Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

6 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion and that are secure in the mountain of Samaria, the renowned of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel come.

⁴ that lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves from the midst of the stall;

⁵ that chant to the sound of the lute, [and] invent them instruments of music, like David;

⁶ that drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments; but are not grieved for the breach of Joseph.

⁷ Therefore shall they now go captive, with the first that go captive, and the revelry of them that stretched themselves shall pass away.

146 Hallelujah! Praise Jehovah, O my soul.

² As long as I live will I praise Jehovah; I will sing psalms unto my God while I have my being.

³ Put not confidence in nobles, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.

⁴ His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his purposes perish.

⁵ Blessed is he who hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Jehovah his God,

⁶ Who made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is therein; who keepeth truth for ever;

⁷ Who executeth judgment for the oppressed, who giveth bread to the hungry. Jehovah looseth the prisoners;

⁸ Jehovah openeth [the eyes of] the blind; Jehovah raiseth up them that are bowed down; Jehovah loveth the righteous;

⁹ Jehovah preserveth the strangers; he lifteth up the fatherless and the widow; but the way of the wicked doth he subvert.

¹⁰ Jehovah will reign for ever, [even] thy God, O Zion, from generation to generation. Halleluiah!

⁶ But piety with contentment *is* great gain.

⁷ For we have brought nothing into the world: [it is] [manifest] that neither can we carry anything out.

⁸ But having sustenance and covering, we will be content with these.

⁹ But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and many unwise and hurtful lusts, which plunge men into destruction and ruin.

¹⁰ For the love of money is [the] root of every evil; which some having aspired after, have wandered from the faith, and pierced themselves with many sorrows.

¹¹ But *thou*, O man of God, flee these things, and pursue righteousness, piety, faith, love, endurance, meekness of spirit.

¹² Strive earnestly [in] the good conflict of faith. Lay hold of eternal life, to which thou hast been called, and hast confessed the good confession before many witnesses.

¹³ I enjoin thee before God who preserves all things in life, and Christ Jesus who witnessed before Pontius Pilate the good confession,

¹⁴ that thou keep the commandment spotless, irreproachable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ;

¹⁵ which in its own time the blessed and only Ruler shall shew, the King of those that reign, and Lord of those that exercise lordship;

¹⁶ who only has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen, nor is able to see; to whom [be] honour and eternal might. Amen.

¹⁷ Enjoin on those rich in the present age not to be high-minded, nor to trust on the uncertainty of riches; but in the God who affords us all things richly for [our] enjoyment;

¹⁸ to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal in distributing, disposed to communicate [of their substance],

¹⁹ laying by for themselves a good foundation for the future, that they may lay hold of [what is] really life.

¹⁹ Now there was a rich man and he was clothed in purple and fine linen, making good cheer in splendour every day.

²⁰ And [there was] a poor man, by name Lazarus, [who] was laid at his gateway full of sores,

²¹ and desiring to be filled with the crumbs which fell from the table of the rich man; but the dogs also coming licked his sores.

²² And it came to pass that the poor man died, and that he was carried away by the angels into the bosom of Abraham. And the rich man also died and was buried.

²³ And in hades lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he sees Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴ And he crying out said, Father Abraham, have compassion on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am suffering in this flame.

²⁵ But Abraham said, Child, recollect that *thou* hast fully received thy good things in thy lifetime, and likewise Lazarus evil things. But now he is comforted here, and *thou* art in suffering.

²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm is fixed, so that those who desire to pass hence to you cannot, nor do they who [desire to cross] from there pass over unto us.

²⁷ And he said, I beseech thee then, father, that thou wouldest send him to the house of my father,

²⁸ for I have five brothers, so that he may earnestly testify to them, that they also may not come to this place of torment.

²⁹ But Abraham says to him, They have Moses and the prophets: let them hear them.

³⁰ But he said, Nay, father Abraham, but if one from the dead should go to them, they will repent.

³¹ And he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, not even if one rise from among [the] dead will they be persuaded.