Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 76
God, the Powerful Judge
For the choir director: with stringed instruments. A psalm of Asaph.(A) A song.
1 God is known in Judah;
his name is great in Israel.(B)
2 His tent is in Salem,
his dwelling place in Zion.(C)
3 There he shatters the bow’s flaming arrows,
the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war.(D)Selah
4 You are resplendent and majestic
coming down from the mountains of prey.(E)
5 The brave-hearted have been plundered;
they have slipped into their final sleep.
None of the warriors was able to lift a hand.(F)
6 At your rebuke, God of Jacob,
both chariot and horse lay still.(G)
7 And you—you are to be feared.[a]
When you are angry,
who can stand before you?(H)
8 From heaven you pronounced judgment.
The earth feared and grew quiet(I)
9 when God rose up to judge
and to save all the lowly of the earth.(J)Selah
10 Even human wrath will praise you;
you will clothe yourself
with the wrath that remains.[b](K)
19 “Then I wanted to be clear about the fourth beast,(A) the one different from all the others, extremely terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, devouring, crushing, and trampling with its feet whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns(B) on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three fell—the horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogantly,(C) and that looked bigger than the others. 21 As I was watching, this horn waged war(D) against the holy ones and was prevailing over them 22 until the Ancient of Days arrived and a judgment(E) was given in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, for the time had come, and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom.
23 “This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms. It will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it. 24 The ten horns(F) are ten kings who will rise from this kingdom. Another king, different from the previous ones, will rise after them and subdue three kings. 25 He will speak words against the Most High(G) and oppress[a] the holy ones(H) of the Most High. He will intend to change religious festivals[b] and laws,(I) and the holy ones will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.[c](J) 26 But the court will convene,(K) and his dominion will be taken away, to be completely destroyed forever.(L) 27 The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom,(M) and all rulers will serve and obey him.’
The Two Witnesses
11 Then I was given a measuring reed(A) like a rod,[a] with these words: “Go[b] and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count those who worship there. 2 But exclude the courtyard outside the temple.(B) Don’t measure it, because it is given to the nations,[c](C) and they will trample the holy city(D) for forty-two months.(E) 3 I will grant[d] my two witnesses authority to prophesy for 1,260 days, dressed in sackcloth.”(F) 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord[e] of the earth.(G) 5 If anyone wants to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and consumes their enemies;(H) if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6 They have authority to close up the sky so that it does not rain during the days of their prophecy.(I) They also have power over the waters to turn them into blood(J) and to strike the earth with every plague whenever they want.(K)
The Witnesses Martyred
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast(L) that comes up out of the abyss(M) will make war on them, conquer them, and kill them. 8 Their dead bodies[f](N) will lie in the main street[g] of the great city,(O) which figuratively[h] is called Sodom(P) and Egypt,(Q) where also their Lord was crucified. 9 And some of[i] the peoples, tribes, languages, and nations(R) will view their bodies for three and a half days and not permit their bodies to be put into a tomb.(S) 10 Those who live on the earth will gloat(T) over them and celebrate and send gifts to one another because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
The Witnesses Resurrected
11 But after three and a half days, the breath[j] of life(U) from God entered them, and they stood on their feet. Great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 Then they heard[k] a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” They went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies watched them.(V) 13 At that moment a violent earthquake took place,(W) a tenth of the city fell, and seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake. The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe(X) has passed. Take note: The third woe is coming soon!
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