Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 148

⁸ But you, son of man, hear what I say to you. Do not be rebellious like that rebellious house. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.

⁹ When I looked, a hand was sent to me. And a scroll was in it. ¹⁰ And He spread it before me. And there was writing on the inside and on the outside, and written on it were words of lamentation and mourning and woe.

3 Moreover He said to me, Son of man, eat what you find. Eat this scroll and go speak to the house of Israel. ² So I opened my mouth, and He fed me this scroll.

³ He said to me, Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your inward parts with this scroll that I give you. Then I ate it, and it was as honey for sweetness in my mouth.

⁴ Then He said to me: Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak with My words to them. ⁵ For you are not being sent to a people of foreign speech and hard language, but to the house of Israel, ⁶ nor to many peoples of foreign speech and hard language, whose words you cannot understand. But I have sent you to them who should listen to you. ⁷ But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me. For all the house of Israel is impudent and obstinate. ⁸ But I have made your face as hard as their faces and your forehead as hard as their foreheads. ⁹ As emery harder than flint, I have made your forehead. Do not be afraid of them or be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.

¹⁰ Moreover He said to me: Son of man, all My words that I shall speak to you receive in your heart and hear with your ears. ¹¹ Go to the captives, to the sons of your people, and speak to them and tell them, whether they listen or not, “Thus says the Lord God.”

The Angel and the Little Scroll

10 Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud and a rainbow on his head. His face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. ² He had a little scroll open in his hand. He set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³ and cried out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he cried out, seven thunders sounded their voices. ⁴ And when the seven thunders sounded their voices, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Seal up those things which the seven thunders said, and do not write them.”

⁵ The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the earth lifted up his hand to heaven ⁶ and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in them, and the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it, that there should be no more delay. ⁷ But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as He has declared to His servants the prophets.

⁸ Then the voice which I heard from heaven spoke to me again and said, “Go, take the little scroll which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the earth.”

⁹ So I went to the angel and said to him, “Give me the little scroll.” He said to me, “Take it and eat it. ‘It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’^[a]” ¹⁰ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It was as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. ¹¹ Then he said to me, “You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”