Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
God Protects Those Who Trust Him
A song for going up to worship.
125 Those who trust the Lord are like Mount Zion.
It sits unmoved forever.
2 The mountains surround Jerusalem.
And the Lord surrounds his people
now and forever.
3 The wicked will not rule
over those who do right.
If they did, the people who do right
might use their power to do evil.
4 Lord, be good to those who are good,
whose hearts are honest.
5 But, Lord, when you punish those who do evil,
also punish those who stop following you.
Let there be peace in Israel.
16 Then those who honored the Lord spoke with each other. The Lord listened and heard them. The names of those who honored the Lord and respected him were written in a book. The Lord will remember them.
17 The Lord of heaven’s armies says, “They belong to me. On that day they will be my very own. A father shows mercy to his son who serves him. In the same way I will show mercy to my people. 18 You will again see the difference between good and evil people. You will see the difference between those who serve God and those who don’t.
The Day of the Lord’s Judging
4 “There is a day coming that will be like a hot furnace. All the proud and evil people will be like straw. On that day they will be completely burned up. Not a root or branch will be left,” says the Lord of heaven’s armies. 2 “But for you who honor me, goodness will shine on you like the sun. There will be healing in its rays. You will jump around, like calves freed from their stalls. 3 Then you will crush the wicked. They will be like ashes under your feet. I will do this on that day,” says the Lord of heaven’s armies.
4 “Remember the teaching of Moses my servant. I gave those laws and rules to him at Mount Sinai. They are for all the Israelites.
5 “But I will send Elijah the prophet to you. He will come before that great and terrible day of the Lord’s judging. 6 Elijah will help fathers love their children. And he will help the children love their fathers. Otherwise, I will come and put a curse on the land.”
9 As Jesus and his followers were walking back down the mountain, he commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone about the things you saw on the mountain. Wait till the Son of Man rises from death. Then you may tell.”
10 So the followers obeyed Jesus and said nothing about what they had seen. But they discussed what Jesus meant about rising from death.
11 They asked Jesus, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”
12 Jesus answered, “They are right to say that Elijah must come first. Elijah makes all things the way they should be. But why does the Scripture say that the Son of Man will suffer much and that people will treat him as if he were nothing? 13 I tell you that Elijah has already come. And people did to him whatever they wanted to do. The Scriptures said this would happen to him.”
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.