Zephaniah 3:14-20

New International Version

¹⁴Sing, Daughter Zion;^(A)
    shout aloud,^(B) Israel!
Be glad and rejoice^(C) with all your heart,
    Daughter Jerusalem!
¹⁵The Lord has taken away your punishment,
    he has turned back your enemy.
The Lord, the King of Israel, is with you;^(D)
    never again will you fear^(E) any harm.^(F)
¹⁶On that day
    they will say to Jerusalem,
“Do not fear, Zion;
    do not let your hands hang limp.^(G)
¹⁷The Lord your God is with you,
    the Mighty Warrior who saves.^(H)
He will take great delight^(I) in you;
    in his love he will no longer rebuke you,^(J)
    but will rejoice over you with singing.”^(K)

¹⁸“I will remove from you
    all who mourn over the loss of your appointed festivals,
    which is a burden and reproach for you.
¹⁹At that time I will deal
    with all who oppressed^(L) you.
I will rescue the lame;
    I will gather the exiles.^(M)
I will give them praise^(N) and honor
    in every land where they have suffered shame.
²⁰At that time I will gather you;
    at that time I will bring^(O) you home.
I will give you honor^(P) and praise^(Q)
    among all the peoples of the earth
when I restore your fortunes^[a]^(R)
    before your very eyes,”
says the Lord.

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Footnotes

Zephaniah 3:20 Or I bring back your captives

Psalm 85

New International Version

Psalm 85^[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

¹You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
    you restored the fortunes^(A) of Jacob.
²You forgave^(B) the iniquity^(C) of your people
    and covered all their sins.^[b]
³You set aside all your wrath^(D)
    and turned from your fierce anger.^(E)

⁴Restore^(F) us again, God our Savior,^(G)
    and put away your displeasure toward us.
⁵Will you be angry with us forever?^(H)
    Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
⁶Will you not revive^(I) us again,
    that your people may rejoice^(J) in you?
⁷Show us your unfailing love,^(K) Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.^(L)

⁸I will listen to what God the Lord says;
    he promises peace^(M) to his people, his faithful servants—
    but let them not turn to folly.^(N)
⁹Surely his salvation^(O) is near those who fear him,
    that his glory^(P) may dwell in our land.

¹⁰Love and faithfulness^(Q) meet together;
    righteousness^(R) and peace kiss each other.
¹¹Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
    and righteousness^(S) looks down from heaven.
¹²The Lord will indeed give what is good,^(T)
    and our land will yield^(U) its harvest.
¹³Righteousness goes before him
    and prepares the way for his steps.

Footnotes

Psalm 85:1 In Hebrew texts 85:1-13 is numbered 85:2-14.
Psalm 85:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.

Philippians 4:4-7

New International Version

Final Exhortations

⁴Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!^(A) ⁵Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.^(B) ⁶Do not be anxious about anything,^(C) but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.^(D) ⁷And the peace of God,^(E) which transcends all understanding,^(F) will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

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Luke 7:18-28

New International Version

Jesus and John the Baptist^(A)

¹⁸John’s^(B) disciples^(C) told him about all these things. Calling two of them, ¹⁹he sent them to the Lord to ask, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”

²⁰When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”

²¹At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses^(D) and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. ²²So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy^[a] are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.^(E) ²³Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.”

²⁴After John’s messengers left, Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swayed by the wind? ²⁵If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear expensive clothes and indulge in luxury are in palaces. ²⁶But what did you go out to see? A prophet?^(F) Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷This is the one about whom it is written:

“‘I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way before you.’^[b]^(G)

²⁸I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God^(H) is greater than he.”

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Footnotes

Luke 7:22 The Greek word traditionally translated leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
Luke 7:27 Mal. 3:1

Luke 7:29-35

New International Version

²⁹(All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John.^(A) ³⁰But the Pharisees and the experts in the law^(B) rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John.)

³¹Jesus went on to say, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? ³²They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other:

“‘We played the pipe for you,
and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge,
and you did not cry.’

³³For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine,^(C) and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ ³⁴The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’^(D) ³⁵But wisdom is proved right by all her children.”

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