Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 148
Creation’s Praise of the Lord
1 Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.(A)
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly armies.(B)
3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.(C)
4 Praise him, highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.(D)
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded, and they were created.(E)
6 He set them in position forever and ever;
he gave an order that will never pass away.(F)
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
all sea monsters and ocean depths,(G)
8 lightning[a] and hail, snow and cloud,
stormy wind that executes his command,(H)
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,(I)
10 wild animals and all cattle,
creatures that crawl and flying birds,(J)
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,(K)
12 young men as well as young women,
old and young together.(L)
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His majesty covers heaven and earth.(M)
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
resulting in praise to all his faithful ones,
to the Israelites, the people close to him.(N)
Hallelujah!
Future Glory for Israel
54 “Rejoice, childless one, who did not give birth;
burst into song and shout,
you who have not been in labor!(A)
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than the children of the married woman,”(B)
says the Lord.
2 “Enlarge the site of your tent,
and let your tent curtains be stretched out;(C)
do not hold back;
lengthen your ropes,
and drive your pegs deep.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left,(D)
and your descendants will dispossess nations
and inhabit the desolate cities.
4 “Do not be afraid, for you will not be put to shame;(E)
don’t be humiliated, for you will not be disgraced.
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
and you will no longer remember
the disgrace of your widowhood.(F)
5 Indeed, your husband is your Maker(G)—
his name is the Lord of Armies—
and the Holy One of Israel(H) is your Redeemer;(I)
he is called the God of the whole earth.
6 For the Lord has called you,
like a wife deserted and wounded in spirit,(J)
a wife of one’s youth(K) when she is rejected,”
says your God.
7 “I deserted you for a brief moment,(L)
but I will take you back with abundant compassion.
8 In a surge of anger
I hid my face(M) from you for a moment,
but I will have compassion on you
with everlasting love,”(N)
says the Lord your Redeemer.
9 “For this is like the days[a] of Noah to me:
when I swore that the water of Noah
would never flood the earth again,(O)
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
or rebuke you.(P)
10 Though the mountains move
and the hills shake,
my love will not be removed from you
and my covenant of peace(Q) will not be shaken,”
says your compassionate Lord.
11 “Poor Jerusalem, storm-tossed, and not comforted,
I will set your stones in black mortar,[b]
and lay your foundations in lapis lazuli.(R)
12 I will make your fortifications[c] out of rubies,
your gates out of sparkling stones,
and all your walls out of precious stones.
13 Then all your children will be taught by the Lord,(S)
their prosperity will be great,
The New Creation
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth;(A) for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away,(B) and the sea was no more.(C) 2 I also saw the holy city,(D) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,(E) prepared like a bride adorned for her husband.(F)
3 Then I heard a loud voice(G) from the throne:[a](H) Look, God’s dwelling[b] is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples,[c](I) and God himself will be with them and will be their God.[d] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes.(J) Death will be no more;(K) grief, crying, and pain will be no more,(L) because the previous things[e] have passed away.(M)
5 Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” He also said, “Write, because these words[f] are faithful and true.”(N) 6 Then he said to me, “It is done!(O) I am the Alpha and the Omega,(P) the beginning and the end.(Q) I will freely give to the thirsty(R) from the spring of the water of life.(S) 7 The one who conquers(T) will inherit these things, and I will be his God, and he will be my son.(U)
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