Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 127[a]
Need of Divine Assistance
1 A song of ascents. Of Solomon.
[b]If the Lord does not build the house,[c]
those who construct it labor in vain.
If the Lord does not guard the city,
those who keep watch over it do so in vain.
2 It is useless for you to rise earlier
and delay taking your rest at night,
toiling relentlessly for the bread you eat;
for while those he loves sleep,
he provides all of this for them.[d]
3 [e]Behold, children are a gift from the Lord,
a reward of the fruit of the womb.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are the children born in one’s youth.[f]
5 Blessed is the man
who has filled his quiver with them.
He will never be forced to retreat
when he is confronted by his enemies at the city gate.[g]
Chapter 12
Remember Your Creator . . .
1 Remember your Creator in the days of your youth
before the bad times come
and the years draw near when you will say,
“I take no pleasure in them”;
2 before the sun and the light of day
give way to darkness,
before the moon and the stars grow dim
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 [a]when the guardians of the house tremble
and the strong men are bent over,
and the women who grind the meal
cease working because they are few in number,
and those who look through the windows
realize that their eyesight is failing;
4 when the doors to the street are shut
and the sound of grinding begins to fade,
when one waits to hear the chirping of a bird,
but all the songbirds are silent;
5 when one is afraid of heights
and is concerned about dangers on the streets.
And You Return to Your Eternal Home
Remember him—when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper is sluggish
and desire is no longer stirred,
and you return to your eternal home
while the mourners assemble in the streets.
6 Remember him—before the silver cord is snapped
or the golden bowl is broken
or the pitcher is shattered at the spring
or the wheel is broken at the well
7 and the dust returns to the earth from which it came
and the spirit returns to God[b] who gave it.
Final Editor’s Note
8 Vanity of vanities, says Qoheleth;
all things are vanity.
22 Trust in God.[a] Then he said to his disciples, “Therefore, heed my words. Do not be concerned about your life and what you will have to eat, or about your body and what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.
24 “Consider the ravens. They do not sow or reap, they have no storehouse or barn, and yet God feeds them. You are of far greater importance than birds. 25 Can any of you through worrying add a single moment to your span of life? 26 If then such a small thing is beyond your power, why should you be concerned about the rest?
27 “Consider the lilies and how they grow. They neither labor nor spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his royal splendor was clothed like one of these. 28 If God so clothes the grass that grows today in the field and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith!
29 “Hence, do not be greatly concerned about what you are to eat and what you are to drink. Do not worry. 30 The nations of the world are concerned for all these things. Your Father is aware of your needs. 31 Rather, seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
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