Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Lord, Give Our Riches Back
A song for going up to worship.
126 When the Lord gave the riches back to Jerusalem,
it seemed as if we were dreaming.
2 Then we were filled with laughter,
and we sang happy songs.
Then the other nations said,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are very glad.
4 Lord, give us back our riches again.
Do this as you bring streams to the desert.
5 Those who cry as they plant crops
will sing at harvesttime.
6 Those who cry
as they carry out the seeds
will return singing
and carrying bundles of grain.
2 I will stand like a guard to watch.
I will stand on the tower.
I will wait to see what the Lord will say to me.
I will wait to learn how to answer his complaint.
The Lord Answers
2 The Lord answered me:
“Write down what I show you.
Write it clearly on stone tablets
so whoever reads it can run to tell others.
3 It is not yet time for the message to come true.
But that time is coming soon.
The message will come true.
It may seem like a long time before it happens.
But be patient and wait for it.
These things will happen.
They will not be delayed.
4 See, the nation that is evil and trusts in itself will fail.
But those who do right because they trust in God will live.
5 “Wine can trick a person.
In the same way the Babylonians are fooled by their pride.
Their desire for wealth is like a grave’s desire for death.
They always want more and more.
And, like death, they collect other nations for themselves.
They make them their own people.
7 At one time all these things were important to me. But now I think those things are worth nothing because of Christ. 8 Not only those things, but I think that all things are worth nothing compared with the greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of Christ, I have lost all those things. And now I know that all those things are worthless trash. This allows me to have Christ 9 and to belong to him. Now that I belong to Christ, I am right with God and this being right does not come from my following the law. It comes from God through faith. God uses my faith in Christ to make me right with him. 10 All I want is to know Christ and the power of his rising from death. I want to share in Christ’s sufferings and become like him in his death. 11 If I have those things, then I have hope that I myself will be raised from death.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.