Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Book IV
Psalms 90–106
A prayer of Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, from the very beginning
you have been like a home to us.
2 Before you created the whole world and the mountains were made,
from the beginning to the end you are God.
3 You turn human beings back to dust.
You say to them, “Return to dust.”
4 To you a thousand years
are like a day that has just gone by.
They are like a few hours of the night.
5 Yet you sweep people away, and they die.
They are like new grass that grows in the morning.
6 In the morning it springs up new,
but by evening it’s all dried up.
7 Your anger destroys us.
Your burning anger terrifies us.
8 You have put our sins right in front of you.
You have placed our secret sins where you can see them clearly.
9 You have been angry with us all of our days.
We groan as we come to the end of our lives.
10 We live to be about 70.
Or we may live to be 80, if we stay healthy.
But even our best days are filled with trouble and sorrow.
The years quickly pass, and we are gone.
11 If only we knew the power of your anger!
It’s as great as the respect we should have for you.
12 Teach us to realize how short our lives are.
Then our hearts will become wise.
Ezekiel Prophesies Against the Mountains of Israel
6 A message from the Lord came to me. The Lord said, 2 “Son of man, turn your attention to the mountains of Israel. Prophesy against them. 3 Say, ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the message of the Lord and King. Here is what he says to the mountains and hills. And here is what he says to the canyons and valleys. He tells them, “I will send swords to kill your people. I will destroy the high places where you worship other gods. 4 Your altars will be torn down. Your incense altars will be smashed. And I will kill your people in front of the statues of your gods. 5 I will put the dead bodies of Israelites in front of those statues. I will scatter your bones around your altars. 6 No matter where you live, the towns will be destroyed. The high places will be torn down. So your altars will be completely destroyed. The statues of your gods will be smashed to pieces. Your incense altars will be broken down. And everything you have made will be wiped out. 7 Your people will fall down dead among you. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
8 “ ‘ “But I will spare some of you. Some will escape from being killed by swords. You will be scattered among other lands and nations. 9 You will be taken away to those nations as prisoners. Those of you who escape will remember me. You will recall how much pain your unfaithful hearts gave me. You turned away from me. Your eyes longed to see the statues of your gods. You will hate yourselves because of all the evil things you have done. I hate those things too. 10 You will know that I am the Lord. I said I would bring trouble on you. And my warning came true.” ’ ”
11 The Lord and King said to me, “Clap your hands. Stamp your feet. Cry out, ‘How sad!’ Do this because the people of Israel have done so many evil things. I hate those things. Israel will be destroyed by war, hunger and plague. 12 The one who is far away will die of the plague. The one who is near will be killed by swords. Anyone who is left alive and is spared will die of hunger. And in this way I will pour out my great anger on them. 13 Then they will know that I am the Lord. Their people will lie dead among the statues of their gods around their altars. Their bodies will lie on every high hill and every mountaintop. They will lie under every green tree and leafy oak tree. They used to offer sweet-smelling incense to all their gods at those places. 14 I will reach out my powerful hand against them. The land will become dry and empty. Those people will live from the desert all the way to Diblah. They will know that I am the Lord.”
The Seven Bowls of God’s Great Anger
16 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple speaking to the seven angels. “Go,” it said. “Pour out the seven bowls of God’s great anger on the earth.”
2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land. Ugly and painful sores broke out on people. Those people had the mark of the beast and worshiped its statue.
3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea. It turned into blood like the blood of a dead person. Every living thing in the sea died.
4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water. They became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel who was in charge of the waters. He said,
“Holy One, the way you judge is fair.
You are the God who is and who was.
6 Those who worship the beast have poured out blood.
They have poured out the life’s blood of your holy people and your prophets.
So you have given blood to drink to those who worship the beast.
That’s exactly what they should get.”
7 Then I heard the altar reply. It said,
“Lord God who rules over all,
the way you judge is true and fair.”
Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998, 2014 by Biblica, Inc.®. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.