Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
God’s Guidance of His People in Spite of Their Unfaithfulness.
A [a]Maskil of Asaph.
78 (A)Listen, O my people, to my [b]instruction;
(B)Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will (C)open my mouth in a parable;
I will utter (D)dark sayings of old,
3 Which we have heard and known,
And (E)our fathers have told us.
4 We will (F)not conceal them from their children,
But (G)tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord,
And His strength and His (H)wondrous works that He has done.
5 For He established a (I)testimony in Jacob
And appointed a (J)law in Israel,
Which He (K)commanded our fathers
That they should [c](L)teach them to their children,
6 (M)That the generation to come might know, even (N)the children yet to be born,
That they may arise and (O)tell them to their children,
7 That they should put their confidence in God
And (P)not forget the works of God,
But (Q)keep His commandments,
10 While the sons of Israel camped at Gilgal (A)they observed the Passover on the evening of the (B)fourteenth day of the month on the desert plains of Jericho. 11 On the [a]day after the Passover, on [b]that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land, unleavened cakes and parched grain. 12 (C)The manna ceased on the [c]day after they had eaten some of the produce of the land, so that the sons of Israel no longer had manna, but they ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan during that year.
6 (A)And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.
7 The first sounded, and there came (B)hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and (C)a third of the earth was burned up, and (D)a third of the (E)trees were burned up, and all the green (F)grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded, and something like a great (G)mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and (H)a third of the (I)sea became blood, 9 and (J)a third of the creatures which were in the sea [a]and had life, died; and a third of the (K)ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded, and a great star (L)fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a (M)third of the rivers and on the (N)springs of waters. 11 The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a (O)third of the waters became (P)wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded, and a (Q)third of the (R)sun and a third of the (S)moon and a (T)third of the (U)stars were struck, so that a (V)third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a (W)third of it, and the night in the same way.
13 Then I looked, and I heard [b]an eagle flying in (X)midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “(Y)Woe, woe, woe to (Z)those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the (AA)three angels who are about to sound!”
The Fifth Trumpet—the Bottomless Pit
9 Then the (AB)fifth angel sounded, and I saw a (AC)star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the (AD)key of the [c](AE)bottomless pit was given to him. 2 He opened the [d]bottomless pit, and (AF)smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and (AG)the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke came (AH)locusts [e]upon the earth, and power was given them, as the (AI)scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were told not to (AJ)hurt the (AK)grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the (AL)seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And [f]they were not permitted to kill [g]anyone, but to torment for (AM)five months; and their torment was like the torment of a (AN)scorpion when it [h]stings a man. 6 And in those days (AO)men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.
7 The [i](AP)appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their (AQ)teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the (AR)sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like (AS)scorpions, and stings; and in their (AT)tails is their power to hurt men for (AU)five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the (AV)abyss; his name in (AW)Hebrew is [j](AX)Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name [k]Apollyon.
12 (AY)The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.
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