Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 98[a]
Praise of the Lord, King and Judge
1 A psalm.
Sing to the Lord a new song,[b]
for he has accomplished marvelous deeds.
His right hand and his holy arm
have made him victorious.
2 The Lord has made known his salvation;
he has manifested his righteousness for all the nations to see.[c]
3 He has remembered his kindness[d] and his fidelity
to the house of Israel.
The farthest ends of the earth have witnessed
the salvation of our God.
4 Sing joyfully to the Lord, all the earth;
raise your voices in songs of praise.
5 Sing praise to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and melodious singing.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn
sing joyfully to the King, the Lord.[e]
7 [f]Let the sea resound and everything in it,
the world[g] and all its inhabitants.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands
and the mountains shout for joy.
9 Let them sing before the Lord, who is coming,
coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice
and the nations with fairness.[h]
Christian Value of Work.[a] 6 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, brethren, we command you to keep your distance from any of the brethren who are living an idle existence and who disregard the tradition you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you should follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you. 8 We did not ever accept food from anyone, but with toil and drudgery we worked night and day so that we would not burden any of you. 9 We did so, not because we have no right to accept such help, but to present ourselves as a model for you to imitate.
10 In fact, even when we were with you, we charged that anyone who was unwilling to work should not eat. 11 Now we have been told that some among you are living a life of idleness, not working but acting as busybodies. 12 We command and urge such people in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and earn their own living.
13 Brethren, never grow weary of doing what is right.
The Destruction of the Temple and the Return of Christ[a]
Jesus Announces the Destruction of the Temple.[b] When some people were talking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and votive offerings, Jesus remarked, 6 “As for all these things that you are gazing at now, the time will come when not one stone here will be left upon another; everything will be thrown down.”The Signs of the End.[c] 7 They then asked him, “Teacher, when will this happen? And what will be the sign that it is about to take place?” 8 He answered, “Take care not to be deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 And when you hear of wars and insurrections, do not be terrified, for those things are bound to take place first, but the end will not follow immediately.”
10 Then he added, “Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be tremendous earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places, as well as dreadful portents and great signs from heaven.
12 The Coming Persecution.“But before all this happens, they will seize you and persecute you. You will be handed over to synagogues and imprisoned, and you will be brought before kings and governors because of my name. 13 This will give you an opportunity to bear witness to me. 14 But do not even consider preparing your defense beforehand, 15 for I myself will give you a depth of wisdom and eloquence that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.
16 “You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends, and some of you will be put to death. 17 You will be hated by all because of my name, 18 but not a hair of your head will be lost. 19 By standing firm you will gain life.
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