The Reign of the Lords Anointed.

Why are (A)the [a]nations restless
And the peoples (B)plotting in vain?
The (C)kings of the earth take their stand
And the rulers conspire together
(D)Against the Lord and against His [b](E)Anointed, saying,
“Let’s (F)tear their shackles apart
And throw their ropes away from us!”

He who [c]sits in the heavens (G)laughs,
The Lord (H)scoffs at them.
Then He will speak to them in His (I)anger
And (J)terrify them in His fury, saying,
“But as for Me, I have installed (K)My King
Upon Zion, (L)My holy mountain.”

“I will announce the [d]decree of the Lord:
He said to Me, ‘You are (M)My Son,
Today I have fathered You.
Ask it of Me, and (N)I will certainly give (O)the [e]nations as Your inheritance,
And the (P)ends of the earth as Your possession.
You shall [f](Q)break them with a [g]rod of iron,
You shall (R)shatter them like [h]earthenware.’”

10 Now then, you kings, (S)use insight;
Let yourselves be instructed, you [i]judges of the earth.
11 Serve the Lord with [j](T)reverence
And rejoice with (U)trembling.
12 [k]Kiss (V)the Son, that He not be angry and you perish on the way,
For (W)His wrath may be kindled quickly.
How blessed are all who (X)take refuge in Him!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 2:1 Or Gentiles
  2. Psalm 2:2 Or Messiah
  3. Psalm 2:4 Or is enthroned
  4. Psalm 2:7 Or decree: The Lord said to Me
  5. Psalm 2:8 Or Gentiles
  6. Psalm 2:9 Another reading is rule
  7. Psalm 2:9 Or scepter; or staff
  8. Psalm 2:9 Lit potter’s ware
  9. Psalm 2:10 Or leaders
  10. Psalm 2:11 Or fear
  11. Psalm 2:12 I.e., probably kiss the feet of the Son

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.

148 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the Lord (A)from the heavens;
Praise Him (B)in the heights!
Praise Him, (C)all His angels;
Praise Him, (D)all His heavenly armies!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
Praise Him, [c](E)highest heavens,
And the (F)waters that are above the heavens!
They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For (G)He commanded and they were created.
He has also (H)established them forever and ever;
He has made a (I)decree, and it will not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
(J)Sea monsters, and all the ocean (K)depths;
(L)Fire and hail, (M)snow and (N)clouds;
(O)Stormy wind, (P)fulfilling His word;
(Q)Mountains and all hills;
Fruit (R)trees and all cedars;
10 (S)Animals and all cattle;
(T)Crawling things and winged fowl;
11 (U)Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Rulers and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.

13 They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For His (V)name alone is exalted;
His (W)majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 And He has (X)lifted up a horn for His people,
(Y)Praise for all His godly ones,
For the sons of Israel, a people (Z)near to Him.
[d]Praise [e]the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Or Hallelujah!
  2. Psalm 148:1 Heb Yah
  3. Psalm 148:4 Lit heavens of heavens
  4. Psalm 148:14 Or Hallelujah!
  5. Psalm 148:14 Heb Yah

Peaceful Latter Days

And it will come about in the (A)last days
That the (B)mountain of the house of the Lord
Will be established [a]as the chief of the mountains.
It will be raised above the hills,
And the (C)peoples will stream to it.
(D)Many nations will come and say,
(E)Come and let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord
And to the house of the God of Jacob,
So that (F)He may teach us about His ways,
And that we may walk in His paths.”
For (G)from Zion will go forth the law,
And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
And He will (H)judge between many peoples
And render decisions for mighty, [b]distant nations.
Then they will beat their swords (I)into plowshares,
And their spears into pruning hooks;
Nation will not lift a sword against nation,
And never again will they [c]train for war.
Instead, each of them will (J)sit under his vine
And under his fig tree,
With (K)no one to make them afraid,
Because the (L)mouth of the Lord of armies has spoken.
Though all the peoples walk,
Each in the (M)name of his god,
As for us, (N)we will walk
In the name of the (O)Lord our God forever and ever.

“On that day,” declares the Lord,
“I will assemble those who (P)limp
And (Q)gather the scattered,
Those whom I have afflicted.
I will make those who limp a (R)remnant,
And those who [d]have strayed a mighty nation,
And the (S)Lord will reign over them on Mount Zion
From now on and forever.
As for you, [e](T)tower of the flock,
[f]Hill of the daughter of Zion,
To you it will come—
Yes, the (U)former dominion will come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

“Now, why do you (V)cry out loudly?
Is there no king among you,
Or has your (W)counselor perished,
That agony has gripped you like a woman in childbirth?
10 (X)Writhe and scream,
Daughter of Zion,
Like a woman in childbirth;
For now you will (Y)go out of the city,
Live in the field,
And go to Babylon.
(Z)There you will be rescued,
(AA)There the Lord will redeem you
From the hand of your enemies.
11 And now (AB)many nations have been assembled against you
Who say, ‘Let her be defiled,
And let our eyes [g]gloat over Zion!’
12 But they do not (AC)know the thoughts of the Lord,
And they do not understand His plan;
For He has gathered them like sheaves to the threshing floor.
13 Arise and (AD)thresh, daughter of Zion,
For I will make your horn iron,
And I will make your hoofs bronze,
So that you may (AE)pulverize many peoples,
And (AF)dedicate to the Lord their unjust profit,
And their wealth to the Lord of all the earth.

Footnotes

  1. Micah 4:1 Lit on
  2. Micah 4:3 Lit at a distance
  3. Micah 4:3 Lit learn
  4. Micah 4:7 Or are far removed
  5. Micah 4:8 Heb Migdal-eder
  6. Micah 4:8 Heb Ophel
  7. Micah 4:11 Lit see with pleasure

[a]But as for (A)you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Too little to be among the clans of Judah,
From (B)you One will come forth for Me to be (C)ruler in Israel.
His times of coming forth are (D)from long ago,
From the days of eternity.”
Therefore He will (E)give them up until the time
When she (F)who is in labor has given birth.
Then the (G)remainder of His kinsmen
Will return to the sons of Israel.
And He will arise and (H)shepherd His flock
In the strength of the Lord,
In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God.
And they will [b]remain,
Because [c]at that time He will be great
To the (I)ends of the earth.

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Footnotes

  1. Micah 5:2 Ch 5:1 in Heb
  2. Micah 5:4 Or live in safety
  3. Micah 5:4 Lit now

God Is Love

(A)Beloved, let’s (B)love one another; for love is from God, and (C)everyone who loves has been (D)born of God and (E)knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, because (F)God is love. By this the love of God was revealed [a](G)in us, that (H)God has sent His only Son into the world so that we may live through Him. 10 In this is love, (I)not that we loved God, but that (J)He loved us and sent His Son to be (K)the [b]propitiation for our sins. 11 (L)Beloved, if God so loved us, (M)we also ought to love one another. 12 (N)No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God remains in us, and His (O)love is perfected in us. 13 (P)By this we know that we remain in Him and He in us, because He has given to us of His Spirit. 14 We have seen and (Q)testify that the Father has (R)sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

15 (S)Whoever confesses that (T)Jesus is the Son of God, God (U)remains in him, and he in God. 16 (V)We have come to know and have believed the love which God has [c](W)for us. (X)God is love, and the one who (Y)remains in love remains in God, and God remains in him.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 John 4:9 Or among us; or in our case
  2. 1 John 4:10 I.e., means of reconciliation with God by atoning for sins; or sin-offering
  3. 1 John 4:16 Lit in

31 (A)He who comes from above is above all; (B)the one who is only from the earth is of the earth and speaks of the earth. (C)He who comes from heaven is above all.

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