Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁷ For the Lord says, “Sing loud with joy for Jacob, and call out among the heads of the nations. Make it known, give praise, and say, ‘O Lord, save Your people. Save those who are left of Israel.’ ⁸ See, I am bringing them from the north country. And I will gather them from the farthest parts of the earth. Among them will be the blind and those who cannot walk, the woman with child and she who is giving birth, together. Many people will return here. ⁹ They will come crying, and in answer to their prayers, I will lead them. I will make them walk by rivers of waters on a straight path where they will not fall. For I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is My first-born.”

¹⁰ Hear the Word of the Lord, O nations, and make it known in the lands far across the sea. Say, “He Who sent Israel everywhere will gather them, and will watch over His flock like a shepherd.” ¹¹ For the Lord has paid the price to make Jacob free. He has made him free from the one who was stronger than he. ¹² And they will come and call out for joy on the height of Zion. They will shine with joy over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the new wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the cattle. Their life will be like a well-watered garden. They will never have sorrow again. ¹³ Then the young women who have never had a man will dance for joy, and the young men and old as well. For I will change their sorrow to joy, and will comfort them. I will give them joy for their sorrow. ¹⁴ I will fill the soul of the religious leaders with more than they need. My people will be filled with My goodness,” says the Lord.

¹² Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! ¹³ For He has made your gates strong. He has made good come to your children within you. ¹⁴ He makes peace within your walls. He fills you with the best grain. ¹⁵ He sends His Word to the earth. And His Word runs fast. ¹⁶ He gives snow like wool. He spreads ice like ashes. ¹⁷ He throws down His ice as hail stones. Who can stand before His cold? ¹⁸ He sends out His Word and melts them. He makes His wind blow and the waters flow. ¹⁹ He speaks His Word to Jacob, and His Law to Israel. ²⁰ He has not done this with any other nation. They do not know His Law. Praise the Lord!

³ Let us honor and thank the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has already given us a taste of what heaven is like. ⁴ Even before the world was made, God chose us for Himself because of His love. He planned that we should be holy and without blame as He sees us. ⁵ God already planned to have us as His own children. This was done by Jesus Christ. In His plan God wanted this done.

⁶ We thank God for His loving-favor to us. He gave this loving-favor to us through His much-loved Son. ⁷ Because of the blood of Christ, we are bought and made free from the punishment of sin. And because of His blood, our sins are forgiven. His loving-favor to us is so rich. ⁸ He was so willing to give all of this to us. He did this with wisdom and understanding. ⁹ God told us the secret of what He wanted to do. It is this: In loving thought He planned long ago to send Christ into the world. ¹⁰ The plan was for Christ to gather us all together at the right time. If we are in heaven or still on earth, He will bring us together and will be head over all.

¹¹ We were already chosen to be God’s own children by Christ. This was done just like the plan He had. ¹² We who were the first to put our trust in Christ should thank Him for His greatness. ¹³ The truth is the Good News. When you heard the truth, you put your trust in Christ. Then God marked you by giving you His Holy Spirit as a promise. ¹⁴ The Holy Spirit was given to us as a promise that we will receive everything God has for us. God’s Spirit will be with us until God finishes His work of making us complete. God does this to show His shining-greatness.

Christ Lived Before the World Was Made

1 The Word (Christ) was in the beginning. The Word was with God. The Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ He made all things. Nothing was made without Him making it. ⁴ Life began by Him. His Life was the Light for men. ⁵ The Light shines in the darkness. The darkness has never been able to put out the Light.

John the Baptist Tells of the Coming of Christ

⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came to tell what he knew about the Light so that all men might believe through him. ⁸ John was not the Light, but he was sent to tell about the Light.

⁹ This true Light, coming into the world, gives light to every man.

¹⁰ He came into the world. The world was made by Him, but it did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, but His own did not receive Him. ¹² He gave the right and the power to become children of God to those who received Him. He gave this to those who put their trust in His name. ¹³ These children of God were not born of blood and of flesh and of man’s desires, but they were born of God. ¹⁴ Christ became human flesh and lived among us. We saw His shining-greatness. This greatness is given only to a much-loved Son from His Father. He was full of loving-favor and truth.

John the Baptist Makes the Way Ready for Jesus Christ ^(A)

¹⁵ John told about Christ and said, “I have been telling you about this One. I said, ‘He is coming after me. He is more important than I because He lived before me.’” ¹⁶ From Him Who has so much we have all received loving-favor, one loving-favor after another. ¹⁷ The Law was given through Moses, but loving-favor and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ The much-loved Son is beside the Father. No man has ever seen God. But Christ has made God known to us.