Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Call to Praise God
A song of thanks.
100 Shout to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Serve the Lord with joy.
Come before him with singing.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
He made us, and we belong to him.
We are his people, the sheep he tends.
4 Come into his city with songs of thanksgiving.
Come into his courtyards with songs of praise.
Thank him, and praise his name.
5 The Lord is good. His love continues forever.
His loyalty continues from now on.
23 Then I will put one shepherd over them, my servant David. He will feed them. He will tend them and will be their shepherd. 24 Then I, the Lord, will be their God. And my servant David will be a ruler among them. I, the Lord, have spoken.
25 “‘And I will make an agreement of peace with my sheep. I will remove harmful animals from the land. Then the sheep will live safely in the desert. And they will sleep in the woods without danger. 26 I will bless them and let them live around my hill. I will cause the rains to come when it is time for them. There will be showers to bless them. 27 Also the trees of the field will give their fruit. The land will give its harvest. And the sheep will be safe on their land. Then they will know that I am the Lord. I will break the bars of their captivity. And I will save them from the power of those who made them slaves. 28 They will not be led captive by the nations again. The wild animals will not eat them. But they will live safely. No one will make them afraid. 29 I will give them a place famous for its good crops. Then they will no longer suffer from hunger in the land. They will not suffer the insults of other nations anymore. 30 Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them. The nation of Israel will know that they are my people, says the Lord God. 31 And you, my sheep, are the sheep of my pasture. You are my people and I am your God, says the Lord God.’”
20-21 I pray that the God of peace will give you every good thing you need so that you can do what he wants. God is the One who raised from death our Lord Jesus, the Great Shepherd of the sheep. God raised him because of the blood of his death. His blood began the agreement that God made with his people. And this agreement is eternal. I pray that God, through Christ, will do in us what pleases him. And to Jesus Christ be glory forever and ever. Amen.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.