Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
7 For thus says the Lord:
(A)“Sing aloud with gladness for Jacob,
and raise shouts for (B)the chief of the nations;
proclaim, give praise, and say,
(C)‘O Lord, save your people,
the remnant of Israel.’
8 Behold, I will bring them (D)from the north country
and (E)gather them from (F)the farthest parts of the earth,
among them (G)the blind and the lame,
the pregnant woman and she who is in labour, together;
a great company, they shall return here.
9 (H)With weeping they shall come,
(I)and with pleas for mercy I will lead them back,
I will make them (J)walk by brooks of water,
(K)in a straight path in which they shall not stumble,
for (L)I am a father to Israel,
and Ephraim is (M)my firstborn.
10 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations,
and declare it in the coastlands far away;
say, ‘He who scattered Israel will (N)gather him,
and will keep him (O)as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
11 (P)For the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and has redeemed him from (Q)hands too strong for him.
12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion,
(R)and they shall be radiant (S)over the goodness of the Lord,
(T)over the grain, the wine, and the oil,
and over the young of the flock and the herd;
(U)their life shall be like a watered garden,
(V)and they shall languish no more.
13 (W)Then shall the young women rejoice in the dance,
and the young men and the old shall be merry.
(X)I will turn their mourning into joy;
I will comfort them, and give them gladness for sorrow.
14 (Y)I will feast the soul of the priests with abundance,
and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness,
declares the Lord.”
12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens (A)the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He (B)makes peace in your borders;
he (C)fills you with the (D)finest of the wheat.
15 He (E)sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives (F)snow like wool;
he scatters (G)hoarfrost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of (H)ice like crumbs;
who can stand before his (I)cold?
18 He (J)sends out his word, and melts them;
he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his (K)statutes and rules[a] to Israel.
20 He (L)has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his rules.[b]
(M)Praise the Lord!
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 (A)Blessed be (B)the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing (C)in the heavenly places, 4 (D)even as he (E)chose us in him (F)before the foundation of the world, that we should be (G)holy and blameless before him. In love 5 (H)he predestined us[a] for (I)adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, (J)according to the purpose of his will, 6 (K)to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in (L)the Beloved. 7 (M)In him we have (N)redemption (O)through his blood, (P)the forgiveness of our trespasses, (Q)according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 (R)making known[b] to us the mystery of his will, (S)according to his purpose, which he (T)set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for (U)the fullness of time, (V)to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.
11 In him we have obtained (W)an inheritance, (X)having been predestined (Y)according to the purpose of him who works all things according to (Z)the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be (AA)to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard (AB)the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, (AC)were sealed with the (AD)promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is (AE)the guarantee[c] of our (AF)inheritance until (AG)we acquire (AH)possession of it,[d] (AI)to the praise of his glory.
The Word Became Flesh
1 (A)In the beginning was (B)the Word, and (C)the Word was with God, and (D)the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 (E)All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 (F)In him was life,[a] and (G)the life was the light of men. 5 (H)The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man (I)sent from God, whose name was (J)John. 7 He came as a (K)witness, to bear witness about the light, (L)that all might believe through him. 8 (M)He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.
9 (N)The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet (A)the world did not know him. 11 He came to (B)his own,[a] and (C)his own people[b] (D)did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, (E)who believed in his name, (F)he gave the right (G)to become (H)children of God, 13 who (I)were born, (J)not of blood (K)nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
14 And (L)the Word (M)became flesh and (N)dwelt among us, (O)and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of (P)grace and (Q)truth. 15 ((R)John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, (S)‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’”) 16 And from (T)his fullness we have all received, (U)grace upon grace. 17 For (V)the law was given through Moses; (W)grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 (X)No one has ever seen God; (Y)the only God,[c] who is at the Father's side,[d] (Z)he has made him known.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.