Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Psalm 123

A song of ascents.

¹⁶ Then the Lord raised up judges,^[a](A) who saved^(B) them out of the hands of these raiders. ¹⁷ Yet they would not listen to their judges but prostituted^(C) themselves to other gods^(D) and worshiped them.^(E) They quickly turned^(F) from the ways of their ancestors, who had been obedient to the Lord’s commands.^{(G) 18} Whenever the Lord raised up a judge for them, he was with the judge and saved^(H) them out of the hands of their enemies as long as the judge lived; for the Lord relented^(I) because of their groaning^(J) under those who oppressed and afflicted^(K) them. ¹⁹ But when the judge died, the people returned to ways even more corrupt^(L) than those of their ancestors,^(M) following other gods and serving and worshiping them.^(N) They refused to give up their evil practices and stubborn^(O) ways.

²⁰ Therefore the Lord was very angry^(P) with Israel and said, “Because this nation has violated the covenant^(Q) I ordained for their ancestors and has not listened to me, ²¹ I will no longer drive out^(R) before them any of the nations Joshua left when he died. ²² I will use them to test^(S) Israel and see whether they will keep the way of the Lord and walk in it as their ancestors did.” ²³ The Lord had allowed those nations to remain; he did not drive them out at once by giving them into the hands of Joshua.^(T)

⁸ The fourth angel^(A) poured out his bowl on the sun,^(B) and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire.^{(C) 9} They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God,^(D) who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent^(E) and glorify him.^(F)

¹⁰ The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast,^(G) and its kingdom was plunged into darkness.^(H) People gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹ and cursed^(I) the God of heaven^(J) because of their pains and their sores,^(K) but they refused to repent of what they had done.^(L)

¹² The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates,^(M) and its water was dried up to prepare the way^(N) for the kings from the East.^{(O) 13} Then I saw three impure spirits^(P) that looked like frogs;^(Q) they came out of the mouth of the dragon,^(R) out of the mouth of the beast^(S) and out of the mouth of the false prophet.^{(T) 14} They are demonic spirits^(U) that perform signs,^(V) and they go out to the kings of the whole world,^(W) to gather them for the battle^(X) on the great day^(Y) of God Almighty.

¹⁶ Then they gathered the kings together^(AC) to the place that in Hebrew^(AD) is called Armageddon.^(AE)

¹⁷ The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air,^(AF) and out of the temple^(AG) came a loud voice^(AH) from the throne, saying, “It is done!”^{(AI) 18} Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder^(AJ) and a severe earthquake.^(AK) No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth,^(AL) so tremendous was the quake. ¹⁹ The great city^(AM) split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered^(AN) Babylon the Great^(AO) and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath.^{(AP) 20} Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found.^{(AQ) 21} From the sky huge hailstones,^(AR) each weighing about a hundred pounds,^[a] fell on people. And they cursed God^(AS) on account of the plague of hail,^(AT) because the plague was so terrible.