Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
24 What a large number of things you have made, O Lord!
You made them all by wisdom.
The earth is filled with your creatures.
25 The sea is so big and wide with countless creatures,
living things both large and small.
26 Ships sail on it,
and Leviathan, which you made, plays in it.
27 All of them look to you to give them their food at the right time.
28 You give it to them, and they gather it up.
You open your hand, and they are filled with blessings.
29 You hide your face, and they are terrified.
You take away their breath, and they die and return to dust.
30 You send out your Spirit, and they are created.
You renew the face of the earth.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever.
May the Lord find joy in what he has made.
32 He looks at the earth, and it trembles.
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord throughout my life.
I will make music to praise my God as long as I live.
34 May my thoughts be pleasing to him.
I will find joy in the Lord.
35 May sinners vanish from the world.
May there no longer be any wicked people.
Praise the Lord, my soul!
Hallelujah!
The Lord Will Give Earthly Blessings to His People
18 Then the Lord became concerned about his land,
and he had pity on his people.
19 The Lord said to his people,
“I am going to send grain, new wine, and olive oil to you.
You will be satisfied with them.
I will no longer make you a disgrace among the nations.
20 “I will keep the northern ⌞army⌟ far from you,
and I will force it into a dry and barren land.
The soldiers in front will be forced into the eastern sea.
The soldiers in back will be forced into the western sea.
A foul odor will rise from the dead bodies.
They will stink.”
He has done great things!
21 Land, do not be afraid.
Be glad and rejoice.
The Lord has done great things!
22 Wild animals, do not be afraid.
The pastures in the wilderness have turned green.
The trees have produced their fruit.
There are plenty of figs and grapes.
23 People of Zion, be glad and find joy in the Lord your God.
The Lord has given you the Teacher of Righteousness.[a]
He has sent the autumn rain and the spring rain as before.
24 The threshing floors [b] will be filled with grain.
The vats will overflow with new wine and olive oil.
25 “Then I will repay you for the years
that the mature locusts, the adult locusts,
the grasshoppers, and the young locusts ate your crops.
(They are the large army that I sent against you.)
26 You will have plenty to eat, and you will be full.
You will praise the name of the Lord your God,
who has performed miracles for you.
My people will never be ashamed again.
27 You will know that I am in Israel.
I am the Lord your God, and there is no other.
My people will never be ashamed again.[c]
The Lord Will Pour His Spirit on All People
28 “After this, I will pour my Spirit on everyone.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy.
Your old men will dream dreams.
Your young men will see visions.
29 In those days I will pour my Spirit on servants,
on both men and women.
God’s Spirit Helps Us
18 I consider our present sufferings insignificant compared to the glory that will soon be revealed to us. 19 All creation is eagerly waiting for God to reveal who his children are. 20 Creation was subjected to frustration but not by its own choice. The one who subjected it to frustration did so in the hope 21 that it would also be set free from slavery to decay in order to share the glorious freedom that the children of God will have. 22 We know that all creation has been groaning with the pains of childbirth up to the present time.
23 However, not only creation groans. We, who have the Spirit as the first of God’s gifts, also groan inwardly. We groan as we eagerly wait for our adoption, the freeing of our bodies ⌞from sin⌟. 24 We were saved with this hope in mind. If we hope for something we already see, it’s not really hope. Who hopes for what can be seen?
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