Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 148^[a]

Song of the Universe

^1 [b]Alleluia.

⁸ But as for you, son of man, listen to what I say to you and do not be rebellious like that rebellious tribe. Open your mouth and eat what I am about to give you.

⁹ I saw a hand stretched out to me, and in it was a written scroll. ¹⁰ He unrolled it in front of me. It had writing on the front and on the back, and written on it were words, of lamentation and dirges and woe.

Chapter 3

¹ He said to me: Son of man, eat what is in front of you. Eat this scroll, and then go forth to speak to the house of Israel. ² Therefore, I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat. ³ He said to me: Son of man, eat this scroll that I have given you, and eat your fill. Then I consumed it, and in my mouth it was as sweet as honey.

⁴ He then said to me: Son of man, go now to the house of Israel and deliver my message to them. ⁵ For you are not being sent to a people that speaks a difficult and barbaric language, but to the house of Israel. ⁶ I am not sending you to great nations, whose speech you would not be able to comprehend, although they would listen to what you had to say.

⁷ However, the house of Israel will not listen to you because it would not listen to me. The whole house of Israel is defiant and obstinate in heart. ⁸ But I will make you as defiant and obstinate as they are. ⁹ I will make your resolve as hard as a diamond. I have made your forehead like the hardest stone, harder than flint. Do not fear them, or be concerned about their appearance, for they are a rebellious house.

¹⁰ He went on: Listen carefully, son of man, to all my words. Receive them into your heart and hear them with your ears. ¹¹ Then go to your countrymen in exile and say to them, “Thus says the Lord,” whether they listen or refuse to listen.

Chapter 10

A Small Scroll: Sweet and Bitter.^{[a] 1} Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head. His face was like the sun, his legs were like pillars of fire, ² and his hand held a small scroll that had been opened.

Placing his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³ the angel gave forth a great shout like the roar of a lion. And when he shouted, the seven thunders spoke. ⁴ After the seven thunders had spoken, I was preparing to write when I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have spoken, but do not write it down.”

⁵ Then the angel whom I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven ⁶ and swore by him who lives forever and ever and who created heaven and earth and the sea and everything that is in them: “There will be no further delay. ⁷ When the time comes for the seventh angel to sound his trumpet, the mysterious purpose of God^[b] will be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the Prophets.”

⁸ Then I again heard the voice that had spoken to me from heaven, and it said, “Go and take that open scroll from the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” ⁹ Therefore, I went to the angel and asked him to give me the small scroll. He replied, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will taste as sweet as honey.”

¹⁰ I took the small scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. In my mouth it did taste as sweet as honey, but when I had eaten it my stomach turned sour. ¹¹ Then I was told, “You must prophesy once again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings.”