Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

³ You turn people back to dust,
    saying, “Return to dust, you mortals.”^(E)
4 A thousand years in your sight
    are like a day that has just gone by,
    or like a watch in the night.^(F)
5 Yet you sweep people away^(G) in the sleep of death—
    they are like the new grass of the morning:
⁶ In the morning it springs up new,
    but by evening it is dry and withered.^(H)

⁷ We are consumed by your anger
    and terrified by your indignation.
⁸ You have set our iniquities before you,
    our secret sins^(I) in the light of your presence.^(J)

⁹ All our days pass away under your wrath;
    we finish our years with a moan.^(A)
10 Our days may come to seventy years,^(B)
    or eighty,^(C) if our strength endures;
yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow,^(D)
    for they quickly pass, and we fly away.^(E)
11 If only we knew the power of your anger!
    Your wrath^(F) is as great as the fear that is your due.^(G)

¹² Teach us to number our days,^(A)
    that we may gain a heart of wisdom.^(B)

¹⁰ “‘See, the day!
    See, it comes!
Doom has burst forth,
    the rod^(A) has budded,
    arrogance has blossomed!
¹¹ Violence^(B) has arisen,^[a]
    a rod to punish the wicked.
None of the people will be left,
    none of that crowd—
none of their wealth,
    nothing of value.^(C)
12 The time has come!
    The day has arrived!
Let not the buyer^(D) rejoice
    nor the seller grieve,
    for my wrath is on the whole crowd.^(E)
13 The seller will not recover
    the property that was sold—
    as long as both buyer and seller live.
For the vision concerning the whole crowd
    will not be reversed.
Because of their sins, not one of them
    will preserve their life.^(F)

¹⁴ “‘They have blown the trumpet,^(G)
    they have made all things ready,
but no one will go into battle,
    for my wrath^(H) is on the whole crowd.
¹⁵ Outside is the sword;
    inside are plague and famine.
Those in the country
    will die by the sword;
those in the city
    will be devoured by famine and plague.^(I)
16 The fugitives^(J) who escape
    will flee to the mountains.
Like doves^(K) of the valleys,
    they will all moan,
    each for their own sins.^(L)
17 Every hand will go limp;^(M)
    every leg will be wet with urine.^(N)
18 They will put on sackcloth^(O)
    and be clothed with terror.^(P)
Every face will be covered with shame,
    and every head will be shaved.^(Q)

¹⁹ “‘They will throw their silver into the streets,^(R)
    and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean.
Their silver and gold
    will not be able to deliver them
    in the day of the Lord’s wrath.^(S)
It will not satisfy^(T) their hunger
    or fill their stomachs,
    for it has caused them to stumble^(U) into sin.^(V)
20 They took pride in their beautiful jewelry
    and used it to make^(W) their detestable idols.
They made it into vile images;^(X)
    therefore I will make it a thing unclean for them.^(Y)
21 I will give their wealth as plunder^(Z) to foreigners
    and as loot to the wicked of the earth,
    who will defile it.^(AA)
22 I will turn my face^(AB) away from the people,
    and robbers will desecrate the place I treasure.
They will enter it
    and will defile it.^(AC)

²³ “‘Prepare chains!
    For the land is full of bloodshed,^(AD)
    and the city is full of violence.^(AE)
24 I will bring the most wicked of nations
    to take possession of their houses.
I will put an end to the pride of the mighty,
    and their sanctuaries^(AF) will be desecrated.^(AG)
25 When terror comes,
    they will seek peace in vain.^(AH)
26 Calamity upon calamity^(AI) will come,
    and rumor upon rumor.
They will go searching for a vision from the prophet,^(AJ)
    priestly instruction in the law will cease,
    the counsel of the elders will come to an end.^(AK)
27 The king will mourn,
    the prince will be clothed with despair,^(AL)
    and the hands of the people of the land will tremble.
I will deal with them according to their conduct,^(AM)
    and by their own standards I will judge them.