Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.
148 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the Lord (A)from the heavens;
Praise Him (B)in the heights!
2 Praise Him, (C)all His angels;
Praise Him, (D)all His heavenly armies!
3 Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
4 Praise Him, [c](E)highest heavens,
And the (F)waters that are above the heavens!
5 They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For (G)He commanded and they were created.
6 He has also (H)established them forever and ever;
He has made a (I)decree, and it will not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
(J)Sea monsters, and all the ocean (K)depths;
8 (L)Fire and hail, (M)snow and (N)clouds;
(O)Stormy wind, (P)fulfilling His word;
9 (Q)Mountains and all hills;
Fruit (R)trees and all cedars;
10 (S)Animals and all cattle;
(T)Crawling things and winged fowl;
11 (U)Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Rulers and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.
16 And the twenty-four elders, who (A)sit on their thrones before God, (B)fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying,
“We give You thanks, (C)Lord God, the Almighty, the One who is and who was, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to (D)reign. 18 And (E)the nations were enraged, and (F)Your wrath came, and (G)the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to [a]reward Your (H)bond-servants the prophets and the [b]saints and those who fear Your name, (I)the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”
19 And (J)the [c]temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and (K)the ark of His covenant appeared in His [d]temple, and there were flashes of (L)lightning and sounds and peals of thunder, and an earthquake, and a (M)great [e]hailstorm.
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