Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and the Brevity of Human Life.
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 mortals back into dust
And say, “Return, you sons of mankind.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or like 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 that [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)wilts and (N)withers away.
7 For we have been (O)consumed by Your anger,
And we have been terrified by Your wrath.
8 You have (P)placed our guilty deeds before You,
Our (Q)hidden sins in the light of Your presence.
9 For (R)all our days have dwindled away in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [i]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [j]life, [k]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (S)eighty years,
Yet their pride is only (T)trouble and tragedy;
For it quickly passes, and we (U)disappear.
11 Who [l]understands the (V)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (W)fear [m]that is due You?
12 So (X)teach us to number our days,
That we may [n](Y)present to You a heart of wisdom.
13 Do (Z)return, Lord; (AA)how long will it be?
And [o]be (AB)sorry for Your servants.
14 (AC)Satisfy us in the morning with Your graciousness,
That we may (AD)sing for joy and rejoice all our days.
15 (AE)Make us glad [p]according to the days You have afflicted us,
And the (AF)years we have seen [q]evil.
16 Let Your (AG)work appear to Your servants
And Your (AH)majesty [r]to their children.
17 May the (AI)kindness of the Lord our God be upon us;
And [s](AJ)confirm for us the work of our hands;
Yes, [t]confirm the work of our hands.
24 Therefore the Lord [a]God of armies,
The (A)Mighty One of Israel, declares,
“Ah, I will have satisfaction against My adversaries,
And (B)avenge Myself on My enemies.
25 I will also turn My hand against you,
And (C)smelt away your impurities as with lye;
And I will remove all your slag.
26 Then I will restore your (D)judges as at 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]wrongdoers and sinners together will be (G)broken,
And those who abandon the Lord will come to an end.
29 [d]You certainly will be ashamed of the [e](H)oaks which you have desired,
And you will be embarrassed by the (I)gardens which you have chosen.
30 For you will be like an [f]oak whose (J)leaf withers away,
Or like a garden that has no water.
31 The strong man will become like [g]flax fiber,
And his work a spark.
So they shall both (K)burn together
And there will be (L)no one to extinguish them.
The Sign of Jonah
29 Now as the crowds were increasing, He began to say, “(A)This generation is a wicked generation; it (B)demands a [a]sign, and so no [b]sign will be given to it except 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 listen to 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.
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