Psalm 126

English Standard Version

Restore Our Fortunes, O Lord

A Song of ^(A)Ascents.

126 When the Lord ^(B)restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who ^(C)dream.
²Then our ^(D)mouth was filled with laughter,
    and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then they said among the nations,
    ^(E)“The Lord has done great things for them.”
³The Lord has done great things for us;
    we are glad.

⁴Restore our fortunes, O Lord,
    like streams in the Negeb!
⁵^(F)Those who sow in tears
    shall reap with shouts of joy!
⁶He who goes out weeping,
    bearing the seed for sowing,
shall come home with shouts of joy,
    bringing his sheaves with him.

Isaiah 65:17-25

English Standard Version

New Heavens and a New Earth

¹⁷“For behold, ^(A)I create new heavens
    and a new earth,
and the former things shall not be remembered
    or come into mind.
¹⁸But be glad and rejoice forever
    in that which I create;
for behold, ^(B)I create Jerusalem to be a joy,
    and her people to be a gladness.
¹⁹^(C)I will rejoice in Jerusalem
    and be glad in my people;
^(D)no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping
    and the cry of distress.
²⁰No more shall there be in it
    an infant who lives but a few days,
    or an old man who does not fill out his days,
for ^(E)the young man shall die a hundred years old,
    and ^(F)the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.
²¹^(G)They shall build houses and inhabit them;
    they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
²²^(H)They shall not build and another inhabit;
    they shall not plant and another eat;
^(I)for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be,
    and my chosen shall long enjoy^[a] the work of their hands.
²³^(J)They shall not labor in vain
    ^(K)or bear children for calamity,^[b]
for ^(L)they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord,
    and their descendants with them.
²⁴^(M)Before they call I will answer;
    ^(N)while they are yet speaking I will hear.
²⁵^(O)The wolf and the lamb shall graze together;
    the lion shall eat straw like the ox,
    and ^(P)dust shall be the serpent's food.
^(Q)They shall not hurt or destroy
    in all my holy mountain,”
says the Lord.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 65:22 Hebrew shall wear out
Isaiah 65:23 Or for sudden terror

1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

English Standard Version

Final Instructions and Benediction

¹²We ask you, brothers, ^(A)to respect those who labor among you and ^(B)are over you in the Lord and admonish you, ¹³and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. ^(C)Be at peace among yourselves. ¹⁴And we urge you, brothers, admonish ^(D)the idle,^[a] ^(E)encourage the fainthearted, ^(F)help the weak, ^(G)be patient with them all. ¹⁵See that ^(H)no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always ^(I)seek to do good to one another and to everyone. ¹⁶^(J)Rejoice always, ¹⁷^(K)pray without ceasing, ¹⁸^(L)give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. ¹⁹^(M)Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰Do not despise ^(N)prophecies, ²¹but ^(O)test everything; hold fast what is good. ²²Abstain from every form of evil.

²³Now may ^(P)the God of peace himself ^(Q)sanctify you completely, and may your ^(R)whole ^(S)spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at ^(T)the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴^(U)He who calls you is faithful; ^(V)he will surely do it.

²⁵^(W)Brothers, pray for us.

²⁶^(X)Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

²⁷I put you under oath before the Lord to have ^(Y)this letter read to all the brothers.

²⁸^(Z)The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

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Footnotes

1 Thessalonians 5:14 Or disorderly, or undisciplined

John 3:22-30

English Standard Version

John the Baptist Exalts Christ

²²After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and ^(A)was baptizing. ²³John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized ²⁴(for ^(B)John had not yet been put in prison).

²⁵Now a discussion arose between some of John's disciples and a Jew over ^(C)purification. ²⁶And they came to John and said to him, ^(D)“Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, ^(E)to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and ^(F)all are going to him.” ²⁷John answered, ^(G)“A person cannot receive even one thing ^(H)unless it is given him ^(I)from heaven. ²⁸You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ^(J)‘I am not the Christ, but ^(K)I have been sent before him.’ ²⁹^(L)The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. ^(M)The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, ^(N)rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. ³⁰^(O)He must increase, but I must decrease.”^[a]