Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

An expectant prayer for Jehovah’s help.

A Song of Ascents.

¹⁶ And Jehovah raised up judges, who saved them out of the hand of those that despoiled them. ¹⁷ And yet they hearkened not unto their judges; for they played the harlot after other gods, and bowed themselves down unto them: they turned aside quickly out of the way wherein their fathers walked, obeying the commandments of Jehovah; but they did not so. ¹⁸ And when Jehovah raised them up judges, then Jehovah was with the judge, and saved them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented Jehovah because of their groaning by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. ¹⁹ But it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they turned back, and dealt more corruptly than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; ^[a]they ceased not from their doings, nor from their stubborn way. ²⁰ And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel; and he said, Because this nation have transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice; ²¹ I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations that Joshua left when he died; ²² that by them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of Jehovah to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not. ²³ So Jehovah left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

⁸ And the fourth poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given unto ^[a]it to scorch men with fire. ⁹ And men were scorched with great heat: and they blasphemed the name of God who hath the power over these plagues; and they repented not to give him glory.

¹⁰ And the fifth poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast; and his kingdom was darkened; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, ¹¹ and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they repented not of their works.

¹² And the sixth poured out his bowl upon the great river, the river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way might be made ready for the kings that come from the sunrising. ¹³ And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits, as it were frogs: ¹⁴ for they are spirits of demons, working signs; which go forth ^[b]unto the kings of the whole ^[c]world, to gather them together unto the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. ¹⁵ (Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.) ¹⁶ And they gathered them together into the place which is called in Hebrew ^[d]Har-Magedon.

¹⁷ And the seventh poured out his bowl upon the air; and there came forth a great voice out of the ^[e]temple, from the throne, saying, It is done: ¹⁸ and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since ^[f]there were men upon the earth, so great an earthquake, so mighty. ¹⁹ And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the ^[g]nations fell: and Babylon the great was remembered in the sight of God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. ²⁰ And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. ²¹ And great hail, every stone about the weight of a talent, cometh down out of heaven upon men: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof is exceeding great.