Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Whole World Should Praise the Lord

148 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens! Praise Him on high! ² Praise Him, all His angels! Praise Him, all His army! ³ Praise Him, sun and moon! Praise Him, all you shining stars! ⁴ Praise Him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! ⁵ Let them praise the name of the Lord! For He spoke and they came into being. ⁶ He has made them last forever and ever. He has set a Law which will not pass away.

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth, you large sea animals and all seas, ⁸ fire and hail, snow and clouds, and wind storms, obeying His Word. ⁹ Praise the Lord, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all tall trees, ¹⁰ wild animals and all cattle, small animals that move on the ground and birds that fly, ¹¹ kings of the earth and all people, princes and all leaders of the earth, ¹² both young men and women who have never had men, and old men and children.

¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord. For His name alone is honored. His shining-greatness is above earth and heaven. ¹⁴ He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all who belong to Him, for the people of Israel, who are near to Him. Praise the Lord!

⁵ And now the Lord speaks, Who made Me before I was born to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, that Israel might be gathered to Him. For I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and My God is My strength. ⁶ He says, “It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the family groups of Jacob, and to bring back those of Israel I have kept safe. I will also make You a light to the nations, so that men over all the earth can be saved from the punishment of their sins.” ⁷ This is what the Lord, the One Who saves Israel, and its Holy One, says to the hated One, to the One hated by the nations, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings will see and rise up. Rulers will also bow down, because of the Lord Who is faithful, the Holy One of Israel Who has chosen You.”

Israel as a Nation

⁸ The Lord says, “I have answered You at the right time. I have helped You in a day when people are saved. I will keep You and give You for an agreement to the people, to make the land good again, and to give them their land which had been destroyed. ⁹ I will say to those in prison, ‘Come out,’ and to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves.’ They will eat along the roads, and find grass on all the hills. ¹⁰ They will not be hungry or thirsty. The burning heat of the sun will not trouble them. For He Who has loving-pity on them will lead them. He will lead them to wells of water. ¹¹ And I will make all My mountains a road. My straight roads will be raised up. ¹² See, these will come from far away. See, these will come from the north and from the west, and from the land of Sinim.” ¹³ Sing for joy, O heavens! Be glad, O earth! Break out into songs of joy, O mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people. He will have loving-pity on His suffering people.

God Remembers Zion

¹⁴ But Zion said, “The Lord has left me alone. The Lord has forgotten me.” ¹⁵ “Can a woman forget her nursing child? Can she have no pity on the son to whom she gave birth? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.

The New Kind of Family ^(A)

⁴⁶ While Jesus was still talking to the people, His mother and His brothers came and stood outside. They wanted to talk to Him. ⁴⁷ Someone said to Him, “Your mother and brothers are outside and want to talk to you.” ⁴⁸ Jesus said, “Who is My mother? And who are My brothers?” ⁴⁹ He put out His hand to His followers and said, “See, these are My mother and My brothers! ⁵⁰ Whoever does what My father in heaven wants him to do is My brother and My sister and My mother.”