Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Song of Praise

150 Praise the Lord! Praise God in His holy place! Praise Him in the heavens of His power! ² Praise Him for His great works! Praise Him for all His greatness!

³ Praise Him with the sound of a horn. Praise Him with harps. ⁴ Praise Him with timbrels and dancing. Praise Him with strings and horns. ⁵ Praise Him with loud sounds. Praise Him with loud and clear sounds. ⁶ Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

¹⁵ I will go away and return to My place until they know they are guilty and look for Me. In their suffering they will try to find Me.”

The People Are toTurn from Their Sin

6 “Come, let us return to the Lord. He has hurt us but He will heal us. He has cut us but He will cover the sore. ² After two days He will give us new life. He will raise us up on the third day, that we may live before Him. ³ So keep on trying to know the Lord. His coming to us is as sure as the rising of the sun. He will come to us like the rain, like the spring rain giving water to the earth.”

⁴ “What should I do with you, Ephraim? What should I do with you, Judah? Your loving-kindness is like a morning cloud, and like the water on the grass in the early morning. ⁵ So I have cut them in pieces by the men who speak for Me. I have killed them by the words of My mouth. My punishments come upon you like lightning. ⁶ I want loving-kindness and not a gift to be given in worship. I want people to know God instead of giving burnt gifts.

¹ The church leader writes to the chosen lady and to her children. I love you because of the truth. I am not the only one who loves you. All who know the truth love you. ² It is because the truth is in us and will be with us forever. ³ Loving-favor and loving-kindness and peace are ours as we live in truth and love. These come from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the Son of the Father.

⁴ I am happy to find some of your children living in the truth as the Father has said we should. ⁵ And now I ask you, lady, that we have love one for the other. I am not writing to you about a new Law but an old one we have had from the beginning. ⁶ Love means that we should live by obeying His Word. From the beginning He has said in His Word that our hearts should be full of love.