Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord of Power and Justice
A psalm.
98 Sing to the Lord a new song [C celebrating victory; 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9; 14:3],
because he has done ·miracles [wonderful acts].
By his right hand and holy arm
he has won the victory.
2 The Lord has made known his ·power to save [salvation; victory];
he has ·shown [revealed to] ·the other [L before the eyes of the] nations his ·victory for his people [righteousness].
3 He has remembered his ·love [loyalty]
and his ·loyalty [faithfulness] to the ·people [L house] of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
God’s ·power to save [salvation; victory].
4 Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth;
·burst into songs [L break forth and sing for joy] and make ·music [a psalm].
5 Make music to the Lord with harps,
with harps and the sound of singing.
6 Blow the trumpets and the ·sheep’s [ram’s] horns;
shout for joy to the Lord the King [47:2; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1; 99:1; Rev. 19:6].
7 Let the sea and ·everything in it [its fullness] ·shout [thunder];
let the world and everyone in it sing.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands;
let the mountains sing together for joy.
9 Let them sing before the Lord,
because he is coming to judge the world.
He will judge the world ·fairly [with righteousness];
he will judge the peoples with fairness [96:13].
5 God, the Lord, said these things.
He created the ·skies [heavens] and stretched them out.
He spread out the earth and ·everything on it [L its offspring].
He gives breath to all people on earth,
and life to everyone who walks on the earth.
6 The Lord says, “I, the Lord, called you ·to do right [or to demonstrate my righteousness/justice; or by my righteous decree; L in righteousness],
and I will hold your hand
and ·protect [keep; guard] you.
·You will be the sign of my agreement with [L I will give/establish you as a covenant/treaty for] the people,
a light to shine for ·all people [the nations/Gentiles; 49:6; Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47].
7 You will ·help the blind to see [L open blind eyes].
You will free those who are in prison,
and you will lead those who live in darkness out of their prison [35:5; 49:9; 61:1; Luke 4:18].
8 “I am the Lord. That is my name.
I will not ·give [share; yield] my glory to another;
I will not let idols take ·the praise that should be mine [L my praise].
9 [L Look; T Behold] The ·things I said would happen [L former things] have happened,
and now I ·tell you about [declare/announce] new things.
Before those things ·happen [spring forth; sprout],
I tell you about them.”
34 Peter ·began to speak [L opened his mouth]: “I ·really [truly] understand now that ·to God every person is the same [God does not show favoritism/partiality]. 35 [L But] In every ·country [nation] God accepts anyone who ·worships [L fears] him and ·does what is right [practices righteousness]. 36 You know the ·message [word] that God has sent to the people of Israel ·is the Good News that peace [announcing/proclaiming the Gospel of peace that] has come through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Lord of all people [C both Jews and Gentiles]! 37 You know what has happened all over Judea, beginning in Galilee after John [C the Baptist] preached to the people about baptism [Luke 3]. 38 You know about Jesus from Nazareth, that God ·gave him [L anointed him with] the Holy Spirit and power. You know how Jesus went everywhere doing good and healing those who were ·ruled [oppressed] by the devil, because God was with him. 39 We ·saw [witnessed] what Jesus did in [L the region/country of] Judea and in Jerusalem, but ·the Jews in Jerusalem [L they] killed him by hanging him on a ·cross [L tree]. 40 Yet, on the third day, God raised Jesus ·to life [or from the dead] and caused him to be seen, 41 not by all the people, but only by the witnesses God had already chosen. And we are those witnesses who ate and drank with him after he was raised from the dead. 42 He ·told [commanded] us to preach to the people and to ·tell them [testify; bear witness] that he is the one whom God ·chose [appointed; determined] to be the judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets ·say it is true [witnessed; testified] that all who believe in Jesus will be forgiven of their sins through Jesus’ name.”
The Expanded Bible, Copyright © 2011 Thomas Nelson Inc. All rights reserved.