Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray^(A) with joy ⁵ because of your partnership^(B) in the gospel from the first day^(C) until now, ⁶ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion^(D) until the day of Christ Jesus.^(E)

⁸ God can testify^(A) how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love^(B) may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight,^{(C) 10} so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ,^{(D) 11} filled with the fruit of righteousness^(E) that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

⁴ As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:

John the Baptist Prepares the Way^(A)(B)

3 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate^(C) was governor of Judea, Herod^(D) tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— ² during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas,^(E) the word of God came to John^(F) son of Zechariah^(G) in the wilderness. ³ He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.^{(H) 4} As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: