); Proverbs 8:22-31 (Wisdom’s part in creation); 1 John 5:1-12 (Whoever loves God loves God’s child) (New American Standard Bible)
Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.
148 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the Lord (A)from the heavens;
Praise Him (B)in the heights!
2 Praise Him, (C)all His angels;
Praise Him, (D)all His heavenly armies!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
4 Praise Him, [c](E)highest heavens,
And the (F)waters that are above the heavens!
5 They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For (G)He commanded and they were created.
6 He has also (H)established them forever and ever;
He has made a (I)decree, and it will not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
(J)Sea monsters, and all the ocean (K)depths;
8 (L)Fire and hail, (M)snow and (N)clouds;
(O)Stormy wind, (P)fulfilling His word;
9 (Q)Mountains and all hills;
Fruit (R)trees and all cedars;
10 (S)Animals and all cattle;
(T)Crawling things and winged fowl;
11 (U)Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Rulers and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.
22 “The Lord [a]created me (A)at the beginning of His way,
Before His works [b]of old.
23 From eternity I was [c](B)established,
From the beginning, (C)from the earliest times of the earth.
24 When there were no (D)ocean depths, I was born,
When there were no springs abounding with water.
25 (E)Before the mountains were settled,
Before the hills, I was born;
26 While He had not yet made the earth and the [d]fields,
Nor the first dust of the world.
27 When He (F)established the heavens, I was there;
When (G)He inscribed a circle on the face of the deep,
28 When He made firm the skies above,
When the springs of the deep became [e]fixed,
29 When (H)He set a boundary for the sea
So that the water would not violate His [f]command,
When He marked out (I)the foundations of the earth;
30 Then (J)I was beside Him, as a master workman;
And I was His delight daily,
[g]Rejoicing always before Him,
31 [h]Rejoicing in the world, His earth,
And having (K)my delight in the sons of mankind.
Overcoming the World
5 (A)Everyone who believes that Jesus is the [a]Christ has been (B)born of God, and everyone who loves the [b]Father (C)loves the child born of Him. 2 (D)By this we know that (E)we love the children of God, when we love God and [c]follow His commandments. 3 For (F)this is the love of God, that we (G)keep His commandments; and (H)His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For [d]whoever has been (I)born of God (J)overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world: our faith.
5 Who is the one who overcomes the world, but the one who (K)believes that Jesus is the Son of God? 6 This is the One who came (L)by water and blood, Jesus Christ; not [e]with the water only, but [f]with the water and [g]with the blood. It is (M)the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are (N)three that testify: 8 [h]the Spirit and the water and the blood; and the three are [i]in agreement. 9 (O)If we receive the testimony of people, the testimony of God is greater; for the testimony of God is this, that (P)He has testified concerning His Son. 10 The one who believes in the Son of God (Q)has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has (R)made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. 11 And the testimony is this, that God has given us (S)eternal life, and (T)this life is in His Son. 12 (U)The one who has the Son has the life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.