Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.
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 mortals back into dust
And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or like 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 that [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)wilts and (N)withers away.
9 For (A)all our days have dwindled away 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 only (C)trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we (D)disappear.
11 Who [d]understands the (E)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (F)fear [e]that is due You?
Punishment for Wickedness Foretold
7 Moreover, the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “And you, son of man, this is what the Lord [a]God says to the land of Israel: ‘An (A)end! The end is coming on the four corners of the land. 3 Now the end is upon you, for I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways and [b]bring all your abominations upon you. 4 And My eye will have no pity on you, nor will I spare you, but I will [c](B)bring your ways upon you, and your abominations will be among you; then you will (C)know that I am the Lord!’
5 “This is what the Lord [d]God says: ‘A (D)disaster, a unique disaster, behold, it is coming! 6 An end [e]is coming; the end has come! It has (E)awakened against you; behold, it has come! 7 Your [f]doom has come to you, you inhabitant of the land. The (F)time has come, the (G)day is near—panic rather than joyful shouting on the mountains. 8 Now I will shortly (H)pour out My wrath on you and expend My anger against you; I will (I)judge you according to your ways and [g]bring on you all your abominations. 9 My eye will have no pity nor will I spare you. I will [h]repay you according to your ways, while your abominations are in your midst; then you will know that I, the Lord, am striking.
8 And the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon (A)the sun, (B)and it was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 And the people were scorched with [a]fierce heat; and they (C)blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they (D)did not repent so as to (E)give Him glory.
10 And the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the (F)throne of the beast, and his kingdom became (G)darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, 11 and they (H)blasphemed the (I)God of heaven because of their pain and their (J)sores; and they (K)did not repent of their deeds.
12 The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the (L)great river, the Euphrates; and (M)its water was dried up, so that (N)the way would be prepared for the kings (O)from the [b]east.
Har-Magedon (Armageddon)
13 And I saw coming out of the mouth of the (P)dragon, and out of the mouth of the (Q)beast, and out of the mouth of the (R)false prophet, three (S)unclean spirits like (T)frogs; 14 for they are (U)spirits of demons, (V)performing signs, which go out to the kings of the (W)entire [c]world, to (X)gather them together for the war of the (Y)great day of God, the Almighty. 15 (“Behold, (Z)I am coming like a thief. (AA)Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, (AB)so that he will not walk about naked and people will not see his shame.”) 16 And they (AC)gathered them together to the place which (AD)in Hebrew is called (AE)Har-Magedon.
The Seventh Bowl of Wrath
17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon (AF)the air, and a (AG)loud voice came out of the [d](AH)temple from the throne, saying, “(AI)It is done.” 18 And there were flashes of (AJ)lightning and sounds and peals of thunder; and there was (AK)a great earthquake, (AL)such as there had not been since mankind came to be upon the earth, so great an earthquake was it, and so mighty. 19 (AM)The great city [e]was split into three parts, and the cities of the [f]nations fell. (AN)Babylon the great was (AO)remembered in the sight of God, to give her (AP)the cup of the wine of [g]His fierce wrath. 20 And (AQ)every island fled, and no mountains were found. 21 And (AR)huge [h]hailstones, weighing about [i]a talent each, *came down from heaven upon people; and people (AS)blasphemed God because of the (AT)plague of the hail, because [j]the hailstone plague *was extremely [k]severe.
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