Psalm 118
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 118
A Song of Victory
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
his steadfast love endures forever!(A)
2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”(B)
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place.(C)
6 With the Lord on my side I do not fear.
What can mortals do to me?(D)
7 The Lord is on my side to help me;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.(E)
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in mortals.(F)
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to put confidence in princes.(G)
10 All nations surrounded me;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!(H)
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees;
they blazed[a] like a fire of thorns;
in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard,[b] so that I was falling,
but the Lord helped me.(I)
14 The Lord is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.(J)
15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous:
“The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;(K)
16 the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly.”(L)
17 I shall not die, but I shall live
and recount the deeds of the Lord.(M)
18 The Lord has punished me severely,
but he did not give me over to death.(N)
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.(O)
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.(P)
21 I thank you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.(Q)
22 The stone that the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.(R)
23 This is the Lord’s doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.[c]
25 Save us, we beseech you, O Lord!
O Lord, we beseech you, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.[d]
We bless you from the house of the Lord.(S)
27 The Lord is God,
and he has given us light.
Bind the festal procession with branches,
up to the horns of the altar.[e](T)
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
you are my God; I will extol you.(U)
29 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.(V)
Isaiah 59:15-21
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
15 Truth is lacking,
and whoever turns from evil is despoiled.
The Lord saw it, and it displeased him
that there was no justice.(A)
16 He saw that there was no one
and was appalled that there was no one to intervene,
so his own arm brought him victory,
and his righteousness upheld him.(B)
17 He put on righteousness like a breastplate
and a helmet of salvation on his head;
he put on garments of vengeance for clothing
and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle.(C)
18 According to their deeds, so will he repay
wrath to his adversaries, requital to his enemies;
to the coastlands he will render requital.(D)
19 So those in the west shall fear the name of the Lord,
and those in the east, his glory,
for he will come like a pent-up stream
that the wind of the Lord drives on.(E)
20 And he will come to Zion as Redeemer,
to those in Jacob who turn from transgression, says the Lord.(F)
21 And as for me, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord: my spirit that is upon you and my words that I have put in your mouth shall not depart out of your mouth or out of the mouths of your children or out of the mouths of your children’s children, says the Lord, from now on and forever.(G)
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Revelation 2:8-17
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Message to Smyrna
8 “And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the First and the Last, who was dead and came to life:(A)
9 “I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not but are a synagogue of Satan.(B) 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.(C) 11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.(D)
The Message to Pergamum
12 “And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These are the words of him who has the sharp two-edged sword:(E)
13 “I know where you are living, where Satan’s throne is. Yet you are holding fast to my name, and you did not deny your faith in me[a] even in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan lives. 14 But I have a few things against you: you have some there who hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel, so that they would eat food sacrificed to idols and engage in sexual immorality.[b](F) 15 So you also have some who hold to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. 16 Repent, then. If not, I will come to you soon and wage war against them with the sword of my mouth.(G) 17 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. To everyone who conquers I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give a white stone, and on the white stone is written a new name that no one knows except the one who receives it.(H)
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John 4:46-54
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jesus Heals an Official’s Son
46 Then he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had changed the water into wine. Now there was a royal official whose son lay ill in Capernaum.(A) 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.(B) 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you[a] see signs and wonders you will not believe.”(C) 49 The official said to him, “Sir,[b] come down before my little boy dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”[c] The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. 51 As he was going down, his slaves met him and told him that his child was alive. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to recover, and they said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him.” 53 The father realized that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.”[d] So he himself believed, along with his whole household.(D) 54 Now this was the second sign that Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.(E)
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Psalm 112
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 112
Blessings of the Righteous
1 Praise the Lord!
Happy are those who fear the Lord,
who greatly delight in his commandments.(A)
2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land;
the generation of the upright will be blessed.(B)
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses,
and their righteousness endures forever.
4 They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright;
they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.(C)
5 It is well with those who deal generously and lend,
who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved;
they will be remembered forever.(D)
7 They are not afraid of evil tidings;
their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord.(E)
8 Their hearts are steady; they will not be afraid;
in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.(F)
9 They have distributed freely; they have given to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever;
their horn is exalted in honor.(G)
10 The wicked see it and are angry;
they gnash their teeth and melt away;
the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.(H)
Psalm 113
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 113
God the Helper of the Needy
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.(A)
2 Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.(B)
3 From the rising of the sun to its setting,
the name of the Lord is to be praised.(C)
4 The Lord is high above all nations
and his glory above the heavens.(D)
5 Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,(E)
6 who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?(F)
7 He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!(G)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.