Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK FOUR
(Psalms 90–106)
A prayer by Moses, the man of God.
90 O Lord, you have been our refuge throughout every generation.
2 Before the mountains were born,
before you gave birth to the earth and the world, you were God.
You are God from everlasting to everlasting.
3 You turn mortals back into dust
and say, “Return, descendants of Adam.”
4 Indeed, in your sight a thousand years are like a single day,
like yesterday—already past—
like an hour in the night.
5 You sweep mortals away.
They are a dream.
They sprout again in the morning like cut grass.
6 In the morning they blossom and sprout.
In the evening they wither and dry up.
7 Indeed, your anger consumes us.
Your rage terrifies us.
8 You have set our sins in front of you.
You have put our secret sins in the light of your presence.
9 Indeed, all our days slip away because of your fury.
We live out our years like one ⌞long⌟ sigh.
10 Each of us lives for 70 years—
or even 80 if we are in good health.
But the best of them ⌞bring⌟ trouble and misery.
Indeed, they are soon gone, and we fly away.
11 Who fully understands the power of your anger?
A person fears you more when he better understands your fury.
12 Teach us to number each of our days
so that we may grow in wisdom.
10 “The day is near! It is coming! Destruction is coming! Wrongdoing has blossomed. Arrogance has flourished. 11 Violence has grown into a weapon for punishing wickedness. None of the people will be left. None of that crowd, none of their wealth, and nothing of value will be left. 12 The time is coming. The day is near. Buyers will not rejoice, and sellers will not mourn, because ⌞my⌟ fury will be against the whole crowd. 13 Sellers will not live long enough to buy back what they have sold. The visions against that crowd will not change. Because of their sins, none of the people will live. 14 They have blown a ram’s horn, and everything is ready. But no one will go into battle, because my fury is against their whole crowd.
15 “Outside are swords, and inside are plagues and famines. Whoever is in a field will die in battle. Whoever is in the city will be devoured by famines and plagues. 16 Those who survive will escape to the mountains. They will moan like doves in the valleys. They will moan because of their sins. 17 Every hand will hang limp, and every knee will be as weak as water. 18 They will put on sackcloth, and horror will cover them. All their faces will be covered with shame, and every head will be shaved. 19 They will throw their silver and gold into the streets like garbage. Their silver and gold won’t be able to rescue them on the day of the Lord’s anger. It will no longer satisfy their hunger or fill their stomachs. Their silver and gold caused them to fall into sin. 20 They were proud of their beautiful jewels and used them to make disgusting and detestable statues ⌞of false gods⌟. That is why I will make their jewels disgusting. 21 I will hand their jewels over to foreigners as loot and to the most evil people on earth as prizes. These foreigners will dishonor the people of Israel. 22 I will turn my face away from the people of Israel, and foreigners will dishonor my treasured place. Robbers will go in and dishonor it.
23 “Get the chains ready! The land is filled with murder, and the city is filled with violence. 24 So I will send the most evil nation, and it will take possession of people’s houses. I will stop those who are strong from feeling proud, and their holy places will be dishonored. 25 Anguish is coming. People will look for peace, but there will be none. 26 One disaster will happen after another. One rumor will follow another. People will ask for a vision from a prophet. The teachings of priests and the advice of leaders will disappear. 27 Kings will mourn, and princes will give up hope. The common people will lose their courage. I will give them what they deserve and judge them as they have judged others. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”
43 “When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it goes through dry places looking for a place to rest. But it doesn’t find any. 44 Then it says, ‘I’ll go back to the home I left.’ When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean, and in order. 45 Then it goes and brings along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter and take up permanent residence there. In the end the condition of that person is worse than it was before. That is what will happen to the evil people of this day.”
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