Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
22 (A) From the beginning,
I was with the Lord.[a]
I was there before he began
23 to create the earth.
At the very first,
the Lord gave life to[b] me.
24 When I was born,
there were no oceans
or springs of water.
25 My birth was before
mountains were formed
or hills were put in place.
26 It happened long before God
had made the earth
or any of its fields
or even the dust.
27 (B) I was there when the Lord
put the heavens in place
and stretched the sky
over the surface of the sea.
28 I was with him when he placed
the clouds in the sky
and created the springs
that fill the ocean.
29 I was there when he set
boundaries for the sea
to make it obey him,
and when he laid foundations
to support the earth.
30 I was right beside the Lord,
helping him plan and build.[c]
I made him happy each day,
and I was happy at his side.
31 I was pleased with his world
and pleased with its people.
(A psalm by David for the music leader.[a])
The Wonderful Name of the Lord
1 Our Lord and Ruler,
your name is wonderful
everywhere on earth!
You let your glory be seen[b]
in the heavens above.
2 (A) With praises from children
and from tiny infants,
you have built a fortress.
It makes your enemies silent,
and all who turn against you
are left speechless.
3 I often think of the heavens
your hands have made,
and of the moon and stars
you put in place.
4 (B) Then I ask, “Why do you care
about us humans?
Why are you concerned
for us weaklings?”
5 (C) You made us a little lower
than you yourself,[c]
and you have crowned us
with glory and honor.
6 (D) You let us rule everything
your hands have made.
And you put all of it
under our power—
7 the sheep and the cattle,
and every wild animal,
8 the birds in the sky,
the fish in the sea,
and all ocean creatures.
9 Our Lord and Ruler,
your name is wonderful
everywhere on earth!
What It Means To Be Acceptable to God
5 By faith we have been made acceptable to God. And now, thanks to our Lord Jesus Christ, we have peace[a] with God. 2 Christ has also introduced us[b] to God's gift of undeserved grace on which we now take our stand. So we are happy, as we look forward to sharing in the glory of God. 3 But that's not all! We gladly suffer,[c] because we know that suffering helps us to endure. 4 And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope 5 that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with his love.
12 I have much more to say to you, but right now it would be more than you could understand. 13 (A) The Spirit shows what is true and will come and guide you into the full truth. The Spirit doesn't speak on his own. He will tell you only what he has heard from me, and he will let you know what is going to happen. 14 The Spirit will bring glory to me by taking my message and telling it to you. 15 Everything the Father has is mine. This is why I have said that the Spirit takes my message and tells it to you.
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