Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

God—the King of the Earth

47 Show your happiness, all peoples! Call out to God with the voice of joy! ² For the Lord Most High is to be feared. He is a great King over all the earth. ³ He sets people under us, and nations under our feet. ⁴ He chooses for us what is to be ours, the pride of Jacob, whom He loves.

⁵ God has gone up with a loud voice, the Lord with the sound of a horn. ⁶ Sing praises to God. Sing praises. Sing praises to our King. Sing praises. ⁷ For God is the King of all the earth. Sing praises with a well written song. ⁸ God rules over the nations. God sits on His holy throne. ⁹ The rulers of the people have gathered together as the people of the God of Abraham. For the powers of the earth belong to God. He is much honored.

¹⁵ Then Moses went up on the mountain, which was covered with a cloud. ¹⁶ The shining-greatness of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai. And the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day He called to Moses from the cloud. ¹⁷ To the people of Israel, the shining-greatness of the Lord looked like a fire that destroys on the mountain top. ¹⁸ Moses went into the cloud as he went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

What God Wanted to Show John of Christ

⁹ I, John, am your Christian brother. I have shared with you in suffering because of Jesus Christ. I have also shared with you His holy nation and we have not given up. I was put on the island called Patmos because I preached the Word of God and told about Jesus Christ. ¹⁰ I was under the Spirit’s power on the Lord’s Day when I heard a loud voice behind me like the loud sound of a horn. ¹¹ It said, “(*I am the First and the Last.) Write in a book what you see and send it to the seven churches. They are in the cities of Ephesus and Smyrna and Pergamum and Thyatira and Sardis and Philadelphia and Laodicea.”

¹² I turned around to see who was speaking to me. As I turned, I saw seven lights made of gold. ¹³ Among the lights stood One Who looked like the Son of Man. He had on a long coat that came to His feet. A belt of gold was around His chest. ¹⁴ His head and His hair were white like white wool. They were as white as snow. His eyes were like fire. ¹⁵ His feet were like shining brass as bright as if it were in a fire. His voice sounded like powerful rushing water. ¹⁶ He held seven stars in His right hand. A sharp sword that cuts both ways came out of His mouth. His face was shining as bright as the sun shines at noon. ¹⁷ When I saw Him, I fell down at His feet like a dead man. He laid His right hand on me and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One. I was dead, but look, I am alive forever. I have power over death and hell.