Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 70^(A)

For the Music Director. A Psalm of David. To bring remembrance.

Judgment Against Israel’s Neighbors

1 The words of Amos, who was among the shepherds of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel two years before the earthquake.

² He said:

³ Thus says the Lord:

⁶ Thus says the Lord:

⁹ Thus says the Lord:

¹¹ Thus says the Lord:

¹³ Thus says the Lord:

2 Thus says the Lord:

Judgment Against Judah

⁴ Thus says the Lord:

The Trumpets

⁶ Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

⁷ The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown upon the earth. A third of the trees and all the green grass were burned up.

⁸ Then the second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea became blood, ⁹ a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel sounded, and a great star from heaven, burning like a torch, fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. ¹¹ The name of this star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

¹² The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day had no light, and likewise a third of the night.

¹³ Then I watched, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the other trumpet blasts of the three angels, who are yet to sound!”

9 The fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. The star was given the key to the bottomless pit. ² He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke ascended from the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace. The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit. ³ And out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. Power was given them as the scorpions of the earth have power. ⁴ They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were given authority, not to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. ⁶ In those days men will seek death but will not find it. They will desire to die, but death will elude them.

⁷ The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were something like crowns of gold, and their faces were like faces of men. ⁸ They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. ⁹ They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running to battle. ¹⁰ They had tails like scorpions and stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men for five months. ¹¹ They had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek his name is Apollyon.^[a]

¹² The first woe is past. Now, two more woes are yet to come.