Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Blessedness of the Fear of the Lord.

A Song of Ascents.

⁹ Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor; ¹⁰ for if ^[a]either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not ^[b]another to lift him up! ¹¹ Furthermore, if two lie down together they ^[c]keep warm, but ^(A)how can one be warm alone? ¹² And if ^[d]one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

¹³ A ^(B)poor yet wise youth is better than an old and foolish king who no longer knows how to receive ^[e]instruction— ¹⁴ for he has come ^(C)out of prison to become king, even though he was born poor in his kingdom. ¹⁵ I have seen all those living under the sun move to the side of the second youth who ^[f]replaces him. ¹⁶ There is no end to all the people, to all who were before them. Even the ones who will come later will not be happy with him; for this too is ^(D)futility and striving after wind.

Misuse of Riches

5 ^(A)Come now, ^(B)you rich people, ^(C)weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. ^2 (D)Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and your silver have corroded, and their corrosion will ^[a]serve as a testimony against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is ^(E)in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! ⁴ Behold, ^(F)the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and ^(G)the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of ^(H)the Lord ^[b]of armies. ⁵ You have ^[c](I)lived for pleasure on the earth and lived luxuriously; you have ^[d]fattened your hearts in ^(J)a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and ^[e](K)put to death ^(L)the righteous person; he offers you no resistance.