Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Song of Praise
100 Call out with joy to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Be glad as you serve the Lord. Come before Him with songs of joy. 3 Know that the Lord is God. It is He Who made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people and the sheep of His field.
4 Go into His gates giving thanks and into His holy place with praise. Give thanks to Him. Honor His name. 5 For the Lord is good. His loving-kindness lasts forever. And He is faithful to all people and to all their children-to-come.
God’s People Have Hope
40 “Comfort, comfort My people,” says your God. 2 “Speak kind words to Jerusalem. Call out to her that her time of war has ended, that her sin has been taken away, and that she has received from the Lord’s hand twice as much for all her sins.”
3 A voice is calling, “Make the way ready for the Lord in the desert. Make the road in the desert straight for our God. 4 Every valley will be lifted up and every mountain and hill will be brought down. The turns in the road will be made straight and the bad places will be made smooth. 5 Then the shining-greatness of the Lord will be seen. All flesh together will see it, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” 6 A voice says, “Cry.” And he said, “What should I cry?” All flesh is grass. All its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7 The grass dries up and the flower loses its color when the breath of the Lord blows upon it. For sure the people are grass. 8 The grass dries up. The flower loses its color. But the Word of our God stands forever.
9 O Zion, you who bring good news, go up on the high mountain! Lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, you who bring good news. Lift it up, do not be afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” 10 See, the Lord God will come with power, and His arm will rule for Him. See, He is bringing the reward He will give to everyone for what he has done. 11 He will feed His flock like a shepherd. He will gather the lambs in His arms and carry them close to His heart. He will be gentle in leading those that are with young.
More About the New Jerusalem
22 Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life. It was as clear as glass and came from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 It runs down the center of the street in the city. On each side of the river was the tree of life. It gives twelve different kinds of fruit. It gives this fruit twelve times a year, new fruit each month. Its leaves are used to heal the nations.
3 There will be nothing in the city that is sinful. The place where God and the Lamb sit will be there. The servants He owns will serve Him. 4 They will see His face and His name will be written on their foreheads. 5 There will be no night there. There will be no need for a light or for the sun. Because the Lord God will be their light. They will be leaders forever.
Jesus Is Coming Soon
6 Then the angel said to me, “These words are faithful and true. The Lord God of the early preachers has sent His angel to show the servants He owns what must happen soon.” 7 “See! I am coming soon. The one who obeys what is written in this Book is happy!”
8 It was I, John, who heard and saw these things. Then I got down at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. I was going to worship him. 9 But he said to me, “No! You must not do that. I am a servant together with you and with your Christian brothers and the early preachers and with all those who obey the words in this Book. You must worship God!”
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