Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God Has Ordained the Ebb and Flow of Human Activities
3 For everything there is an appointed time, a time for every matter under heaven:
2 a time to bear[a] and a time to die;
a time to plant and a time to root up what is planted;
3 a time to kill and a time to heal;
a time to break down and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn and a time to dance;
5 a time to throw away stones and a time to gather stones;
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek and a time to lose;
a time to keep and a time to throw away;
7 a time to tear and a time to sew;
a time to be silent and a time to speak;
8 a time to love and a time to hate;
a time for war and a time for peace.
9 What does the worker gain in his toil?
No One Understands God’s Mysterious Plan
10 I have seen the busyness God gives to humans[b] to preoccupy[c] them. 11 He has made everything suitable in its time. He also has put the past[d] in their hearts, yet no one can grasp what God does from the beginning to the end. 12 So I realized that there is nothing better[e] for them than to rejoice and enjoy themselves[f] during their lives. 13 And for anyone to eat and drink, that is, to enjoy the fruit of all his toil,[g] this also is a gift of God.
Yahweh’s Glory in Creation
For the music director, on the Gittith.[a] A psalm of David.[b]
8 Yahweh, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth,
who put your splendor above the heavens.
2 From the mouth of children and infants you have founded[c] strength
on account of your enemies,
to silence the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars which you set in place—
4 what is a human being that you think of him?
and a child of humankind that you care for him?
5 And you made him a little lower than heavenly beings,[d]
and with glory and with majesty you crowned him.
6 You make him over the works of your hands;
all things you have placed under his feet:
7 sheep and cattle, all of them,
and also the wild animals of the field,
8 the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,
everything that passes along the paths of seas.
9 Yahweh, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all of the earth!
The New Heaven, New Earth, and New Jerusalem
21 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea did not exist any longer. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
“Behold, the dwelling of God is with humanity,
and he will take up residence with them,
and they will be his people
and God himself will be with them.[a]
4 And he will wipe away every tear from their eyes,
and death will not exist any longer,
and[b] mourning or wailing or pain will not exist any longer.
The former things[c] have passed away.”
5 And the one seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new!” And he said, “Write, because these words are faithful and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am[d] the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the one who is thirsty I will give water from the spring of the water of life freely.[e]
The Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats
31 Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right and the goats on the left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world! 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something[a] to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something[b] to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me as a guest, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you cared for me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you,[c] or thirsty and give you something[d] to drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you[e] as a guest, or naked and clothe you?[f] 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ 40 And the king will answer and[g] say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, in as much as you did it[h] to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it[i] to me.’ 41 Then he will also say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed ones, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 For I was hungry and you did not give me anything[j] to eat, I was thirsty and you did not give me anything[k] to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not care for me.’ 44 Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and not serve you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, in as much as you did not do it[l] to one of the least of these, you did not do it[m] to me.’ 46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
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