Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Israel from Moses to David

Psalm 78

¹⁰ While Bnei-Yisrael camped at Gilgal^[a], they observed Passover on the evening of the fourteenth day of the month in the plains of Jericho. ¹¹ On the day after the Passover, on that very day, they ate of the produce of the land, matzot and roasted grain.

¹² Then the manna ceased on the day after they had eaten of the produce of the land. Bnei-Yisrael had manna no longer, but ate some of the yield of the land of Canaan that year.

⁶ Then the seven angels holding the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. ⁷ The first trumpeted,^[a] and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and they were thrown upon the earth.^[b] A third of the earth burned up, a third of the trees burned up, and all the green grass burned up.

⁸ The second angel trumpeted, and something like a huge mountain^[c] ablaze with fire was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, ⁹ a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰ The third angel trumpeted, and a great star fell from the heavens, burning like a torch. It fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. ¹¹ Now the name of the star is Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from the waters that were made bitter.^[d]

¹² The fourth angel trumpeted, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them were darkened.^[e] A third of the day would not shine, as well as a third of the night.

¹³ Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying out with a loud voice as it flew high in the sky, saying, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpets the three angels are about to sound!”

9 Then the fifth angel trumpeted, and I saw a star that had fallen from heaven to earth. The key to the bottomless pit was given to him. ² He opened the pit, and smoke rose from the pit like the smoke of a gigantic furnace.^[f] The sun and the air were darkened by the smoke from the pit.

³ Then from the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given to them like the scorpions have power over the earth. ^{[g] 4} They were told to do no harm to the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only the people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ^{[h] 5} And they were permitted not to kill them, but to torment them for five months—and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a person. ⁶ In those days, people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them.^[i]

⁷ Now the appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle.^[j] On their heads were something like crowns of gold, and their faces were like human faces. ⁸ They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like those of lions. ^{[k] 9} They had chests like iron breastplates; and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots rushing into battle. ^{[l] 10} They have tails like scorpions with stingers; and in their tails is their power to harm people for five months. ¹¹ They have as king over them the angel of the abyss. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he has the name Apollyon.^[m]

¹² The first woe is past. Behold, two woes are still coming after these things.