Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
5 The (A)heavens will praise Your wonders, O Lord;
Your faithfulness also (B)in the assembly of the (C)holy ones.
6 For (D)who in the skies is comparable to the Lord?
Who among the [a](E)sons of the mighty is like the Lord,
7 A God (F)greatly feared in the council of the (G)holy ones,
And (H)awesome above all those who are around Him?
8 O Lord God of hosts, (I)who is like You, O mighty [b]Lord?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.
9 You rule the swelling of the sea;
When its waves rise, You (J)still them.
10 You Yourself crushed [c](K)Rahab like one who is slain;
You (L)scattered Your enemies with [d]Your mighty arm.
11 The (M)heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The (N)world and [e]all it contains, You have founded them.
12 The (O)north and the south, You have created them;
(P)Tabor and (Q)Hermon (R)shout for joy at Your name.
13 You have [f]a strong arm;
Your hand is mighty, Your (S)right hand is exalted.
14 (T)Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
(U)Lovingkindness and [g]truth go before You.
15 How blessed are the people who know the [h](V)joyful sound!
O Lord, they walk in the (W)light of Your countenance.
16 In (X)Your name they rejoice all the day,
And by Your righteousness they are exalted.
17 For You are the glory of (Y)their strength,
And by Your favor [i]our (Z)horn is exalted.
18 For our (AA)shield belongs to the Lord,
[j]And our king to the (AB)Holy One of Israel.
19 [k]Once You spoke in vision to Your godly [l]ones,
And said, “I have [m]given help to one who is (AC)mighty;
I have exalted one (AD)chosen from the people.
20 “I have (AE)found David My servant;
With My holy (AF)oil I have anointed him,
21 With whom (AG)My hand will be established;
My arm also will (AH)strengthen him.
22 “The enemy will not [n]deceive him,
Nor the [o](AI)son of wickedness afflict him.
23 “But I shall (AJ)crush his adversaries before him,
And strike those who hate him.
24 “My (AK)faithfulness and My lovingkindness will be with him,
And in My name his (AL)horn will be exalted.
25 “I shall also set his hand (AM)on the sea
And his right hand on the rivers.
26 “He will cry to Me, ‘You are (AN)my Father,
My God, and the (AO)rock of my salvation.’
27 “I also shall make him My (AP)firstborn,
The (AQ)highest of the kings of the earth.
28 “My (AR)lovingkindness I will keep for him forever,
And My (AS)covenant shall be confirmed to him.
29 “So I will establish his [p](AT)descendants forever
And his (AU)throne (AV)as the days of heaven.
30 “If his sons (AW)forsake My law
And do not walk in My judgments,
31 If they [q]violate My statutes
And do not keep My commandments,
32 Then I will punish their transgression with the (AX)rod
And their iniquity with stripes.
33 “But I will not break off (AY)My lovingkindness from him,
Nor deal falsely in My faithfulness.
34 “My (AZ)covenant I will not [r]violate,
Nor will I (BA)alter [s]the utterance of My lips.
35 “[t]Once I have (BB)sworn by My holiness;
I will not lie to David.
36 “His [u](BC)descendants shall endure forever
And his (BD)throne (BE)as the sun before Me.
37 “It shall be established forever (BF)like the moon,
And the (BG)witness in the sky is faithful.” [v]Selah.
Israel Exhorted
51 “(A)Listen to me, you who (B)pursue righteousness,
Who seek the Lord:
Look to the (C)rock from which you were hewn
And to the [a]quarry from which you were dug.
2 “Look to (D)Abraham your father
And to Sarah who gave birth to you in pain;
When he (E)was but one I called him,
Then I blessed him and multiplied him.”
3 Indeed, (F)the Lord will comfort Zion;
He will comfort all her (G)waste places.
And her (H)wilderness He will make like (I)Eden,
And her desert like the (J)garden of the Lord;
(K)Joy and gladness will be found in her,
Thanksgiving and sound of a melody.
4 “(L)Pay attention to Me, O My people,
And give ear to Me, O My [b]nation;
For a (M)law will go forth from Me,
And I will [c]set My (N)justice for a (O)light of the peoples.
5 “My (P)righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth,
And My (Q)arms will judge the peoples;
The (R)coastlands will wait for Me,
And for My (S)arm they will wait expectantly.
6 “(T)Lift up your eyes to the sky,
Then look to the earth beneath;
For the (U)sky will vanish like smoke,
And the (V)earth will wear out like a garment
And its inhabitants will die [d]in like manner;
But My (W)salvation will be forever,
And My righteousness will not [e]wane.
7 “(X)Listen to Me, you who know righteousness,
A people in whose (Y)heart is My law;
Do not fear the (Z)reproach of man,
Nor be dismayed at their revilings.
8 “For the (AA)moth will eat them like a garment,
And the (AB)grub will eat them like wool.
But My (AC)righteousness will be forever,
And My salvation to all generations.”
9 (AD)Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord;
Awake as in the (AE)days of old, the generations of long ago.
(AF)Was it not You who cut Rahab in pieces,
Who pierced the (AG)dragon?
10 Was it not You who (AH)dried up the sea,
The waters of the great deep;
Who made the depths of the sea a pathway
For the (AI)redeemed to cross over?
11 So the (AJ)ransomed of the Lord will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
And (AK)everlasting joy will be on their heads.
They will obtain gladness and joy,
And (AL)sorrow and sighing will flee away.
12 “I, even I, am He who (AM)comforts you.
Who are you that you are afraid of (AN)man who dies
And of the son of man who is made (AO)like grass,
13 That you have (AP)forgotten the Lord your Maker,
Who (AQ)stretched out the heavens
And laid the foundations of the earth,
That you (AR)fear continually all day long because of the fury of the oppressor,
As he makes ready to destroy?
But where is the fury of the (AS)oppressor?
14 The [f](AT)exile will soon be set free, and will not die in the dungeon, (AU)nor will his bread be lacking. 15 For I am the Lord your God, who (AV)stirs up the sea and its waves roar (the Lord of hosts is His name). 16 I have (AW)put My words in your mouth and have (AX)covered you with the shadow of My hand, to [g](AY)establish the heavens, to found the earth, and to say to Zion, ‘You are My people.’”
15 But Jesus, [a]aware of this, withdrew from there. Many followed Him, and (A)He healed them all, 16 and (B)warned them not to [b]tell who He was. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet:
18 “(C)Behold, My [c]Servant whom I [d]have chosen;
(D)My Beloved in whom My soul [e]is well-pleased;
(E)I will put My Spirit upon Him,
(F)And He shall proclaim [f]justice to the [g]Gentiles.
19 “(G)He will not quarrel, nor cry out;
Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets.
20 “(H)A battered reed He will not break off,
And a smoldering wick He will not put out,
Until He [h]leads [i]justice to victory.
21 “(I)And in His name the [j]Gentiles will hope.”
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.