Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 97

¹ The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles and coastlands be glad!

² Clouds and darkness are round about Him [as at Sinai]; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.^(A)

³ Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries round about.

⁴ His lightnings illumine the world; the earth sees and trembles.

⁵ The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

⁶ The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.

⁷ Let all those be put to shame who serve graven images, who boast in idols. Fall prostrate before Him, all you gods.^(B)

⁸ Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced [in relief] because of Your judgments, O Lord.

⁹ For You, Lord, are high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.

¹⁰ O you who love the Lord, hate evil; He preserves the lives of His saints (the children of God), He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked.^(C)

¹¹ Light is sown for the [uncompromisingly] righteous and strewn along their pathway, and joy for the upright in heart [the irrepressible joy which comes from consciousness of His favor and protection].

¹² Rejoice in the Lord, you [consistently] righteous (upright and in right standing with God), and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.

¹⁸ And Moses said, I beseech You, show me Your glory.

¹⁹ And God said, I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim My name, The Lord, before you; for I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy and loving-kindness on whom I will show mercy and loving-kindness.^(A)

²⁰ But, He said, You can not see My face, for no man shall see Me and live.

²¹ And the Lord said, Behold, there is a place beside Me, and you shall stand upon the rock,

²² And while My glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover you with My hand until I have passed by.

²³ Then I will take away My hand and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen.

¹⁴ And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth.^(A)

¹⁵ John testified about Him and cried out, This was He of Whom I said, He Who comes after me has priority over me, for He was before me. [He takes rank above me, for He existed before I did. He has advanced before me, because He is my Chief.]

¹⁶ For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received [all had a share and we were all supplied with] one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift [heaped] upon gift.

¹⁷ For while the Law was given through Moses, grace (^[a]unearned, undeserved favor and spiritual blessing) and truth came through Jesus Christ.^(B)

¹⁸ No man has ever seen God at any time; the only ^[b]unique Son, or ^[c]the only begotten God, Who is in the bosom [in the intimate presence] of the Father, He has declared Him [He has revealed Him and brought Him out where He can be seen; He has interpreted Him and He has made Him known].^(C)