A reading from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 9:1-7; 10:18-22
The Lord cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city!
The Lord cried loud for me to hear: Come, you scourges of the city!
The Lord God said to me: As for you, son of man, obey me when I speak to you: be not rebellious like this house of rebellion, but open your mouth and eat what I shall give you.
Brothers and sisters: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.
Brothers and sisters: I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie; my conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness that I have great sorrow and constant anguish in my heart.
At the mountain of God, Horeb, Elijah came to a cave where he took shelter.
Are you not from eternity, O Lord,/ my holy God, immortal?/ O Lord, you have marked him for judgment,/ O Rock, you have readied him for punishment!/ Too pure are your eyes to look upon evil,/ and the sight of misery you cannot endure./ Why, then, do you gaze on the faithless in silence/ while the wicked man devours/ one more just than himself?/ You have made man like the fish of the sea,/ like creeping things without a ruler./ He brings them all up with his hook,/ he hauls them away with his net,/ He gathers them in his seine;/ and so he rejoices and exults./ Therefore he sacrifices to his net,/ and burns incense to his seine;/ for thanks to them his portion is generous,/ and his repast sumptuous./ Shall he, then, keep on brandishing his sword/ to slay peoples without mercy?
See, upon the mountains there advances/ the bearer of good news, announcing peace!/ Celebrate your feasts, O Judah,/ fulfill your vows!/ For nevermore shall you be invaded/ by the scoundrel; he is completely destroyed./ The Lord will restore the vine of Jacob,/ the pride of Israel,/ Though ravagers have ravaged them/ and ruined the tendrils.
Beloved: We did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty.
As I watched:/ Thrones were set up/ and the Ancient One took his throne./ His clothing was bright as snow,/ and the hair on his head as white as wool;/ his throne was flames of fire,/ with wheels of burning fire./ A surging stream of fire/ flowed out from where he sat;/ Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him,/ and myriads upon myriads attended him.
For thus says the Lord:/ Shout with joy for Jacob,/ exult at the head of the nations;/ proclaim your praise and say:/ The Lord has delivered his people,/ the remnant of Israel.