Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 148
Praise Him, All Creation
Praise Him, All Creation
1 Praise the Lord.[a]
Praise From the Heavens
Praise the Lord from the heavens.
Praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all his angels.
Praise him, all his armies.
3 Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you bright stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters which are above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
because he commanded, and they were created.
6 He caused them to stand forever and ever.
He gave a decree, and it will not pass away.
Praise From the Earth
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
great sea creatures and all the depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and fog,
storm winds that obey his word,
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle,
crawling creatures and flying birds,
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
officials and all judges on earth,
12 young men and also young women,
old people with young people.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
14 He has raised up a horn[b] for his people—
the praise of all his favored ones—
for the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Praise the Lord.
Jerusalem Will Have Many Children
54
You barren woman who never gave birth, shout for joy.
Burst forth with shouts of joy!
Cry aloud, you who have never been in labor,
because the deserted woman has more children
than the woman who is married, says the Lord.
2 Make more room for your tent.
Tell them to stretch out the curtains of your dwelling.
Do not hold back!
Make your tent ropes longer.
Make your tent stakes stronger,
3 because you will spread out to the right and to the left.
Your offspring will take possession of nations,
and they will repopulate devastated cities.
4 Do not be afraid,
because you will not be put to shame.
Do not be worried,
because you will not be embarrassed.
You will forget the shame of your youth,
and you will never remember the disgrace of your widowhood,
5 because your Maker is your husband.
The Lord of Armies is his name.
Your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.
He is called the God of all the earth.
6 Though you are like an abandoned wife with a wounded spirit,
though you are like the wife from a man’s youth who has been rejected,
the Lord is calling you back, says your God.
7 For a brief moment I abandoned you,
but with great compassion I am gathering you.
8 In a flood of anger I hid my face from you for a moment,
but in everlasting mercy I will have compassion on you,
says your Redeemer, the Lord.
9 To me this is like the time of the waters of Noah.
As I swore that the waters of Noah will never again cover the earth,
so I am swearing that I will not be angry at you,
and I will not rebuke you.
10 For even if the mountains are removed,
and the hills are overthrown,
my mercy will not be removed from you,
and my covenant of peace will not be overthrown,
says the Lord, who is showing you mercy.
11 Watch me, you afflicted woman, storm-tossed and not comforted,
I will set your precious stones in black mortar[a]
and lay down sapphires as your foundation.
12 I will decorate your parapets with rubies,
your gates with sparkling stones,
and your city boundaries with precious gems.[b]
13 All your children will be taught by the Lord,
and the peace and prosperity of your children will be great.
The New Heaven and the New Earth
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, because the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. And the sea no longer existed. 2 And I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And from the throne[a] I heard a loud voice that said, “Look! God’s dwelling is with people. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain, because the former things have passed away.”
5 The one who was seated on the throne said to me, “Look, I am making everything new!” He also said, “Write, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me:
It is done.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.
To anyone who is thirsty,
I will give freely from the spring of the water of life.
7 The one who overcomes
will inherit these things.
I will be his God,
and he will be my son.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.