Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 98
Sing to the Lord a New Song
Heading
A psalm.
Invitation
1 Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things.
His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.
Let His People Sing
2 The Lord has made his salvation known.
He has revealed his righteousness to the eyes of the nations.
3 He has remembered his mercy and his faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Let All People Sing
4 Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Break out in joyful song! Make music!
5 Make music to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the sound of music.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn
shout for joy before the King, the Lord.
Let the Whole Earth Sing
7 Let the sea roar, and everything that fills it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands.
Let the mountains sing for joy together before the Lord,
9 for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with fairness.[a]
Nebuchadnezzar’s Command to Worship His Idol
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden statue. It was ninety feet tall and nine feet wide.[a] He set it up in the plain of Dura[b] in the province of Babylon. 2 King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all of the rulers of the provinces[c] to come to the dedication of the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all of the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of King Nebuchadnezzar’s statue. They stood in front of the statue that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 The herald called out loudly, “To you peoples, nations, and languages, this command is given: 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the triangular harp, the drum,[d] and all kinds of musical instruments,[e] you will fall down and worship the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace.”
7 Therefore, when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the triangular harp, and all kinds of musical instruments, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshipped the golden statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The Young Men Remain Faithful
8 At that time, some Chaldeans approached the king and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “Your Majesty,[f] may you live forever! 10 You, Your Majesty, gave an order that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the triangular harp, the drum, and all kinds of musical instruments must fall down and worship the golden statue, 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace. 12 There are Jews whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely, Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego. These men do not pay attention to you, Your Majesty. They do not serve your gods, and they do not worship the gold statue that you set up.”
13 Then in a furious rage Nebuchadnezzar said to bring Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods and that you do not worship the golden statue that I set up? 15 Now, if you are ready, at the time when you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the lyre, the harp, the triangular harp, the drum, and all kinds of musical instruments, you must fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into the blazing fiery furnace. What god will be able to save you from my hands?”
16 Shadrak, Meshak, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar, “We have no need to answer you about this matter. 17 Since our God, whom we serve, does exist, he is able to save us from the blazing fiery furnace. So, he may save us from your hand, Your Majesty.[g] 18 But if he does not, you should know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods, and we will not worship the golden statue that you set up.”
Babylon Has Fallen
18 After these things I saw another angel coming down out of heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was given light by his glory. 2 He called out with a loud voice, saying:
Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the Great.
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
and a prison for every unclean spirit,
and a prison for every unclean bird,[a]
and a prison for every unclean and hated beast.
3 For all the nations have drunk from[b] the wine of her adulterous desire,
and the kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
and the merchants of the earth became rich from the abundance of her luxury.
4 And I heard another voice from heaven say:
Come out of her, my people,
so that you will not share in her sins,
and so that you will not receive any of her plagues,
5 because her sins have reached heaven
and God has remembered her crimes.
6 Pay her back even as she has paid.
Pay her back double for what she has done.
In the cup that she mixed, mix her a double portion.
7 As much glory and luxury as she gave herself,
give that much torture and grief to her,
because in her heart she says:
I sit as a queen,
I am not a widow, and
I will never mourn.
8 For this reason her plagues will come on a single day:
death, mourning, and famine,
and she will be burned in fire,
because the Lord God, who judges her, is powerful.
Some Mourn Babylon’s Destruction
9 “The kings of the earth who committed adultery and lived in luxury with her will weep and mourn for her when they see the smoke from her burning. 10 They will stand far away because of terror at her torment and say:
Woe, woe, the great city,
Babylon, the strong city!
For your judgment came in a single hour.
19 They threw dust on their heads and cried out as they wept and mourned, saying:
Woe, woe to the great city
by whom all who have ships on the sea were made rich from her treasures,
because she was made a wasteland in a single hour.
20 Rejoice over her, heaven,
also you saints, apostles, and prophets,
because God has judged her for the judgment you received from her.”
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.