Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

40 ^(A)Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
^2 (B)Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
    and cry to her
that ^(C)her warfare^[a] is ended,
    that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
    double for all her sins.
^3 (D)A voice cries:^[b]
(E)“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    ^(F)make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
^4 (G)Every valley shall be lifted up,
    and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
    and the rough places a plain.
^5 (H)And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
    and all flesh shall see it together,
    ^(I)for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

⁶ A voice says, “Cry!”
    And I said,^[c] “What shall I cry?”
^(J)All flesh is grass,
    and all its beauty^[d] is like the flower of the field.
⁷ The grass withers, the flower fades
    when the breath of the Lord blows on it;
    surely the people are grass.
^8 (K)The grass withers, the flower fades,
    but the word of our God will stand for ever.

⁹ Get you up to a high mountain,
    O Zion, ^(L)herald of good news;^[e]
lift up your voice with strength,
    O Jerusalem, herald of good news;^[f]
    lift it up, fear not;
say to the cities of Judah,
    “Behold your God!”
^10 (M)Behold, the Lord God comes with might,
    and his arm rules for him;
^(N)behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.
^11 (O)He will tend his flock like a shepherd;
    ^(P)he will gather the lambs in his arms;
^(Q)he will carry them in his bosom,
    and gently lead those that are with young.

85 Lord, you were ^(B)favourable to your land;
    you ^(C)restored the fortunes of Jacob.
² You ^(D)forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you ^(E)covered all their sin. Selah

^8 (A)Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will ^(B)speak peace to his people, to his ^(C)saints;
    but let them not ^(D)turn back to ^(E)folly.
⁹ Surely his ^(F)salvation is near to those who fear him,
    that ^(G)glory may dwell in our land.
^10 (H)Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    ^(I)righteousness and peace kiss each other.
¹¹ Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
¹² Yes, ^(J)the Lord will give what is good,
    and our land ^(K)will yield its increase.
^13 (L)Righteousness will go before him
    and make his footsteps a way.

^(C)“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
^3 (D)the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ^(E)‘Prepare^[c] the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”