Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The World Should Praise the Lord
148 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the ·skies [heavens].
Praise him ·high above the earth [in the heights].
2 Praise him, all you ·angels [messengers].
Praise him, all ·you armies of heaven [his hosts; C the angelic army].
3 Praise him, sun and moon.
Praise him, all you ·shining stars [L stars of light].
4 Praise him, ·highest heavens [L heaven of heavens]
and you waters above the ·sky [heavens].
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
because ·they were created by his command [L he commands and they were created; Gen. 1].
6 He ·put them in place [L made them stand] forever and ever;
he made a ·law [statute; requirement; ordinance] that will never ·change [pass].
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you large sea ·animals [monsters; C like Leviathan; 74:12–17; 104:26; Gen. 1:21; Job 3:8; 41; Is. 27:1] and all the ·oceans [deeps],
8 ·lightning [L fire] and hail, snow and ·mist [cloud; or smoke],
and stormy winds that ·obey him [L do his word],
9 mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals and all cattle,
crawling animals and birds,
11 kings of the earth and all ·nations [peoples],
princes and all ·rulers [judges] of the earth,
12 young men and women,
old people and ·children [youth].
13 Praise the name of the Lord,
because ·he [L his name] alone is ·great [exalted].
·He is more wonderful than [L His splendor is over] heaven and earth.
14 God has ·given his people a king [exalted/raised a horn over his people; C an animal’s horn symbolizes power].
He should be praised by all ·who belong to him [his saints/loyal ones];
he should be praised by the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel], the people ·closest to his heart [L nearest to him].
Praise the Lord!
13 “In my vision at night I saw in front of me someone ·who looked like a human being [L like a son of man] coming on the clouds in the ·sky [heavens; C God’s heavenly chariot; Ps. 18:10–19; 68:4; 104:3; Is. 19:1; Luke 21:27; Rev. 1:7]. He came near ·God, who has been alive forever [L the Ancient of Days], and he was ·led to God [presented to him]. 14 He was given ·authority [dominion; sovereignty], glory, and ·the strength of a king [kingship]. People of every tribe, nation, and ·language [L tongue] will ·serve [fear; Prov. 1:7] him. His ·rule will last forever [dominion/sovereignty is an everlasting dominion/sovereignty], and his ·kingdom [kingship] will never be destroyed.
The Seventh Trumpet
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet. And there were loud voices in heaven, saying:
“·The power to rule the world now belongs to [or The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of] our Lord and his Christ [C Greek for Messiah or Anointed One],
and he will ·rule [reign] forever and ever [2 Sam. 7:16; Dan. 7:14, 18; Luke 1:32–33].”
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