Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
10 I will rejoice greatly in the Lord.
My soul will celebrate because of my God,
for he has clothed me in garments of salvation.
With a robe of righteousness he covered me,
like a bridegroom who wears a beautiful headdress like a priest,
and like a bride who adorns herself with her jewelry.
11 For as the earth produces its growth,
and as a garden causes what has been sown to sprout up,
so God the Lord will cause righteousness and praise to sprout up
in the presence of all the nations.
For Zion’s Sake, Cry Out
62
For the sake of Zion I will not be silent.
For the sake of Jerusalem I will not be quiet,
until her righteousness goes forth shining brightly,
and her salvation burns like a torch.
2 Nations will see your righteousness,
and all kings will see your glory.
You will be called by a new name
that the mouth of the Lord will assign to you.
3 Then you will be a beautiful crown in the Lord’s hand,
and a royal diadem in the palm of your God.
Psalm 148
Praise Him, All Creation
Praise Him, All Creation
1 Praise the Lord.[a]
Praise From the Heavens
Praise the Lord from the heavens.
Praise him in the heights.
2 Praise him, all his angels.
Praise him, all his armies.
3 Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you bright stars.
4 Praise him, you highest heavens
and you waters which are above the heavens.
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
because he commanded, and they were created.
6 He caused them to stand forever and ever.
He gave a decree, and it will not pass away.
Praise From the Earth
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
great sea creatures and all the depths,
8 fire and hail, snow and fog,
storm winds that obey his word,
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle,
crawling creatures and flying birds,
11 kings of the earth and all peoples,
officials and all judges on earth,
12 young men and also young women,
old people with young people.
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
14 He has raised up a horn[b] for his people—
the praise of all his favored ones—
for the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Praise the Lord.
4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, 5 in order to redeem those under the law, so that we would be adopted as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to shout, “Abba, Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son. And if you are a son, then you are also an heir of God through Christ.[a]
22 When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. 23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn[a] male will be called holy to the Lord.”)[b] 24 And they came to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”[c]
25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon. This man was righteous and devout, waiting for the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26 It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, 28 Simeon took him into his arms and praised God. He said,
29 Lord, you now dismiss your servant in peace, according to
your word,
30 because my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you have prepared before the face of all people,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your
people Israel.
33 Joseph[d] and the child’s[e] mother were amazed at the things that were spoken about him. 34 Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Listen carefully, this child is appointed for the falling and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against, 35 so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”
36 Anna, a prophetess, was there. She was a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old. She had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage,[f] 37 and then she was a widow of eighty-four years. She did not leave the temple complex, since she was worshipping with fasting and prayers night and day. 38 Standing nearby at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord. She kept speaking about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.[g]
39 When they had accomplished everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town, Nazareth. 40 The child grew and became strong.[h] He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him.
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.