Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

148 Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise ye him in the high places.

² Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

³ Praise ye him, O sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars and light.

⁴ Praise him, ye heavens of heavens: and let all the waters that are above the heavens

⁵ Praise the name of the Lord. For he spoke, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created.

⁶ He hath established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away.

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all ye deeps:

⁸ Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds which fulfill his word:

⁹ Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars:

¹⁰ Beasts and all cattle: serpents and feathered fowls:

¹¹ Kings of the earth and all people: princes and all judges of the earth:

¹² Young men and maidens: let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord:

¹³ For his name alone is exalted.

¹⁴ The praise of him is above heaven and earth: and he hath exalted the horn of his people. A hymn to all his saints: to the children of Israel, a people approaching to him. Alleluia.

²² The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his ways, before he made any thing from the beginning.

²³ I was set up from eternity, and of old before the earth was made.

²⁴ The depths were not as yet, and I was already conceived. neither had the fountains of waters as yet sprung out:

²⁵ The mountains with their huge bulk had not as yet been established: before the hills I was brought forth:

²⁶ He had not yet made the earth, nor the rivers, nor the poles of the world.

²⁷ When he prepared the heavens, I was present: when with a certain law and compass he enclosed the depths:

²⁸ When he established the sky above, and poised the fountains of waters:

²⁹ When he compassed the sea with its bounds, and set a law to the waters that they should not pass their limits: when be balanced the foundations of the earth;

³⁰ I was with him forming all things: and was delighted every day, playing before him at all times;

³¹ Playing in the world: and my delights were to be with the children of men.

5 Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ, is born of God. And every one that loveth him who begot, loveth him also who is born of him.

² In this we know that we love the children of God: when we love God, and keep his commandments.

³ For this is the charity of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not heavy.

⁴ For whatsoever is born of God, overcometh the world: and this is the victory which overcometh the world, our faith.

⁵ Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?

⁶ This is he that came by water and blood, Jesus Christ: not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit which testifieth, that Christ is the truth.

⁷ And there are three who give testimony in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost. And these three are one.

⁸ And there are three that give testimony on earth: the spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three are one.

⁹ If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater. For this is the testimony of God, which is greater, because he hath testified of his Son.

¹⁰ He that believeth in the Son of God, hath the testimony of God in himself. He that believeth not the Son, maketh him a liar: because he believeth not in the testimony which God hath testified of his Son.

¹¹ And this is the testimony, that God hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in his Son.

¹² He that hath the Son, hath life. He that hath not the Son, hath not life.