⁵ Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. ^(A)Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Born Again to a Living Hope

^3 (A)Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! ^(B)According to his great mercy, ^(C)he has caused us to be born again to a living hope ^(D)through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

⁶ For God, who said, ^(A)“Let light shine out of darkness,” ^(B)has shone in our hearts to give ^(C)the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Bless the Lord, O My Soul

Of David.

Come to Me, and I Will Give You Rest

^25 (A)At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, ^(B)Lord of heaven and earth, that ^(C)you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and ^(D)revealed them to little children;

¹⁰ “Thus says the Lord: In this place ^(A)of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again ^11 (B)the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring ^(C)thank offerings to the house of the Lord:

^(E)For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.

The Lord's Faithfulness Endures Forever

¹¹ And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord,

And all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.