Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
This psalm is a song that David wrote for the music leader.
We trust God to save us[a]
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!
Show the Lord that you are sorry
12 ‘Even now,’ the Lord says,
‘return to me and put me first.
Eat no food. Cry and be very sad.
13 Stop pulling your clothes to pieces. That does not help.
Show me instead that you are really sorry.’
Return to the Lord, your God.
He is kind and full of grace.
He does not quickly become angry, and he is full of love.
He is sad that he had to cause troubles for you.
14 Perhaps he will change his mind and he will be sorry.
He may send you blessings of food and drink.
Then you can offer gifts to the Lord your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion.
Tell the people that they must not eat any food.
Tell the people that they must all come to worship him.
16 Tell the people that they must all come.
Make them all ready to serve the Lord.
Bring the old people together.
Bring the children – even the smallest ones.
Every new husband must leave his room.
Every wife must leave her secret room.
17 There are priests who go in front of the Lord.
They must cry as they go from the temple door to the altar.
They must say to the Lord, ‘Do not hurt your people.
Do not let the people in other countries laugh at your own people.
They will point at them. And they will say that they have no value.
They will say that we have no God.’
The Lord's answer
18 Then the Lord will be careful for his land.
He will be kind to his people.
19 He will answer them and he will say,
‘I am giving you new wine and food and oil.
You will have enough to fill you up.
I will never again let people in other countries laugh about you.
20 I will send the army from the north far from you.
I will push it into empty land where nothing grows.
I will make the front of it go into the sea on the east.
And I will make the back of it go into the sea on the west.
I will make its smell rise up high
because it has done great things.’
21 Do not be afraid, my own land!
Be very happy.
Be sure that the Lord has done great things.
22 Do not be afraid, wild animals.
The fields in the wilderness are becoming green.
Fruit is growing on the trees.
The fig tree and the vine are giving much fruit.
Mary's song
46 Then Mary said,
‘All of me wants to praise God and say,
“Lord, how good and great you are!”
47 I thank God because he is the one who saves me.
48 I know that I am not an important person.
God knows this, and he has been kind to me.
Listen! From now on, all people will say that God has made me happy.
49 Yes, God has done great things for me.
He is very powerful and strong. He is good in every way.
50 He is kind to people who respect and obey him.
He will always be kind to people like that.
51 He has shown how strong he is to do great things.
Some people think that they are very important.
But he has sent them away in different directions.
52 Some people were ruling countries.
But he has taken their power away from them.
He has given power to people who do not feel important.
53 He has fed hungry people with good things to eat.
But he has sent rich people away with nothing.
54 He promised that he would be kind to his people, Israel.
Now he has come and helped them.
55 He made a promise to Abraham and to our other ancestors.
Now he has done what he promised.’[a]
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