Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 70[a]
Prayer for Divine Help
1 For the leader; of David. For remembrance.
2 Graciously rescue me, God!(A)
Come quickly to help me, Lord!(B)
3 Let those who seek my life
be confused and put to shame.(C)
Let those who desire my ruin
turn back in disgrace.
4 Let those who say “Aha!”(D)
turn back in their shame.
5 But may all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you,
Those who long for your help
always say, “God be glorified!”(E)
6 I am miserable and poor.
God, come to me quickly!
You are my help and deliverer.
Lord, do not delay!
III. Threefold Summons to Hear the Word of the Lord
Chapter 3
First Summons
1 Hear this word, Israelites, that the Lord speaks concerning you,
concerning the whole family I brought up from the land of Egypt:
2 You alone I have known,[a]
among all the families of the earth;(A)
Therefore I will punish you
for all your iniquities.
3 [b]Do two journey together
unless they have agreed?
4 Does a lion roar in the forest
when it has no prey?
Does a young lion cry out from its den
unless it has seized something?
5 Does a bird swoop down on a trap on the ground
when there is no lure for it?
Does a snare spring up from the ground
without catching anything?
6 Does the ram’s horn sound in a city
without the people becoming frightened?
Does disaster befall a city
unless the Lord has caused it?(B)
7 (Indeed, the Lord God does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.)
8 The lion has roared,
who would not fear?(C)
The Lord God has spoken,
who would not prophesy?
9 Proclaim this in the strongholds of Assyria,[c]
in the strongholds of the land of Egypt:
“Gather on the mount of Samaria,
and see the great disorders within it,
the oppressions within its midst.”[d]
10 They do not know how to do what is right—
oracle of the Lord—
Storing up in their strongholds
violence and destruction.
11 Therefore thus says the Lord God:
An enemy shall surround the land,
tear down your fortresses,
and pillage your strongholds.
12 Thus says the Lord:
As the shepherd rescues from the mouth of the lion
a pair of sheep’s legs or the tip of an ear,
So shall the Israelites escape,
those who dwell in Samaria,
With the corner of a couch
or a piece of a cot.[e]
13 Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the [four][a] horns of the gold altar before God,(A) 14 telling the sixth angel who held the trumpet, “Release the four angels[b] who are bound at the banks of the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels were released, who were prepared for this hour, day, month, and year to kill a third of the human race. 16 The number of cavalry troops was two hundred million; I heard their number. 17 Now in my vision this is how I saw the horses and their riders. They wore red, blue, and yellow breastplates,[c] and the horses’ heads were like heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and sulfur.(B) 18 By these three plagues of fire, smoke, and sulfur that came out of their mouths a third of the human race was killed. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like snakes, with heads that inflict harm.
20 The rest of the human race, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands,[d] to give up the worship of demons and idols made from gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk.(C) 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic potions, their unchastity, or their robberies.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.