Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

65 God, it is right for us to praise you in Zion.
There, we will offer to you
    the gifts that we have promised.
² You answer our prayers.
All of us must come to you,
³     because of our many sins.
Our sins are too heavy for us to carry,
    but you forgive the bad things that we do against you.^[b]
4 You have blessed each person that you have chosen.
    You let them live near to you in your home.
The good things that are in your holy temple
    will make us very happy!
⁵ God, you are the one who saves us!
You answer our prayers,
    and you do great things to rescue us.
People from everywhere on earth trust in you,
    even those who live far away across the seas.
⁶ You used your power to make the mountains,
    and you showed how strong you are.
⁷ You stop the seas from being angry,
    so that their waters make no noise.^[c]
You do the same with the angry nations.
⁸ People who live far away see
    the great things that you have done.
It makes them afraid.
Everywhere on earth, east and west,
    people sing happy songs to praise you.
⁹ You take care of the land.
You send rain to make the earth good for plants.
    Your rivers are full of water.
You cause the earth to give good crops
    so that the people have grain to eat.
¹⁰ When people plough their fields,
    you send rain to make the earth wet.
You make the ground soft with the rain,
    so that crops grow there.
¹¹ Every year at harvest time,
    you bless people with lots of good things.
Everywhere that you go,
    there is plenty of food.^[d]
12 Fresh grass covers the fields in the wilderness.
There are plenty of good things all over the hills,
    so that people are very happy.
¹³ The fields are full of sheep.
    The valleys are covered with crops.
Everywhere seems to shout and sing for joy!

2 Blow the trumpet in Zion.
Tell the people on the Lord's hill that they must watch for trouble.
All the people who live in this country will be afraid.
They will be afraid because the day of the Lord is coming.
It is very near.
² That day will be sad and dark.
There will be dark clouds.
A great big army is coming.
It comes across the sky like light in the morning.
A great army like this has never come before.
And it will never come again in future years.
³ Fire goes in front of the army.^[a]
It burns everything behind them.
The land in front of them is like the Garden of Eden.^[b]
Behind them it is like a desert.
They leave nothing behind them.
⁴ They look like horses.
And they run fast to the war.
⁵ Their noise is like the noise of many feet.
They jump over the mountains
as fast as fire burns dry grass.
They are like a great army ready for a fight.
⁶ Nations that see them are very afraid.
Every face changes colour.
⁷ They run together like an army into a fight.
They climb walls like soldiers.
They march on in a straight line.
They do not turn away.
⁸ They do not push each other away.
Each one of them goes straight on.
You can put weapons in their path
but they go straight on.
⁹ They run towards the city.
They run along the wall.
They climb into houses.
They go through the windows like robbers.
¹⁰ The earth in front of them moves.
The sky itself moves.
The sun and moon are dark
and the stars do not give any light.
¹¹ The Lord shouts aloud
as he leads his army.
We cannot count his soldiers.
Those who obey him are very strong.
The day of the Lord is powerful.
It makes us afraid.
Not many of us will be alive after it has gone.^[c]