Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You (E)turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or as a (H)watch in the night.
5 You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass which [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)fades and (N)withers away.
9 For (A)all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [a]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [b]life, [c]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (B)eighty years,
Yet their pride is but (C)labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we (D)fly away.
11 Who [d]understands the (E)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (F)fear [e]that is due You?
Idolatrous Worship Denounced
6 And the word of the Lord came to me saying, 2 “Son of man, set your face toward the (A)mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them 3 and say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the word of the Lord [a]God! Thus says the Lord [b]God to the mountains, the hills, the ravines and the valleys: “Behold, I Myself am going to bring a sword on you, and (B)I will destroy your high places. 4 So your (C)altars will become desolate and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will make your slain fall in front of your idols. 5 I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel in front of their idols; and I will scatter your (D)bones around your altars. 6 In all your dwellings, (E)cities will become waste and the high places will be desolate, that your altars may become waste and [c]desolate, your (F)idols may be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be blotted out. 7 The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.
8 “However, I will leave a (G)remnant, for you will have those who (H)escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries. 9 Then those of you who escape will (I)remember Me among the nations to which they will be carried captive, how I have [d](J)been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols; and they will (K)loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations. 10 Then they will know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain [e]that I would inflict this disaster on them.”’
11 “Thus says the Lord [f]God, ‘Clap your hand, (L)stamp your foot and say, “(M)Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, which will fall by (N)sword, famine and plague! 12 He who is (O)far off will die by the plague, and he who is near will fall by the sword, and he who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus will I (P)spend My wrath on them. 13 Then you will know that I am the Lord, when their (Q)slain are among their idols around their altars, on (R)every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree and under every leafy oak—the places where they offered soothing aroma to all their idols. 14 So throughout all their habitations I will (S)stretch out My hand against them and make the land more desolate and waste than the wilderness toward Diblah; thus they will know that I am the Lord.”’”
Six Bowls of Wrath
16 Then I heard a loud voice from (A)the [a]temple, saying to the (B)seven angels, “Go and (C)pour out [b]on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God.”
2 So the first angel went and poured out his bowl [c](D)on the earth; and it became a loathsome and malignant (E)sore on the [d]people (F)who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his image.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl (G)into the sea, and it became blood like that of a dead man; and every living [e]thing in the sea died.
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl into the (H)rivers and the springs of waters; and they (I)became blood. 5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying, “(J)Righteous are You, (K)who are and who were, O (L)Holy One, because You (M)judged these things; 6 for they poured out (N)the blood of saints and prophets, and You have given them (O)blood to drink. They [f]deserve it.” 7 And I heard (P)the altar saying, “Yes, O (Q)Lord God, the Almighty, (R)true and righteous are Your judgments.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.