Psalm 148

New International Version

Psalm 148

¹Praise the Lord.^[a]^(A)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;^(B)
    praise him in the heights above.
²Praise him, all his angels;^(C)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.^(D)
³Praise him, sun^(E) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
⁴Praise him, you highest heavens^(F)
    and you waters above the skies.^(G)

⁵Let them praise the name^(H) of the Lord,
for at his command^(I) they were created,
⁶and he established them for ever and ever—
he issued a decree^(J) that will never pass away.

⁷Praise the Lord^(K) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures^(L) and all ocean depths,^(M)
⁸lightning and hail,^(N) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,^(O)
⁹you mountains and all hills,^(P)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰wild animals^(Q) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
¹¹kings^(R) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
¹²young men and women,
    old men and children.

¹³Let 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)
¹⁴And 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

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

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

New International Version

¹⁰I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices^(A) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,^(B)
as a bridegroom adorns his head^(C) like a priest,
    and as a bride^(D) adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹For as the soil makes the sprout come up
    and a garden^(E) causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness^(F)
    and praise spring up before all nations.

Zion’s New Name

62 For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent,^(G)
    for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet,
till her vindication^(H) shines out like the dawn,^(I)
    her salvation^(J) like a blazing torch.
²The nations^(K) will see your vindication,
    and all kings your glory;
you will be called by a new name^(L)
    that the mouth of the Lord will bestow.
³You will be a crown^(M) of splendor in the Lord’s hand,
    a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

Galatians 4:4-7

New International Version

⁴But when the set time had fully come,^(A) God sent his Son,^(B) born of a woman,^(C) born under the law,^(D) ⁵to redeem^(E) those under the law, that we might receive adoption^(F) to sonship.^[a]^(G) ⁶Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son^(H) into our hearts,^(I) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^[b] Father.”^(J) ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.^(K)

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Footnotes

Galatians 4:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.
Galatians 4:6 Aramaic for Father

Luke 2:22-40

New International Version

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²²When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(A) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[a]),^(B) ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[b]^(C)

²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(D) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(E) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^(F) ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,^(G)
    you may now dismiss^[c] your servant in peace.^(H)
³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,^(I)
³¹    which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”^(J)

³³The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(K) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(L) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶There was also a prophet,^(M) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[d]^(N) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^(O) ³⁸Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(P)

³⁹When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^(Q) ⁴⁰And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(R)

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