Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;^(B)
    praise him in the heights above.
² Praise him, all his angels;^(C)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.^(D)
3 Praise him, sun^(E) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
⁴ Praise him, you highest heavens^(F)
    and you waters above the skies.^(G)

⁵ Let them praise the name^(H) of the Lord,
    for at his command^(I) they were created,
⁶ and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree^(J) that will never pass away.

⁷ Praise the Lord^(K) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures^(L) and all ocean depths,^(M)
8 lightning and hail,^(N) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,^(O)
9 you mountains and all hills,^(P)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰ wild animals^(Q) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
¹¹ kings^(R) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
¹² young men and women,
    old men and children.

¹³ Let them praise the name of the Lord,^(S)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor^(T) is above the earth and the heavens.^(U)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,^[b](V)
    the praise^(W) of all his faithful servants,^(X)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.^(Y)

Praise the Lord.

⁵ And now the Lord says—
    he who formed me in the womb^(A) to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
    and gather Israel^(B) to himself,
for I am^[a] honored^(C) in the eyes of the Lord
    and my God has been my strength^(D)—
⁶ he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant^(E)
    to restore the tribes of Jacob
    and bring back those of Israel I have kept.^(F)
I will also make you a light^(G) for the Gentiles,^(H)
    that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”^(I)

⁷ This is what the Lord says—
    the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel^(J)—
to him who was despised^(K) and abhorred by the nation,
    to the servant of rulers:
“Kings^(L) will see you and stand up,
    princes will see and bow down,^(M)
because of the Lord, who is faithful,^(N)
    the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen^(O) you.”

“In the time of my favor^(P) I will answer you,
    and in the day of salvation I will help you;^(Q)
I will keep^(R) you and will make you
    to be a covenant for the people,^(S)
to restore the land^(T)
    and to reassign its desolate inheritances,^(U)
9 to say to the captives,^(V) ‘Come out,’
    and to those in darkness,^(W) ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads
    and find pasture on every barren hill.^(X)
10 They will neither hunger nor thirst,^(Y)
    nor will the desert heat or the sun beat down on them.^(Z)
He who has compassion^(AA) on them will guide^(AB) them
    and lead them beside springs^(AC) of water.
¹¹ I will turn all my mountains into roads,
    and my highways^(AD) will be raised up.^(AE)
12 See, they will come from afar^(AF)—
    some from the north, some from the west,^(AG)
    some from the region of Aswan.^[b]”

¹³ Shout for joy,^(AH) you heavens;
    rejoice, you earth;^(AI)
    burst into song, you mountains!^(AJ)
For the Lord comforts^(AK) his people
    and will have compassion^(AL) on his afflicted ones.^(AM)

¹⁴ But Zion^(AN) said, “The Lord has forsaken^(AO) me,
    the Lord has forgotten me.”

¹⁵ “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child^(AP) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!^(AQ)