Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 130
A song for those journeying to worship.
1 From the depths of disaster I appeal to You, O Eternal One:
2 Lord, hear my cry!
Attune Your ears to my humble prayer!
3 If You, Eternal One, recorded each offense,
Lord, who on earth could stand innocent?
4 But with You forgiveness exists;
that’s why true respect of You might flow.
5 So I wait for the Eternal—my soul awaits rescue—
and I put my hope in His transforming word.
6 My soul waits for the Lord to break into the world
more than night watchmen expect the break of day,
even more than night watchmen expect the break of day.
7 O Israel, ground your hope in the Eternal.
For in the Eternal lives the most loyal love,
and with Him comes the most abundant redemption.
8 He will ransom Israel
from all the sinful acts that stole you away.
8 But you, Israel’s mountains, will shoot forth new branches and bear fruit for My people Israel. They will be home soon. 9 I, of course, care about you and will turn My attention on you. Therefore, your soil will be plowed and your fields sown. 10 I will increase the population and replenish the whole community of Israel. I will bring life back into the desolate cities, and heaps of rubble will be turned into grand structures. 11 I will increase the population of people and animals that live on your slopes once again; they will be more numerous, and you will become more productive than ever before! After all these things come to pass, you will know that I am the Eternal. 12 I will settle My people Israel on you, and they will possess you, and you will be the land they pass from one generation to the next. You will never again take their children.
13 This is what the Eternal Lord said.
Eternal One: Because some say, “The land of Israel is known for devouring its people and depriving them of their children,” 14 I declare that you will never devour any of My people again or deprive them of their children. 15 I will see to it that you do not have to listen to the other nations scoff at you anymore, and you will no longer suffer humiliation or be the cause of your own nation’s faltering.
So said the Eternal.
Jesus: 44 I’ve been telling you this all along, that everything written about Me in the Hebrew Scriptures must be fulfilled—everything from the law of Moses to the prophets to the psalms.
45 Then He opens their minds so they can comprehend the meaning of the Hebrew Scriptures.
Jesus: 46 This is what the Scriptures said: that the promised Anointed One should suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, 47 that in His name a radical change of thought and life should be preached, and that in His name the forgiveness of sins should be preached, beginning in Jerusalem and extending to all nations. 48 You have witnessed the fulfillment of these things. 49 So I am sending My Father’s promise to you. Stay in the city until you receive it—until power from heaven comes upon you.
50 Then He leads them out to Bethany. He lifts up His hands and blesses them, 51 and at that moment, with His hands raised in blessing, He leaves them and is carried up into heaven. 52 They worship Him, then they return to Jerusalem, filled with intense joy, 53 and they return again and again to the temple to celebrate God.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.