Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

126 The song of degrees. When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion; we were made as comforted. (When the Lord returned the captives to Zion/When the Lord returned prosperity to Zion; we were made like in a dream.)

² Then our mouth was filled with joy; and our tongue with full out joying. Then they shall say among heathen men; The Lord magnified to do with them. (Then our mouths were filled with joy; and ours tongues with rejoicing. And the heathen said to each other, The Lord hath done great things for them.)

³ The Lord magnified to do with us; we be made glad. (Yea, the Lord did great things for us; and we were glad.)

⁴ Lord, turn thou (again) our captivity; as a strand in the south. (Lord, return thou the captives/return thou our prosperity; like the streams return to the south.)

⁵ They that sow in tears; shall reap in full out joying. (Then they who sowed in tears; shall reap with rejoicing.)

⁶ They going, went, and wept; sending their seeds. But they coming, shall come with full out joying; bearing their handfuls (They going, went, and wept; sending out their seeds. But when they shall return, they shall come back rejoicing; carrying their harvest.)

¹³ Thou art gone out into health of thy people, into health with thy christ; thou hast smitten the head of the house of the unpious man, thou hast made naked the foundament till to the neck. (Thou hast gone forth for the salvation of thy people, and for the salvation of thy anointed king; thou hast struck the head of the house of the unrighteous, or of the wicked, and thou hast made naked its foundations unto the neck, or unto the rock.)

¹⁴ Thou cursedest the sceptre, either power, of him, (that is,) the head of his fighters, to men coming as whirlwind for to scatter me; (thou heardest) the joying withoutforth of them, as of him that devoureth a poor man in huddles. (Thou hast cursed his sceptre, or his power, that is, thou hast pierced the leaders of his fighting men, who came like a whirlwind to destroy me; thou hast heard their rejoicing, like those who devour the poor in secret.)

¹⁵ Thou madest a way in the sea to thine horses, in clay of many waters. (Thou hast made a way in the sea with thy horses, through the clay of many waters.)

¹⁶ I heard, and my womb is troubled together; my lips trembled together of the voice. Rot entered in[to] my bones, and sprang under me; that I rest again in the day of tribulation, and I shall go up to our people girded together. (I heard, and my belly altogether shook; my lips altogether trembled at the sound. Rot entered into my bones, and sprang up under me. O! that I might rest again after the day of tribulation, when thou shalt go up against those who assail us.)

¹⁷ For the fig tree shall not flower, and burgeoning shall not be in vineyards; the work of [the] olive tree shall lie (down), and fields shall not bring (forth) meat; a sheep shall be cut away from the fold, a drove shall not be in cratches. (Yea, though the fig tree flowereth not, and burgeoning be not be in the vineyards; the work of the olive tree falleth down, and the fields bring not forth a harvest; and the sheep be cut away from the fold, and there be no herd in the stalls;)

¹⁸ Forsooth I shall have joy in the Lord, and I shall make joy withoutforth in God my Jesus. (still I shall have joy in the Lord, and I shall rejoice in God my Saviour.)

¹⁹ God the Lord is my strength, and he shall put my feet as of harts; and on mine high things, the overcomer shall lead forth me, singing in psalms. (The Lord God is my strength, and he shall make my feet like the feet of harts; and the Overcomer shall lead me forth on the high places, singing in psalms.)

²⁸ But what seemeth to you? A man had two sons [Some man had two sons]; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work this day [to day] in my vineyard.

²⁹ And he answered, and said, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went forth [but afterward he stirred by penance, or repenting, went].

³⁰ But he came to the other, and said in like manner. And he answered, and said, Lord, I go; and he went not.

³¹ Who of the twain did the father's will? They say to him, The first. Jesus saith to them, Truly I say to you, for publicans and whores shall go before you into the kingdom of God.

³² For John came to you in the way of rightwiseness, and ye believed not to him; but publicans and whores believed to him. But ye saw, and had no repenting after, that ye believed to him [But ye seeing, had not penance afterward, that ye should believe to him].