Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Lord, Bring Your People Back
A song ·for going up to worship [of ascents; C perhaps sung while traveling to Jerusalem to celebrate an annual religious festival like Passover].
126 When the Lord ·brought the prisoners back to [brought back those who returned to; or restored the fortunes of] Jerusalem [L Zion; C probably the return from the exile; 2 Chr. 36:22–23; Ezra 1],
it seemed as if we were dreaming [C so surprised and happy that it did not seem real].
2 Then ·we [L our mouths] were filled with laughter,
and ·we [L our tongues] ·sang happy songs [shouted joyfully].
Then the other nations said,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”
3 The Lord has done great things for us,
and we ·are very glad [rejoice].
4 Lord, ·return our prisoners [bring back those who return; or restore our fortunes] again,
as you bring streams to the ·desert [L Negev; C an arid area in the south of Israel].
5 Those who cry as they ·plant crops [sow; plant seed]
will ·sing [shout for joy] at harvest time.
6 Those who ·cry [L go out weeping]
as they carry out the ·seeds [L bag with seeds]
will return singing
and carrying ·bundles of grain [sheaves].
Israel’s Punishment Will End
40 Your God says,
“Comfort, comfort my people.
2 Speak kindly to ·the people of Jerusalem [L Jerusalem]
and tell them
that their time of ·service [or warfare] is finished,
that ·they have paid for their sins [or her sins are pardoned],
that ·the Lord has punished Jerusalem [L she has received from the Lord]
·twice [double] for every sin they did.”
3 This is the voice of one who calls out:
“Prepare in the ·desert [wilderness]
the way for the Lord.
Make a straight road in the ·dry lands [arid plain]
for our God.
4 Every valley will be ·raised up [elevated],
and every mountain and hill will be made ·flat [level; low].
The rough ground will be ·made level [smoothed out],
and the rugged ground will be made ·smooth [into a plain].
5 Then the glory of the Lord [C his manifest presence] will be ·shown [revealed],
and all ·people [flesh] together will see it.
·The Lord himself said these things [L For the mouth of the Lord has spoken].”
6 A voice says, “Cry out!”
Then I[a] said, “What shall I cry out?”
“Say all ·people [flesh] are like the grass,
and all their glory[b] is like the flowers of the field.
7 The grass ·dies [withers] and the flowers fall
when the breath of the Lord blows on them.
Surely the people are like grass.
8 The grass ·dies [withers] and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God will ·live [endure; stand] forever.”
9 ·Jerusalem [L Zion], ·you have good news to tell [herald of good news].
Go up on a high mountain.
Jerusalem, ·you have good news to tell [herald of good news].
Shout out loud the good news.
Shout it out and don’t be afraid.
Say to the towns of Judah,
“Here is your God.”
10 Look, the Lord God is coming with power
·to rule all the people [L his arm rules for him].
Look, ·he will bring reward for his people [L his reward is with him];
·he will have their payment with him [L his payment/prize is before him].
11 He ·takes care of his people [L tends his flock] like a shepherd.
He gathers them like lambs in his arms
and carries them ·close to him [on his chest/bosom].
He gently leads the mothers of the lambs.
22 We know that ·everything God made [all creation] has been ·waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth [L groaning with labor pains until now]. 23 Not only the world, but we also ·have been waiting with pain inside us [L groan within ourselves]. We have the Spirit as the ·first part of God’s promise [L firstfruits; C as the first crops confirmed the future harvest, so the Spirit’s presence confirms believers’ final salvation]. So we are [eagerly] waiting for ·God to finish making us his own children [L our adoption], which means ·our bodies will be made free [L the redemption of our bodies]. 24 We were saved, ·and we have this hope [or …by this hope; L in hope]. If we see what we are waiting for, that is not really hope. ·People do not hope [L For who hopes…?] for something they already have. 25 But we are hoping for something we do not have yet, and we are waiting for it ·patiently [with perseverance].
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