Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
BOOK FIVE
(Psalms 107–150)
107 Give thanks to the Lord because he is good,
because his mercy endures forever.
2 Let the people the Lord defended repeat these words.
They are the people he defended from the power of their enemies
3 and gathered from other countries,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.
17 Fools suffered because of their disobedience
and because of their crimes.
18 All food was disgusting to them,
and they came near death’s gates.
19 In their distress they cried out to the Lord.
He saved them from their troubles.
20 He sent his message and healed them.
He rescued them from the grave.
21 Let them give thanks to the Lord because of his mercy.
He performed his miracles for Adam’s descendants.
22 Let them bring songs of thanksgiving as their sacrifice.
Let them tell in joyful songs what he has done.
The Words Are Sealed Up
5 When I, Daniel, looked up, I saw two men standing there. One man stood on one side of the river, and the other one stood on the other side. 6 One of them asked the man dressed in linen clothes who was above the river, “How long will it be until these miracles are over?” 7 I heard the man dressed in linen clothes who was above the river. He raised his right hand and left hand to heaven and swore an oath by the one who lives forever. He said, “It will be for a time, times, and half of a time. When the power of the holy people has been completely shattered, then all these things will be finished.”
8 I heard him, but I did not understand. So I asked him, “Sir, how will these things end?”
9 He replied, “Go, Daniel. These words are to be kept secret and sealed until the end times. 10 Many will be purified, made white, and refined. But wicked people will do wicked things, and none of them will understand. Only wise people will understand. 11 From the time the daily burnt offering is taken away and the disgusting thing that causes destruction is set up, there will be 1,290 days. 12 Blessed are those who wait until they reach 1,335 days. 13 But go on until the end. You will rest, and you will rise for your inheritance at the end of time.”
7 Through the blood of his Son, we are set free from our sins. God forgives our failures because of his overflowing kindness. 8 He poured out his kindness by giving us every kind of wisdom and insight 9 when he revealed the mystery of his plan to us. He had decided to do this through Christ. 10 He planned to bring all of history to its goal in Christ. Then Christ would be the head of everything in heaven and on earth. 11 God also decided ahead of time to choose us through Christ according to his plan, which makes everything work the way he intends. 12 He planned all of this so that we who had already focused our hope on Christ would praise him and give him glory.
13 You heard and believed the message of truth, the Good News that he has saved you. In him you were sealed with the Holy Spirit whom he promised. 14 This Holy Spirit is the guarantee that we will receive our inheritance. We have this guarantee until we are set free to belong to him. God receives praise and glory for this.
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