Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 74[a]
Prayer in Time of Calamity
1 A maskil[b] of Asaph.
Why, O God, have you cast us off forever?
Why[c] does your anger blaze forth
against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember the people that you purchased long ago,
the tribe that you redeemed as your own possession,[d]
and Mount Zion that you chose as your dwelling.
3 Direct now your steps[e] to the endless ruins,
toward the sanctuary destroyed by the enemy.
4 Your foes exulted triumphantly in the place of your assembly
and set up their memorial emblems.
5 They set upon it with their axes
as if it were a thicket of trees.
6 And then, with hatchets and hammers,
they bludgeoned all the carved work.
7 They set your sanctuary ablaze;
they razed and defiled the dwelling place of your name.[f]
8 They said to themselves, “We will utterly crush them,”
and they burned every shrine of God in the land.[g]
9 Now we see no signs,
there are no longer any prophets,
and none of us knows how long this will last.[h]
10 How long, O God, will the foe mock you?
Will the enemy blaspheme your name forever?[i]
11 Why do you hold back your right hand?
Take it out from your robe and destroy them.[j]
12 Yet you, O God, are my King from of old,
working deeds of salvation throughout the earth.
13 [k]By your power you split the sea in two
and shattered the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan
and gave him as food for the wild beasts.
15 You opened up springs and torrents
and turned flowing rivers into dry land.[l]
16 [m]Yours is the day, and yours also is the night,
for you set in place both sun and moon.
17 You fixed all the boundaries of the earth
and created both summer and winter.
18 [n]Remember, O Lord, how the enemy has mocked you,
how a foolish people has blasphemed your name.
19 Do not surrender the soul of your dove[o] to wild beasts;
do not forget forever the life of your poor.
20 Have regard for your covenant!
For the land is filled with darkness,
and the pastures are haunts of violence.
21 Do not let the oppressed turn back in shame;
let the poor and needy[p] bless your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the outbursts of your enemies,
the unceasing tumult of your foes.
14 Saul’s Armor-Bearer.[a][b]Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit oppressed him.[c] 15 Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold, an evil spirit from God is troubling you. 16 Let our lord command your servants to seek out someone who is talented in playing the harp. When an evil spirit from God descends upon you, he can play and you will feel better.” 17 Saul said to his servants, “Find someone for me who plays well and bring him to me.” 18 One of his servants said, “I have seen a son of Jesse from Bethlehem who is talented at playing. He is strong and a brave warrior. He is prudent in his speech and handsome, and the Lord is with him.” 19 [d]So Saul sent messengers to Jesse saying, “Send me David, your son, who is tending the sheep.”
20 Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine, and a young goat, and he sent them with David, his son, to Saul. 21 David came to Saul and entered into his service. He loved him very much, and he became his armor-bearer.
22 Saul sent to Jesse saying, “Please let David be in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” 23 Whenever an evil spirit came upon Saul, David took a harp and played it. Saul revived and he felt better, and the evil spirit would depart from him.
Chapter 20
The Dragon.[a] 1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, with the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the abyss and locked and sealed it over him, so that he would not again deceive the nations until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released, but only for a short time.
The Reign of the Martyrs: Return and Destruction of Satan.[b] 4 Next, I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given the authority to judge. I also saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for bearing witness to Jesus and the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.[c]
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed[d] and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them. They will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
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