6 With trumpets and the sound of the shofar,
shout for joy before the king, Adonai!
7 Let the sea roar, and everything in it;
the world, and those living in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands;
let the mountains sing together for joy
9 before Adonai, for he has come to judge the earth;
he will judge the world rightly and the peoples fairly.
3 N’vukhadnetzar the king had a gold statue made, ninety feet high and nine feet wide, which he set up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Bavel. 2 Then N’vukhadnetzar the king summoned the viceroys, prefects, governors, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs and all the provincial officials to assemble and come to the dedication of the statue which N’vukhadnetzar the king had set up. 3 The viceroys, prefects, governors, judges, treasurers, counselors, sheriffs and all the provincial officials assembled for the dedication of the statue which N’vukhadnetzar the king had set up. They stood in front of the statue that N’vukhadnetzar had set up; 4 and a herald proclaimed, “Peoples! Nations! Languages! You are ordered 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments, you fall down and worship the gold statue that N’vukhadnetzar the king has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship is to be thrown immediately into a blazing hot furnace.” 7 Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute and the rest of the musical instruments, all the peoples, nations and languages fell down and worshipped the gold statue that N’vukhadnetzar the king had set up.
8 But then some Kasdim approached and began denouncing the Jews. 9 They said to N’vukhadnetzar the king, “May the king live forever! 10 Your majesty, you have ordered that everyone who hears sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments is to fall down and worship the gold statue; 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship is to be thrown into a blazing hot furnace. 12 There are some Jews whom you have put in charge of the affairs of the province of Bavel, Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go; and these men, your majesty, have paid no attention to you. They do not serve your gods, and they do not worship the gold statue you set up.”
13 In a raging fury N’vukhadnetzar ordered that Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go be brought. When the men had been brought before the king, 14 N’vukhadnetzar said to them, “Shadrakh! Meishakh! ‘Aved-N’go! Is it true that you neither serve my gods nor worship the gold statue I set up? 15 All right, then. If you are prepared, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, harp, zither, lute, bagpipe and the rest of the musical instruments, to fall down and worship the gold statue, very well. But if you won’t worship, you will immediately be thrown into a blazing hot furnace — and what god will save you from my power then?” 16 Shadrakh, Meishakh and ‘Aved-N’go answered the king, “Your question doesn’t require an answer from us. 17 Your majesty, if our God, whom we serve, is able to save us, he will save us from the blazing hot furnace and from your power. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want you to know, your majesty, that we will neither serve your gods nor worship the gold statue which you have set up.”
18 After these things, I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, the earth was lit up by his splendor. 2 He cried out in a strong voice,
“She has fallen! She has fallen!
Bavel the Great![a]
She has become a home for demons,
a prison for every unclean spirit,
a prison for every unclean, hated bird.
3 “For all the nations have drunk of the wine
of God’s fury caused by her whoring —
yes, the kings of the earth went whoring with her,
and from her unrestrained love of luxury
the world’s businessmen have grown rich.”
4 Then I heard another voice out of heaven say:
“My people, come out of her!
so that you will not share in her sins,
so that you will not be infected by her plagues,
5 for her sins are a sticky mass piled up to heaven,
and God has remembered her crimes.
6 “Render to her as she rendered to others!
Pay her back double for what she has done!
Use the cup in which she has brewed
to brew her a double-sized drink!
7 “Give her as much torment and sorrow
as the glory and luxury she gave herself!
For in her heart she says, ‘I sit a queen —
I am not a widow, I will never see sorrow.’
8 “Therefore, her plagues will come in a single day —
death, sorrow and famine;
and she will be burned with fire,
because Adonai, God, her Judge, is mighty”
9 The kings of the earth who went whoring with her and shared her luxury will sob and wail over her when they see the smoke as she burns. 10 Standing at a distance, for fear of her torment, they will say,
“Oh no! The great city!
Bavel, the mighty city!
In a single hour
your judgment has come!”
19 And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, saying,
“Oh no! The great city!
The abundance of her wealth
made all the ship owners rich!
In a single hour she is ruined!”
20 Rejoice over her, heaven!
Rejoice, people of God,
emissaries and prophets!
For in judging her, God has vindicated you.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.