Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

63 A psalm of David when he was hiding in the wilderness of Judea.

O God, my God! How I search for you! How I thirst for you in this parched and weary land where there is no water. How I long to find you! ² How I wish I could go into your sanctuary to see your strength and glory, ³ for your love and kindness are better to me than life itself. How I praise you! ⁴ I will bless you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. ⁵ At last I shall be fully satisfied; I will praise you with great joy.

⁶ I lie awake at night thinking of you— ⁷ of how much you have helped me—and how I rejoice through the night beneath the protecting shadow of your wings. ⁸ I follow close behind you, protected by your strong right arm.

³⁴ Then the cloud covered the Tabernacle and the glory of the Lord filled it. ³⁵ Moses was not able to enter because the cloud was standing there, and the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle. ³⁶ Whenever the cloud lifted and moved, the people of Israel journeyed onward, following it. ³⁷ But if the cloud stayed, they stayed until it moved. ³⁸ The cloud rested upon the Tabernacle during the daytime, and at night there was fire in the cloud so that all the people of Israel could see it.

This continued throughout all their journeys.

18 After all this I saw another angel come down from heaven with great authority, and the earth grew bright with his splendor.

² He gave a mighty shout, “Babylon the Great is fallen, is fallen; she has become a den of demons, a haunt of devils and every kind of evil spirit.^{[a] 3} For all the nations have drunk the fatal wine of her intense immorality. The rulers of earth have enjoyed themselves with her,^[b] and businessmen throughout the world have grown rich from all her luxurious living.”

⁴ Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, “Come away from her, my people; do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her. ⁵ For her sins are piled as high as heaven, and God is ready to judge her for her crimes. ⁶ Do to her as she has done to you, and more—give double penalty for all her evil deeds. She brewed many a cup of woe for others—give twice as much to her. ⁷ She has lived in luxury and pleasure—match it now with torments and with sorrows. She boasts, ‘I am queen upon my throne. I am no helpless widow. I will not experience sorrow.’ ⁸ Therefore the sorrows of death and mourning and famine shall overtake her in a single day, and she shall be utterly consumed by fire; for mighty is the Lord who judges her.”

⁹ And the world leaders who took part in her immoral acts and enjoyed her favors will mourn for her as they see the smoke rising from her charred remains. ¹⁰ They will stand far off, trembling with fear and crying out, “Alas, Babylon, that mighty city! In one moment her judgment fell.”

¹⁹ And they will throw dust on their heads in their sorrow and say, “Alas, alas, for that great city! She made us all rich from her great wealth. And now in a single hour all is gone. . . . ”

²⁰ But you, O heaven, rejoice over her fate; and you, O children of God and the prophets and the apostles! For at last God has given judgment against her for you.