Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Song of Praise and Thanks to God
66 Raise the voice of joy to God, all the earth! 2 Sing out the honor of His name! Make His praise great! 3 Say to God, “How Your great works make those who hate You afraid! They will have to obey You because of Your great power. 4 All the earth will worship You and sing praises to You. They will sing praises to Your name.”
5 Come and see what God has done. There is much fear because of His great works toward the children of men. 6 He changed the sea into dry land. They passed through the river on foot. There we were full of joy in Him. 7 He rules forever by His power. His eyes keep watch over the nations. Do not let those who do not obey You honor themselves.
8 Give honor and thanks to God, O people, and let all hear how great He is! 9 He keeps us alive, and does not let our feet go out from under us.
47 So the days are coming when I will punish the false gods of Babylon. Her whole land will be put to shame, and all her dead will fall within her. 48 Then heaven and earth and all that is in them will call out for joy over Babylon. For the destroyers will come to her from the north,” says the Lord.
49 Babylon must fall because of the dead of Israel, just as the dead of all the earth have fallen because of Babylon. 50 You who have not been killed by the sword, go! Do not stay! Remember the Lord from far away, and think of Jerusalem. 51 We are ashamed because much has been said against us. Our faces are covered with shame, for strangers have gone into the holy places of the Lord’s house.
52 “But the days are coming,” says the Lord, “when I will punish her false gods. And those who are hurt will cry in pain through all her land. 53 Even if Babylon rises to the heavens and makes her high place strong, I will send destroyers against her,” says the Lord.
54 The sound of a cry comes from Babylon! A noise comes from the land of the Babylonians because much is being destroyed! 55 For the Lord will destroy Babylon. He will quiet her loud voice. Their waves will sound like many waters, and the noise of their voices is loud. 56 For the destroyer is coming against Babylon, and her strong men will be taken. Their bows are broken. For the Lord is a God Who makes the sinner pay for his sin, and He will be sure to punish. 57 “I will make her leaders and her wise men, her rulers, her captains, and her strong men of war drunk. Then they will fall asleep and never wake up,” says the King, Whose name is the Lord of All. 58 The Lord of All says, “The wide wall of Babylon will be broken to the ground. Her high gates will be set on fire. So the people will work hard for nothing, and because of the fire nations become tired.”
The Christian Way to Give
8 Christian brothers, we want you to know how the loving-favor of God has been shown in the churches in the country of Macedonia. 2 They have been put to the test by much trouble, but they have much joy. They have given much even though they were very poor. 3 They gave as much as they could because they wanted to. 4 They asked from their hearts if they could help the Christians in Jerusalem. 5 It was more than we expected. They gave themselves to the Lord first. Then they gave themselves to us to be used as the Lord wanted. 6 We asked Titus to keep on helping you finish this act of love. He was the one to begin this. 7 You are rich in everything. You have faith. You can preach. You have much learning. You have a strong desire to help. And you have love for us. Now do what you should about giving also.
Copyright © 1969, 2003 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.