Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
24 Lord, you have made many things.
With your wisdom you made them all.
The earth is full of your riches.
25 Look at the sea, so big and wide.
Its creatures large and small cannot be counted.
26 Ships travel over the ocean.
And there is the sea monster Leviathan,
which you made to play there.
27 All these things depend on you
to give them their food at the right time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up.
When you open your hand, they are filled with good food.
29 When you turn away from them,
they become frightened.
When you take away their breath,
they die and turn into dust.
30 When you breathe on them,
they are created.
You make the land new again.
31 May the glory of the Lord be forever.
May the Lord enjoy what he has made.
32 He just looks at the earth, and it shakes.
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord all my life.
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.
34 May my thoughts please him.
I am happy in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be destroyed from the earth.
Let the wicked people live no longer.
My whole being, praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord.
The Lord Restores the Land
18 Then the Lord became concerned about his land.
He felt sorry for his people.
19 The Lord said to them:
“I will send you grain, wine and olive oil.
You will have plenty.
No more will I shame you
among the nations.
20 I will force the army from the north to leave your land.
I will force them into a dry, empty land.
Their soldiers in front will be forced into the Dead Sea.
And those in the rear will be forced into the Mediterranean Sea.
Their bodies will rot and stink
because they did horrible things.”
21 But, land, don’t be afraid.
Be happy and full of joy
because the Lord has begun to do wonderful things.
22 Wild animals, don’t be afraid.
The open pastures will grow grass.
The trees will grow fruit.
The fig trees and the vines will grow much fruit.
23 So be happy, people of Jerusalem.
Be joyful in the Lord your God.
He will do what is right
and will give you rain.
He will send the early rain
and the late rain for you, as before.
24 And the threshing floors will be full of wheat.
And the barrels will overflow with wine and olive oil.
The Lord Speaks
25 “I sent my great army against you.
Those swarming locusts and the hopping locusts,
the destroying locusts and the cutting locusts[a] ate your crops.
But I will pay you back
for those years of trouble.
26 Then you will have plenty to eat.
You will be full.
You will praise the name of the Lord your God.
He has done miracles for you.
My people will never again be shamed.
27 Then you will know that I am among the people of Israel.
You will know that I am the Lord your God.
There is no other God.
My people will never be shamed again.
28 “After this,
I will give my Spirit freely to all kinds of people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams.
Your young men will see visions.
29 At that time I will give my Spirit
even to servants, both men and women.
4 There are different kinds of gifts; but they are all from the same Spirit. 5 There are different ways to serve; but all these ways are from the same Lord. 6 And there are different ways that God works in people; but all these ways are from the same God. God works in us all in everything we do. 7 Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, to help everyone. 8 The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak with wisdom. And the same Spirit gives another the ability to speak with knowledge. 9 The same Spirit gives faith to one person. And that one Spirit gives another gifts of healing. 10 The Spirit gives to another person the power to do miracles, to another the ability to prophesy. And he gives to another the ability to know the difference between good and evil spirits. The Spirit gives one person the ability to speak in different kinds of languages and to another the ability to interpret those languages. 11 One Spirit, the same Spirit, does all these things. The Spirit decides what to give each person.
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.