Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Song of Ascents.

⁹ Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. ¹⁰ For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls, and doesn’t have another to lift him up. ¹¹ Again, if two lie together, then they have warmth; but how can one keep warm alone? ¹² If a man prevails against one who is alone, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

¹³ Better is a poor and wise youth than an old and foolish king who doesn’t know how to receive admonition any more. ¹⁴ For out of prison he came out to be king; yes, even in his kingdom he was born poor. ¹⁵ I saw all the living who walk under the sun, that they were with the youth, the other, who succeeded him. ¹⁶ There was no end of all the people, even of all them over whom he was—yet those who come after shall not rejoice in him. Surely this also is vanity and a chasing after wind.

5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming on you. ² Your riches are corrupted and your garments are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and your silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be for a testimony against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up your treasure in the last days. ⁴ Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you have kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of those who reaped have entered into the ears of the Lord of Armies.^{[a] 5} You have lived in luxury on the earth, and taken your pleasure. You have nourished your hearts as in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and you have murdered the righteous one. He doesn’t resist you.