Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 72
A Prayer for the King
Of Solomon.(A)
1 God, give your justice to the king
and your righteousness to the king’s son.(B)
2 He will judge your people with righteousness
and your afflicted ones with justice.(C)
3 May the mountains bring well-being[a] to the people
and the hills, righteousness.(D)
4 May he vindicate the afflicted among the people,
help the poor,
and crush the oppressor.(E)
5 May they fear you[b] while the sun endures
and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.(F)
6 May the king be like rain that falls on the cut grass,
like spring showers that water the earth.(G)
7 May the righteous[c] flourish in his days
and well-being abound
until the moon is no more.(H)
8 May he rule from sea to sea
and from the Euphrates
to the ends of the earth.(I)
9 May desert tribes kneel before him
and his enemies lick the dust.(J)
10 May the kings of Tarshish
and the coasts and islands bring tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Seba offer gifts.(K)
11 Let all kings bow in homage to him,
all nations serve him.(L)
12 For he will rescue the poor who cry out
and the afflicted who have no helper.(M)
13 He will have pity on the poor and helpless
and save the lives of the poor.(N)
14 He will redeem them from oppression and violence,
for their lives are[d] precious[e] in his sight.(O)
15 May he live long!
May gold from Sheba be given to him.
May prayer be offered for him continually,
and may he be blessed all day long.(P)
16 May there be plenty of grain in the land;
may it wave on the tops of the mountains.
May its crops be like Lebanon.
May people flourish in the cities
like the grass of the field.(Q)
17 May his name endure forever;
as long as the sun shines,
may his fame increase.
May all nations be blessed by him
and call him blessed.(R)
God’s People Brought Home
7 For this is what the Lord says:
Sing with joy for Jacob;
shout for the foremost of the nations!
Proclaim, praise, and say,
“Lord, save your people,(A)
the remnant of Israel!” (B)
8 Watch! I am going to bring them from the northern land.
I will gather them from remote regions of the earth(C)—
the blind and the lame will be with them,(D)
along with those who are pregnant and those about to give birth.
They will return here as a great assembly!(E)
9 They will come weeping,
but I will bring them back with consolation.[a](F)
I will lead them to wadis filled with water,
by a smooth way where they will not stumble,(G)
for I am Israel’s Father,
and Ephraim is my firstborn.(H)
10 Nations, hear the word of the Lord,
and tell it among the far off coasts and islands!(I)
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will gather him.(J)
He will watch over him as a shepherd guards his flock,
11 for the Lord has ransomed Jacob
and redeemed him from the power of one stronger than he.”(K)
12 They will come and shout for joy on the heights of Zion;(L)
they will be radiant with joy(M)
because of the Lord’s goodness,
because of the grain, the new wine, the fresh oil,(N)
and because of the young of the flocks and herds.
Their life will be like an irrigated garden,
and they will no longer grow weak from hunger.
13 Then the young women will rejoice with dancing,
while young and old men rejoice together.
I will turn their mourning into joy,(O)
give them consolation,
and bring happiness out of grief.
14 I will refresh the priests with an abundance,[b](P)
and my people will be satisfied with my goodness.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
Prologue
1 In the beginning(A) was the Word,(B) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.(C) 2 He was with God in the beginning.(D) 3 All things were created(E) through him,(F) and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. 4 In him was life,[a](G) and that life was the light(H) of men. 5 That light shines(I) in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome[b] it.(J)
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John.(K) 7 He came as a witness to testify about the light, so that all might believe through him.[c] 8 He was not the light, but he came to testify(L) about the light. 9 The true light(M) that gives light to everyone was coming into the world.[d](N)
10 He was in the world, and the world was created(A) through him, and yet the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive(B) him,(C) he gave them the right(D) to be[a] children(E) of God,(F) to those who believe(G) in his name,(H) 13 who were born,(I) not of natural descent,[b] or of the will(J) of the flesh,(K) or of the will of man,[c] but of God.(L)
14 The Word(M) became flesh(N) and dwelt[d] among us. We observed his glory,(O) the glory as the one and only(P) Son[e] from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 (John testified concerning him and exclaimed, “This was the one of whom I said, ‘The one coming after me(Q) ranks ahead of me,(R) because he existed before me.’”)(S) 16 Indeed, we have all received grace(T) upon[f] grace from his fullness, 17 for the law was given through Moses;(U) grace and truth(V) came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The one and only(W) Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s(X) side[g]—he has revealed him.(Y)
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