Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You (E)turn mortals back into dust
And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or like a (H)watch in the night.
5 You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass that [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)wilts and (N)withers away.
9 For (A)all our days have dwindled away in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [a]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [b]life, [c]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (B)eighty years,
Yet their pride is only (C)trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we (D)disappear.
11 Who [d]understands the (E)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (F)fear [e]that is due You?
10 ‘Behold, the day! Behold, it is coming! Your [a]doom has gone forth; the (A)rod has budded, arrogance has blossomed. 11 Violence [b]has grown into a rod of (B)wickedness. None of them shall remain, none of their [c]people, none of their (C)wealth, nor anything eminent among them. 12 The (D)time has come, the day has arrived. Let neither the (E)buyer rejoice nor the seller mourn; for (F)wrath is against all their multitude. 13 Indeed, the seller will not [d](G)regain [e]what he sold as long as [f]they both live; for the vision regarding all their multitude will not [g]be averted, nor will any of them maintain his life by his wrongdoing.
14 ‘They have (H)blown the trumpet and made everything ready, but no one is going to the battle, for My wrath is against all [h]their multitude. 15 The (I)sword is outside the city and the plague and the famine are within. Anyone who is in the field will die by the sword, while famine and the plague will consume those in the city. 16 Even when their survivors (J)escape, they will be on the mountains like (K)doves of the valleys, all of them (L)moaning, each over his own wrongdoing. 17 All (M)hands will hang limp, and all [i]knees will drip with water. 18 They will (N)put on sackcloth and (O)shuddering will overwhelm them; and shame will be on all faces, and a [j](P)bald patch on all their heads. 19 They will (Q)fling their silver into the streets, and their gold will become an abhorrent thing; their (R)silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of the Lord. They cannot satisfy their [k]appetite, nor can they fill their stomachs, because their wrongdoing has become a cause of stumbling.
The Temple Profaned
20 Moreover, they transformed the splendor of His jewels into pride, and (S)they made the images of their abominations and their detestable things with it; therefore I will make it an abhorrent thing to them. 21 And I will hand it over to the (T)foreigners as plunder, and to the wicked of the earth as spoils; and they will profane it. 22 I will also turn My (U)face away from them, and they will profane My treasure; then robbers will enter and profane it.
23 ‘(V)Make the [l]chain, for the land is full of [m](W)bloody crimes, and the city is (X)full of violence. 24 Therefore, I will bring the worst of the (Y)nations, and they will take possession of their houses. I will also put an end to the (Z)pride of the strong ones, and their (AA)holy places will be profaned. 25 When anguish comes, they will seek (AB)peace, but there will be none. 26 (AC)Disaster will come upon disaster and (AD)rumor will be added to rumor; then they will seek a (AE)vision from a prophet, but the (AF)Law will be lost from the priest, and (AG)counsel from the elders. 27 The king will mourn, the prince will be (AH)clothed in horror, and the hands of the people of the land will [n]tremble. I will deal with them because of their conduct, and by their judgments I will judge them. And they will know that I am the Lord.’”
43 “(A)Now when the unclean spirit comes out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, and does not find it. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came’; and when it comes, it finds it unoccupied, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they come in and live there; and (B)the last condition of that person becomes worse than the first. That is the way it will also be with this evil generation.”
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