Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You (E)turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or as a (H)watch in the night.
5 You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass which [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)fades and (N)withers away.
7 For we have been (O)consumed by Your anger
And by Your wrath we have been [i]dismayed.
8 You have (P)placed our iniquities before You,
Our (Q)secret sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For (R)all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [j]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [k]life, [l]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (S)eighty years,
Yet their pride is but (T)labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we (U)fly away.
11 Who [m]understands the (V)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (W)fear [n]that is due You?
12 So (X)teach us to number our days,
That we may [o](Y)present to You a heart of wisdom.
13 Do (Z)return, O Lord; (AA)how long will it be?
And [p]be (AB)sorry for Your servants.
14 O (AC)satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness,
That we may (AD)sing for joy and be glad all our days.
15 (AE)Make us glad [q]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the (AF)years we have seen [r]evil.
16 Let Your (AG)work appear to Your servants
And Your (AH)majesty [s]to their children.
17 Let the (AI)favor of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [t](AJ)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [u]confirm the work of our hands.
24 Therefore the Lord [a]God of hosts,
The (A)Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will be relieved of My adversaries
And (B)avenge Myself on My foes.
25 “I will also turn My hand against you,
And will (C)smelt away your dross as with lye
And will remove all your alloy.
26 “Then I will restore your (D)judges as at the first,
And your counselors as at the beginning;
After that you will be called the (E)city of righteousness,
A faithful city.”
27 Zion will be (F)redeemed with justice
And her [b]repentant ones with righteousness.
28 But [c]transgressors and sinners will be (G)crushed together,
And those who forsake the Lord will come to an end.
29 Surely [d]you will be ashamed of the [e](H)oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed at the (I)gardens which you have chosen.
30 For you will be like an [f]oak whose (J)leaf fades away
Or as a garden that has no water.
31 The strong man will become tinder,
His work also a spark.
Thus they shall both (K)burn together
And there will be (L)none to quench them.
The Sign of Jonah
29 As the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “(A)This generation is a wicked generation; it (B)seeks for a [a]sign, and yet no [b]sign will be given to it but the [c]sign of Jonah. 30 For just as (C)Jonah became a [d]sign to the Ninevites, so will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The (D)Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because (E)they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.