Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Prayer for Relief from Contempt

A Song of Ascents.

¹⁶ Nevertheless, ^(A)the Lord raised up judges who delivered them out of the hand of those who plundered them. ¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges, but they ^(B)played the harlot with other gods, and bowed down to them. They turned quickly from the way in which their fathers walked, in obeying the commandments of the Lord; they did not do so. ¹⁸ And when the Lord raised up judges for them, ^(C)the Lord was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; ^(D)for the Lord was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them. ¹⁹ And it came to pass, ^(E)when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.

²⁰ Then the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and He said, “Because this nation has ^(F)transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and has not heeded My voice, ²¹ I also will no longer drive out before them any of the nations which Joshua ^(G)left when he died, ²² so ^(H)that through them I may ^(I)test Israel, whether they will keep the ways of the Lord, to walk in them as their fathers kept them, or not.” ²³ Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out immediately; nor did He deliver them into the hand of Joshua.

Fourth Bowl: Men Are Scorched

⁸ Then the fourth angel poured out his bowl ^(A)on the sun, ^(B)and power was given to him to scorch men with fire. ⁹ And men were scorched with great heat, and they ^(C)blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; ^(D)and they did not repent ^(E)and give Him glory.

Fifth Bowl: Darkness and Pain

¹⁰ Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl ^(F)on the throne of the beast, ^(G)and his kingdom became full of darkness; ^(H)and they gnawed their tongues because of the pain. ¹¹ They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

Sixth Bowl: Euphrates Dried Up

¹² Then the sixth angel poured out his bowl ^(I)on the great river Euphrates, ^(J)and its water was dried up, ^(K)so that the way of the kings from the east might be prepared. ¹³ And I saw three unclean ^(L)spirits like frogs coming out of the mouth of ^(M)the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of ^(N)the false prophet. ¹⁴ For they are spirits of demons, ^(O)performing signs, which go out to the kings ^[a]of the earth and of ^(P)the whole world, to gather them to ^(Q)the battle of that great day of God Almighty.

^15 (R)“Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, ^(S)lest he walk naked and they see his shame.”

^16 (T)And they gathered them together to the place called in Hebrew, ^[b]Armageddon.

Seventh Bowl: The Earth Utterly Shaken

¹⁷ Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, ^(U)“It is done!” ¹⁸ And ^(V)there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; ^(W)and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake ^(X)as had not occurred since men were on the earth. ¹⁹ Now ^(Y)the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And ^(Z)great Babylon ^(AA)was remembered before God, ^(AB)to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. ²⁰ Then ^(AC)every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. ²¹ And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.