Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 148^[a]

⁸ As for you, son of man, listen to what I am saying to you: Do not rebel like that rebellious house! Open your mouth and eat what I am giving you.”

⁹ Then I looked and realized a hand was stretched out to me, and in it was a written scroll. ¹⁰ He unrolled it before me, and it had writing on the front^[a] and back;^[b] written on it were laments, mourning, and woe.

3 He said to me, “Son of man, eat what you see in front of you^[c]—eat this scroll—and then go and speak to the house of Israel.” ² So I opened my mouth and he fed me the scroll.

³ He said to me, “Son of man, feed your stomach and fill your belly with this scroll I am giving to you.” So I ate it,^[d] and it was sweet like honey in my mouth.

⁴ He said to me, “Son of man, go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them. ⁵ For you are not being sent to a people of unintelligible speech^[e] and difficult language,^[f] but^[g] to the house of Israel— ⁶ not to many peoples of unintelligible speech and difficult language, whose words you cannot understand.^[h] Surely if^[i] I had sent you to them, they would listen to you! ⁷ But the house of Israel is unwilling to listen to you,^[j] because they are not willing to listen to me,^[k] for the whole house of Israel is hardheaded and hardhearted.^[l]

⁸ “I have made your face adamant^[m] to match their faces, and your forehead hard to match their foreheads. ⁹ I have made your forehead harder than flint—like diamond!^[n] Do not fear them or be terrified of the looks they give you,^[o] for they are a rebellious house.”

¹⁰ And he said to me, “Son of man, take all my words that I speak to you to heart and listen carefully. ¹¹ Go to the exiles, to your fellow countrymen,^[p] and speak to them. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says,’ whether they pay attention or not.”

The Angel with the Little Scroll

10 Then^[a] I saw another powerful angel descending from heaven, wrapped^[b] in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun and his legs were like pillars of fire.^{[c] 2} He held^[d] in his hand a little scroll that was open, and he put his right foot on the sea and his left on the land. ³ Then^[e] he shouted in a loud voice like a lion roaring, and when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded their voices. ⁴ When the seven thunders spoke, I was preparing to write, but^[f] just then^[g] I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders spoke and do not write it down.” ⁵ Then^[h] the angel I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven ⁶ and swore by the one who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, and the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, “There will be no more delay!^{[i] 7} But in the days^[j] when the seventh angel is about to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God is completed,^[k] just as he has^[l] proclaimed to his servants^[m] the prophets.” ⁸ Then^[n] the voice I had heard from heaven began to speak^[o] to me^[p] again,^[q] “Go and take the open^[r] scroll in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” ⁹ So^[s] I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He^[t] said to me, “Take the scroll^[u] and eat it. It^[v] will make your stomach bitter, but it will be as sweet as honey in your mouth.” ¹⁰ So^[w] I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it, and it did taste^[x] as sweet as honey in my mouth, but^[y] when I had eaten it, my stomach became bitter. ¹¹ Then^[z] they^[aa] told me: “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations,^[ab] languages, and kings.”