Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.[a](A)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;(B)
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;(C)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.(D)
Praise him, sun(E) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens(F)
    and you waters above the skies.(G)

Let them praise the name(H) of the Lord,
    for at his command(I) they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree(J) that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord(K) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures(L) and all ocean depths,(M)
lightning and hail,(N) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,(O)
you mountains and all hills,(P)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals(Q) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings(R) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
    old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,(S)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor(T) is above the earth and the heavens.(U)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[b](V)
    the praise(W) of all his faithful servants,(X)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.(Y)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
  2. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.

And now the Lord says—
    he who formed me in the womb(A) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
    and gather Israel(B) to himself,
for I am[a] honored(C) in the eyes of the Lord
    and my God has been my strength(D)
he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant(E)
    to restore the tribes of Jacob
    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.(F)
I will also make you a light(G) for the Gentiles,(H)
    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”(I)

This is what the Lord says—
    the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel(J)
to him who was despised(K) and abhorred by the nation,
    to the servant of rulers:
“Kings(L) will see you and stand up,
    princes will see and bow down,(M)
because of the Lord, who is faithful,(N)
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen(O) you.”

Restoration of Israel

This is what the Lord says:

“In the time of my favor(P) I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;(Q)
I will keep(R) you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people,(S)
to restore the land(T)
    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,(U)
to say to the captives,(V) ‘Come out,’
    and to those in darkness,(W) ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads
    and find pasture on every barren hill.(X)
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,(Y)
    nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.(Z)
He who has compassion(AA) on them will guide(AB) them
    and lead them beside springs(AC) of water.
11 I will turn all my mountains into roads,
    and my highways(AD) will be raised up.(AE)
12 See, they will come from afar(AF)
    some from the north, some from the west,(AG)
    some from the region of Aswan.[b]

13 Shout for joy,(AH) you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;(AI)
    burst into song, you mountains!(AJ)
For the Lord comforts(AK) his people
    and will have compassion(AL) on his afflicted ones.(AM)

14 But Zion(AN) said, “The Lord has forsaken(AO) me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.”

15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child(AP) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!(AQ)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 49:5 Or him, / but Israel would not be gathered; / yet I will be
  2. Isaiah 49:12 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text Sinim

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers(A)

46 While Jesus was still talking to the crowd, his mother(B) and brothers(C) stood outside, wanting to speak to him. 47 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.”

48 He replied to him, “Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?” 49 Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. 50 For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven(D) is my brother and sister and mother.”

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