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The Lord proclaims:
Sing joyfully for the people of Jacob;
    shout for the leading nation.
Raise your voices with praise and call out:
    “The Lord has saved his people,[a]
    the remaining few in Israel!”

I’m going to bring them back from the north;
    I will gather them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind and the disabled,
    expectant mothers and those in labor;
        a great throng will return here.
With tears of joy they will come;
    while they pray, I will bring them back.
I will lead them by quiet streams
    and on smooth paths so they don’t stumble.
I will be Israel’s father,
    Ephraim will be my oldest child.

10 Listen to the Lord’s word, you nations,
    and announce it to the distant islands:
The one who scattered Israel will gather them
    and keep them safe, as a shepherd his flock.
11 The Lord will rescue the people of Jacob
    and deliver them from the power of those stronger than they are.
12 They will come shouting for joy on the hills of Zion,
    jubilant over the Lord’s gifts:
        grain, wine, oil, flocks, and herds.
Their lives will be like a lush garden;
    they will grieve no more.
13 Then the young women will dance for joy;
    the young and old men will join in.
I will turn their mourning into laughter
    and their sadness into joy;
        I will comfort them.
14 I will lavish the priests with abundance
    and shower my people with my gifts,
        declares the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 31:7 LXX; MT Save your people, Lord

This is what the Lord says:

“Sing(A) with joy for Jacob;
    shout for the foremost(B) of the nations.
Make your praises heard, and say,
    Lord, save(C) your people,
    the remnant(D) of Israel.’
See, I will bring them from the land of the north(E)
    and gather(F) them from the ends of the earth.
Among them will be the blind(G) and the lame,(H)
    expectant mothers and women in labor;
    a great throng will return.
They will come with weeping;(I)
    they will pray as I bring them back.
I will lead(J) them beside streams of water(K)
    on a level(L) path where they will not stumble,
because I am Israel’s father,(M)
    and Ephraim is my firstborn son.

10 “Hear the word of the Lord, you nations;
    proclaim it in distant coastlands:(N)
‘He who scattered(O) Israel will gather(P) them
    and will watch over his flock like a shepherd.’(Q)
11 For the Lord will deliver Jacob
    and redeem(R) them from the hand of those stronger(S) than they.
12 They will come and shout for joy(T) on the heights(U) of Zion;
    they will rejoice in the bounty(V) of the Lord
the grain, the new wine and the olive oil,(W)
    the young of the flocks(X) and herds.
They will be like a well-watered garden,(Y)
    and they will sorrow(Z) no more.
13 Then young women will dance and be glad,
    young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning(AA) into gladness;
    I will give them comfort(AB) and joy(AC) instead of sorrow.
14 I will satisfy(AD) the priests(AE) with abundance,
    and my people will be filled with my bounty,(AF)
declares the Lord.

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Praise of Wisdom[a]

24 Wisdom will praise herself,
    and she will boast in the midst of her people.
In the assembly of the Most High,
she will open her mouth,
    and in the presence of
    his heavenly forces, she will boast:
“I came forth from the mouth
of the Most High,
    and I covered the earth like a mist.
I lived in the heights,
    and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
I alone encircled the vault of heaven
    and walked in the depths of abysses.
In the waves of the sea and in every land,
    and among every people and nation,
    I led the way.
I sought a resting place
among all of these.
    In whose allotted territory
    should I make my home?

“Then the creator of all things
gave me a command;
    the one who created me pitched my tent
    and said, ‘Make your dwelling in Jacob,
    and let Israel receive your inheritance.’
Before the ages, from the beginning,
he created me,
    and till eternity I will never fail.
10 I ministered before him in the holy tent,
    and so I was established in Zion.
11 In the same way, he made
the dearly loved city my resting place
    and established my authority
    in Jerusalem.
12 I took root in a glorified people;
    among the people the Lord chose
    for his inheritance.

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Footnotes

  1. Sirach 24:1 The title appears in Gk manuscripts.
'Sirach 24:1-12' not found for the version: New International Version.

12 Worship the Lord, Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, Zion!
13 Because God secures the bars on your gates,
    God blesses the children you have there.
14 God establishes your borders peacefully.
    God fills you full with the very best wheat.

15 God issues his command to the earth—
    God’s word speeds off fast!
16 God spreads snow like it was wool;
    God scatters frost like it was ashes;
17 God throws his hail down like crumbs—
    who can endure God’s freezing cold?
18 Then God issues his word and melts it all away!
    God makes his winds blow;
    the water flows again.

19 God proclaims his word to Jacob;
    his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 God hasn’t done that with any other nation;
    those nations have no knowledge of God’s rules.[a]

Praise the Lord!

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:20 LXX, Tg, DSS (11QPsa) God hasn’t let those nations know his rules.

12 Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;(A)
    praise your God, Zion.

13 He strengthens the bars of your gates(B)
    and blesses your people(C) within you.
14 He grants peace(D) to your borders
    and satisfies you(E) with the finest of wheat.(F)

15 He sends his command(G) to the earth;
    his word runs(H) swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow(I) like wool
    and scatters the frost(J) like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail(K) like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word(L) and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes,(M) and the waters flow.

19 He has revealed his word(N) to Jacob,(O)
    his laws and decrees(P) to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;(Q)
    they do not know(R) his laws.[a]

Praise the Lord.(S)

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:20 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint nation; / he has not made his laws known to them

15 Wisdom rescued a holy people and a pure generation from the grip of people who were crushing them. 16 She entered the soul of a man who served the Lord. She enabled him to oppose terrifying kings by means of signs and wonders. 17 She rewarded the holy ones for their labors and led them along a wonderful route. She became a shelter for them by day and a flaming shower of stars by night. 18 She carried them across the Red Sea[a] and led them through deep waters. 19 She drowned their enemies and caused the depths to boil up over them. 20 The people who did what was right then stripped the ungodly of their weapons. All together they sang hymns to your holy name, Lord. They praised your hand, which had defended and fought for them. 21 Wisdom opens the mouths of those who can’t speak and puts clear words on the tongues of infants.

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Footnotes

  1. Wisdom 10:18 Or traditionally Reed Sea in Hebrew Bible
'Wisdom 10:15-21' not found for the version: New International Version.

The believers’ blessings

Bless the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing that comes from heaven. God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world. God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves. We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace, which he poured over us with wisdom and understanding. God revealed his hidden design[a] to us, which is according to his goodwill and the plan that he intended to accomplish through his Son. 10 This is what God planned for the climax of all times:[b] to bring all things together in Christ, the things in heaven along with the things on earth. 11 We have also received an inheritance in Christ. We were destined by the plan of God, who accomplishes everything according to his design. 12 We are called to be an honor to God’s glory because we were the first to hope in Christ. 13 You too heard the word of truth in Christ, which is the good news of your salvation. You were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit because you believed in Christ. 14 The Holy Spirit is the down payment on our inheritance, which is applied toward our redemption as God’s own people, resulting in the honor of God’s glory.

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:9 Or mystery
  2. Ephesians 1:10 Or the fullness of times

Praise for Spiritual Blessings in Christ

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(A) who has blessed us in the heavenly realms(B) with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us(C) in him before the creation of the world(D) to be holy and blameless(E) in his sight. In love(F) he[a] predestined(G) us for adoption to sonship[b](H) through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure(I) and will— to the praise of his glorious grace,(J) which he has freely given us in the One he loves.(K) In him we have redemption(L) through his blood,(M) the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches(N) of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he[c] made known to us the mystery(O) of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed(P) in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment(Q)—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.(R)

11 In him we were also chosen,[d] having been predestined(S) according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose(T) of his will, 12 in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory.(U) 13 And you also were included in Christ(V) when you heard the message of truth,(W) the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal,(X) the promised Holy Spirit,(Y) 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance(Z) until the redemption(AA) of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.(AB)

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 1:5 Or sight in love. He
  2. Ephesians 1:5 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.
  3. Ephesians 1:9 Or us with all wisdom and understanding. And he
  4. Ephesians 1:11 Or were made heirs