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Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

72 God, give your judgments to the king.
    Give your righteousness to the king’s son.
Let him judge your people with righteousness
    and your poor ones with justice.
Let the mountains bring peace to the people;
    let the hills bring righteousness.
Let the king bring justice to people who are poor;
    let him save the children of those who are needy,
        but let him crush oppressors!
Let the king live[a] as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon,
        generation to generation.
Let him fall like rain upon fresh-cut grass,
    like showers that water the earth.
Let the righteous flourish throughout their lives,
    and let peace prosper until the moon is no more.
Let the king rule from sea to sea,
    from the river to the ends of the earth.
Let the desert dwellers bow low before him;
    let his enemies lick the dust.
10 Let the kings of Tarshish and the islands bring tribute;
    let the kings of Sheba and Seba present gifts.
11 Let all the kings bow down before him;
    let all the nations serve him.

12 Let it be so, because he delivers the needy who cry out,
    the poor, and those who have no helper.
13 He has compassion on the weak and the needy;
    he saves the lives of those who are in need.
14 He redeems their lives from oppression and violence;
    their blood is precious in his eyes.

15 Let the king live long!
Let Sheba’s gold be given to him!
    Let him be prayed for always!
    Let him be blessed all day long!
16     Let there be abundant grain in the land.
    Let it wave on the mountaintops.
    Let its fruit flourish like Lebanon.
    Let it thrive like grass on the land.
17     Let the king’s name last forever.
    Let his name endure as long as the sun.
    Let all the nations be blessed through him and call him happy.

18 Bless the Lord God, the God of Israel—
    the only one who does wondrous things!
19 Bless God’s glorious name forever;
    let his glory fill all the earth!
        Amen and Amen!

20 The prayers of David, Jesse’s son, are ended.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 72:5 LXX; MT May they fear you.

Jerusalem’s coming radiance

60 Arise! Shine! Your light has come;
    the Lord’s glory has shone upon you.
Though darkness covers the earth
    and gloom the nations,
    the Lord will shine upon you;
    God’s glory will appear over you.
Nations will come to your light
    and kings to your dawning radiance.

Lift up your eyes and look all around:
    they are all gathered; they have come to you.
Your sons will come from far away,
    and your daughters on caregivers’ hips.
Then you will see and be radiant;
    your heart will tremble and open wide,
    because the sea’s abundance will be turned over to you;
    the nations’ wealth will come to you.
Countless camels will cover your land,
    young camels from Midian and Ephah.
They will all come from Sheba,
    carrying gold and incense,
    proclaiming the Lord’s praises.
All Kedar’s sheep will be gathered for you;
    rams from Nebaioth will be your offerings;
    they will be accepted on my altar,
    and I will glorify my splendid house.

Who are these who fly like a cloud,
    like doves to their shelters?
I’m the hope of the coastlands.
    Ships from Tarshish are in the lead
    to bring your children from afar,
    their silver and gold with them
    for the name of the Lord your God
    and for the holy one of Israel, who has glorified you.

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Paul, apostle to the Gentiles

This is why I, Paul, am a prisoner of Christ for you Gentiles.

You’ve heard, of course, about the responsibility to distribute God’s grace, which God gave to me for you, right? God showed me his secret plan[a] in a revelation, as I mentioned briefly before (when you read this, you’ll understand my insight into the secret plan[b] about Christ). Earlier generations didn’t know this hidden plan that God has now revealed to his holy apostles and prophets through the Spirit. This plan is that the Gentiles would be coheirs and parts of the same body, and that they would share with the Jews in the promises of God in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I became a servant of the gospel because of the grace that God showed me through the exercise of his power.

God gave his grace to me, the least of all God’s people, to preach the good news about the immeasurable riches of Christ to the Gentiles. God sent me to reveal the secret plan[c] that had been hidden since the beginning of time by God, who created everything. 10 God’s purpose is now to show the rulers and powers in the heavens the many different varieties of his wisdom through the church. 11 This was consistent with the plan he had from the beginning of time that he accomplished through Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In Christ we have bold and confident access to God through faith in him.[d]

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Footnotes

  1. Ephesians 3:3 Or mystery
  2. Ephesians 3:4 Or mystery
  3. Ephesians 3:9 Or mystery
  4. Ephesians 3:12 Or through his faithfulness

Coming of the magi

After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in the territory of Judea during the rule of King Herod, magi came from the east to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We’ve seen his star in the east, and we’ve come to honor him.”

When King Herod heard this, he was troubled, and everyone in Jerusalem was troubled with him. He gathered all the chief priests and the legal experts and asked them where the Christ was to be born. They said, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for this is what the prophet wrote:

You, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
        by no means are you least among the rulers of Judah,
            because from you will come one who governs,
            who will shepherd my people Israel.[a]

Then Herod secretly called for the magi and found out from them the time when the star had first appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search carefully for the child. When you’ve found him, report to me so that I too may go and honor him.” When they heard the king, they went; and look, the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stood over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were filled with joy. 11 They entered the house and saw the child with Mary his mother. Falling to their knees, they honored him. Then they opened their treasure chests and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 12 Because they were warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they went back to their own country by another route.

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