Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Serve Yahweh with Gladness
A Psalm of [a]Thanksgiving.
15 And he blessed Joseph and said,
“(A)May the God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
(B)The God who has been my shepherd [a]throughout my life to this day,
16 (C)The angel who has redeemed me from all evil,
(D)Bless these boys;
And may my name [b]live on in them,
And the [c]names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
And (E)may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
17 But Joseph saw that his father (F)set his right hand on Ephraim’s head, and it was displeasing in his sight; so he took hold of his father’s hand to remove it from Ephraim’s head to Manasseh’s head. 18 And Joseph said to his father, “Not so, my father, for this one is the firstborn. Place your right hand on his head.” 19 But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know; he also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and (G)his seed shall become the fullness of nations.” 20 (H)And he blessed them that day, saying,
“By you Israel will pronounce blessing, saying,
‘May God make you like Ephraim and Manasseh!’”
Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. 21 Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but (I)God will be with you and (J)will bring you back to the land of your fathers. 22 And I give you one [d]portion more than your brothers, (K)which I took from the hand of the Amorite with my sword and my bow.”
The Lamb and the 144,000
14 Then I looked, and behold, (A)the Lamb was standing on (B)Mount Zion, and with Him (C)144,000, having (D)His name and the (E)name of His Father written (F)on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a voice from heaven, like (G)the sound of many waters and like the (H)sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of (I)harpists playing on their harps. 3 And they *[a]sang (J)a new song before the throne and before the (K)four living creatures and the (L)elders. And (M)no one could learn that song except the (N)144,000 who had been (O)purchased from the earth. 4 (P)These are the ones who are not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who (Q)follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been (R)purchased from among men (S)as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. 5 And (T)no lie was found in their mouth; they are (U)blameless.
The Messages of the Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying in (V)midheaven, having (W)an eternal gospel to proclaim to (X)those who [b]inhabit the earth, and to (Y)every nation and tribe and tongue and people. 7 And he said with a loud voice, “(Z)Fear God, and (AA)give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who (AB)made the heaven and the earth and sea and (AC)springs of waters.”
8 And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “[c](AD)Fallen, fallen is (AE)Babylon the great, she who has (AF)made all the nations drink of the (AG)wine of the wrath of her [d]sexual immorality.”
9 Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone (AH)worships the beast and his (AI)image, and receives a (AJ)mark on his forehead or on his hand, 10 and he also will drink of the (AK)wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed [e]in full strength (AL)in the cup of His rage, and he will be tormented with (AM)fire and [f]brimstone in the presence of the (AN)holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. 11 And the (AO)smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; (AP)they have no rest day and night, those who (AQ)worship the beast and his (AR)image, and [g]whoever receives the (AS)mark of his name.”
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.