Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord
A Psalm.
98 Oh sing to the Lord (A)a new song,
for he has done (B)marvellous things!
His (C)right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The Lord has (D)made known his salvation;
he has (E)revealed his righteousness in (F)the sight of the nations.
3 He has (G)remembered his (H)steadfast love and faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All (I)the ends of the earth have seen
(J)the salvation of our God.
4 (K)Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;
(L)break forth into joyous song and sing praises!
5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,
with the lyre and the (M)sound of melody!
6 With (N)trumpets and the sound of (O)the horn
(P)make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!
7 (Q)Let the sea roar, and (R)all that fills it;
(S)the world and those who dwell in it!
8 Let the rivers (T)clap their hands;
let (U)the hills sing for joy together
9 before the Lord, for he comes
to (V)judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.
Nebuchadnezzar's Golden Image
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits[a] and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on (A)the plain of Dura, in (B)the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather (C)the satraps, the prefects, and (D)the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then (E)the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald (F)proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O (G)peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the (H)sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you (I)are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately (J)be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all (K)the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshipped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The Fiery Furnace
8 Therefore at that time certain (L)Chaldeans (M)came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared[b] to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live for ever! 10 You, O king, (N)have made a decree, that every man who (O)hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, (P)shall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship (Q)shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have (R)appointed over the affairs of (S)the province of Babylon: (T)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, (U)pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnezzar (V)in furious rage commanded that (W)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when (X)you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good.[c] But if you do not worship, (Y)you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And (Z)who is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 (AA)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, (AB)our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.[d] 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
The Fall of Babylon
18 After this I saw (A)another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and (B)the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,
(C)“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become (D)a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt (E)for every unclean spirit,
a haunt (F)for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3 For all nations have drunk[a]
(G)the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and (H)the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and (I)the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
(J)“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
5 for (K)her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and (L)God has remembered her iniquities.
6 (M)Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her (N)double for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her (O)in the cup she mixed.
7 (P)As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
(Q)‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’
8 For this reason her plagues will come (R)in a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and (S)she will be burned up with fire;
for (T)mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
9 And (U)the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, (V)will weep and wail over her (W)when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 (X)They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,
19 And they threw (A)dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.