Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
127 1 He showeth that the whole estate of the world, both domestical and political, standeth by God’s mere providence and blessing, 3 And that to have children well nurtured, is an especial grace and gift of God.
A song of degrees, or Psalm of Solomon.
1 Except the Lord [a]build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the [b]city, the keeper watcheth in vain.
2 It is in vain for [c]you to rise early, and to lie down late, and eat the bread [d]of sorrow: but he will surely give [e]rest to his beloved.
3 Behold, children are the inheritance of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb his reward.
4 As are the arrows in the hand of the strong man; so are the [f]children of youth.
5 Blessed is the man that hath his quiver full of them: for they [g]shall not be ashamed, when they speak with their enemies in the gate.
16 And moreover, I have seen under the Sun the place of judgment, where was wickedness, and the place of justice, where was iniquity.
17 I thought in mine heart, God will judge the just and the wicked: for time is [a]there for every purpose and for every work.
18 I considered in mine heart the state of the children of men, that God had [b]purged them: yet to see too, they are in themselves as beasts.
19 For the condition of the children of men, and the condition of beasts are even as one [c]condition unto them. As the one dieth, so dieth the other: for they have all one breath, and there is no excellency of man above the beast: for all is vanity.
20 All go to one place, and all was of the dust, and all shall return to the dust.
21 Who [d]knoweth whether the spirit of man ascend upward, and the spirit of the beast descend downward to the earth?
22 Therefore I see that there is nothing better than that a man should [e]rejoice in his affairs, because that is his portion. For who shall bring him to see what shall be after him?
4 2 The innocents are oppressed. 4 Man’s labors are full of abuse and vanity. 9 Man’s society is necessary. 13 A young man poor and wise, is to be preferred to an old King that is a fool.
1 So [f]I turned and considered all the oppressions that are wrought under the sun, and behold, the tears of the oppressed, and none comforteth them, and lo, the strength is of the hand of them that oppress them, and none comforteth them.
2 Wherefore I praised the [g]dead which now are dead, above the living, which are yet alive.
3 And I count him [h]better than them both, which hath not yet been: for he hath not seen the evil works which are wrought under the sun.
4 Also I beheld all travail, and all [i]perfection of works, that this is the envy of a man against his neighbor: this also is vanity and vexation of spirit.
5 The fool foldeth his hands, and [j]eateth up his own flesh.
6 Better is an handful with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and vexation of spirit.
7 Again I returned, and saw vanity under the sun.
8 There is one alone, and there is not a second, which hath neither son nor brother, yet is there none end of all his travail, neither can his eye be satisfied with riches: neither doth he think, For whom do I travail and defraud my soul of pleasures? this also is vanity, this is an evil travail.
2 (A)[a][b]Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving,
3 (B)[c]Praying also for us, that God may open unto us the [d]door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ: wherefore I am also in bonds,
4 That I may utter it, as it becometh me to speak.
5 ¶ (C)[e]Walk [f]wisely toward them that are without, and redeem the [g]season.
6 [h]Let your speech be [i]gracious always, and powdered with [j]salt, that ye may know how to answer every man.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.