Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Road of Return
7 For thus says the Lord:
Shout with joy for Jacob,
exult at the head of the nations;
proclaim your praise and say:
The Lord has saved his people,
the remnant of Israel.(A)
8 Look! I will bring them back
from the land of the north;
I will gather them from the ends of the earth,
the blind and the lame in their midst,
Pregnant women, together with those in labor—
an immense throng—they shall return.(B)
9 With weeping they shall come,
but with compassion I will guide them;
I will lead them to streams of water,
on a level road, without stumbling.
For I am a father to Israel,
Ephraim is my firstborn.(C)
10 Hear the word of the Lord, you nations,
proclaim it on distant coasts, and say:
The One who scattered Israel, now gathers them;
he guards them as a shepherd his flock.
11 The Lord shall ransom Jacob,
he shall redeem him from a hand too strong for him.(D)
12 Shouting, they shall mount the heights of Zion,
they shall come streaming to the Lord’s blessings:
The grain, the wine, and the oil,
flocks of sheep and cattle;
They themselves shall be like watered gardens,
never again neglected.(E)
13 Then young women shall make merry and dance,
young men and old as well.
I will turn their mourning into joy,
I will show them compassion and have them rejoice after their sorrows.
14 I will lavish choice portions on the priests,
and my people shall be filled with my blessings—
oracle of the Lord.
Chapter 24
Praise of Wisdom
1 Wisdom sings her own praises,[a]
among her own people she proclaims her glory.
2 In the assembly of the Most High she opens her mouth,
in the presence of his host she tells of her glory:
3 “From the mouth of the Most High I came forth,(A)
and covered the earth like a mist.
4 In the heights of heaven I dwelt,
and my throne was in a pillar of cloud.
5 The vault of heaven I compassed alone,
and walked through the deep abyss.
6 Over waves of the sea, over all the land,
over every people and nation I held sway.
7 Among all these I sought a resting place.
In whose inheritance should I abide?
8 “Then the Creator of all gave me his command,
and my Creator chose the spot for my tent.
He said, ‘In Jacob make your dwelling,
in Israel your inheritance.’
9 Before all ages, from the beginning, he created me,
and through all ages I shall not cease to be.
10 In the holy tent I ministered before him,
and so I was established in Zion.
11 In the city he loves as he loves me, he gave me rest;
in Jerusalem, my domain.
12 I struck root among the glorious people,
in the portion of the Lord, his heritage.
III
12 Glorify the Lord, Jerusalem;
Zion, offer praise to your God,
13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates,
blessed your children within you.(A)
14 He brings peace to your borders,
and satisfies you with finest wheat.(B)
15 [a]He sends his command to earth;
his word runs swiftly!(C)
16 Thus he makes the snow like wool,
and spreads the frost like ash;(D)
17 He disperses hail like crumbs.
Who can withstand his cold?
18 Yet when again he issues his command, it melts them;
he raises his winds and the waters flow.
19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and laws to Israel.(E)
20 He has not done this for any other nation;
of such laws they know nothing.
Hallelujah!
15 The holy people and their blameless descendants—it was she
who rescued them from the nation that oppressed them.(A)
16 She entered the soul of the Lord’s servant,[a]
and withstood fearsome kings with signs and wonders;(B)
17 she gave the holy ones the reward of their labors,(C)
Conducted them by a wondrous road,
became a shelter for them by day
a starry flame by night.
18 She took them across the Red Sea
and brought them through the deep waters.
19 Their enemies she overwhelmed,
and churned them up[b] from the bottom of the depths.
20 Therefore the righteous despoiled the wicked;
and they sang of your holy name, Lord,
and praised in unison your conquering hand,(D)
21 Because Wisdom opened the mouths of the mute,
and gave ready speech to infants.(E)
The Father’s Plan of Salvation. 3 [a]Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,(A) who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens,[b] 4 as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him.(B) In love 5 he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favor of his will,(C) 6 for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved.(D)
Fulfillment Through Christ. 7 In him we have redemption by his blood, the forgiveness of transgressions, in accord with the riches of his grace(E) 8 that he lavished upon us. In all wisdom and insight,(F) 9 he has made known to us the mystery[c] of his will in accord with his favor that he set forth in him(G) 10 as a plan for the fullness of times, to sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth.(H)
Inheritance Through the Spirit. 11 In him we were also chosen, destined in accord with the purpose of the One who accomplishes all things according to the intention of his will,(I) 12 so that we might exist for the praise of his glory, we who first hoped[d] in Christ. 13 In him you also, who have heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and have believed in him, were sealed[e] with the promised holy Spirit,(J) 14 which is the first installment[f] of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.(K)
II. Unity of the Church in Christ
The Church as Christ’s Body.[g]
I. Prologue[a]
Chapter 1
1 In the beginning[b] was the Word,
and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God.(A)
2 He was in the beginning with God.
3 [c]All things came to be through him,
and without him nothing came to be.(B)
What came to be 4 through him was life,
and this life was the light of the human race;(C)
5 [d]the light shines in the darkness,(D)
and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 [e]A man named John was sent from God.(E) 7 He came for testimony,[f] to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.(F) 8 He was not the light, but came to testify to the light.(G) 9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.(H)
10 He was in the world,
and the world came to be through him,
but the world did not know him.
11 He came to what was his own,
but his own people[a] did not accept him.
12 (A)But to those who did accept him he gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, 13 [b](B)who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man’s decision but of God.
14 And the Word became flesh[c]
and made his dwelling among us,
and we saw his glory,
the glory as of the Father’s only Son,
full of grace and truth.(C)
15 [d]John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said,(D) ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’” 16 From his fullness we have all received, grace in place of grace,[e] 17 because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.(E) 18 No one has ever seen God. The only Son, God,[f] who is at the Father’s side, has revealed him.(F)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.