Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
A Call to Praise and Obedience
95 Come, let’s sing for joy to the Lord.
Let’s shout praises to the Rock who saves us.
2 Let’s come to him with thanksgiving.
Let’s sing songs to him,
3 because the Lord is the great God,
the great King over all gods.
4 The deepest places on earth are his,
and the highest mountains belong to him.
5 The sea is his because he made it,
and he created the land with his own hands.
6 Come, let’s worship him and bow down.
Let’s kneel before the Lord who made us,
7 because he is our God
and we are the people he takes care of,
the sheep that he tends.
Today listen to what he says:
God’s Promise to David
17 When David moved into his palace, he said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, I am living in a palace made of cedar, but the Ark of the Agreement with the Lord sits in a tent.”
2 Nathan said to David, “Do what you want to do, because God is with you.”
3 But that night God spoke his word to Nathan, saying, 4 “Go and tell David my servant, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the person to build a house for me to live in. 5 From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until now I have not lived in a house. I have moved from one tent site to another and from one place to another. 6 As I have moved with the Israelites to different places, I have never said to the leaders, whom I commanded to take care of my people, “Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?”’
7 “Now, tell my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: I took you from the pasture and from tending the sheep and made you king of my people Israel. 8 I have been with you everywhere you have gone. I have defeated your enemies for you. I will make you as famous as any of the great people on the earth. 9 I will choose a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them so they can live in their own homes. They will not be bothered anymore. Wicked people will no longer hurt them as they have in the past 10 when I chose judges for my people Israel. I will defeat all your enemies.
“‘I tell you that the Lord will make your descendants kings of Israel after you. 11 When you die and join your ancestors, I will make one of your sons the new king, and I will set up his kingdom. 12 He will build a house for me, and I will let his kingdom rule always. 13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I took away my love from Saul, who ruled before you, but I will never stop loving your son. 14 I will put him in charge of my house and kingdom forever. His family will rule forever.’”
15 Nathan told David everything God had said in this vision.
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. It was shining like crystal and was flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the street of the city. The tree of life was on each side of the river. It produces fruit twelve times a year, once each month. The leaves of the tree are for the healing of all the nations. 3 Nothing that God judges guilty will be in that city. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and God’s servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. 5 There will never be night again. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light. And they will rule as kings forever and ever.
6 The angel said to me, “These words can be trusted and are true.” The Lord, the God of the spirits of the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must happen soon.
7 “Listen! I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who obeys the words of prophecy in this book.”
8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. When I heard and saw them, I bowed down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed these things to me. 9 But the angel said to me, “Do not worship me! I am a servant like you, your brothers the prophets, and all those who obey the words in this book. Worship God!”
The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.