Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 72[a]
For[b] Solomon.
72 O God, grant the king the ability to make just decisions.[c]
Grant the king’s son[d] the ability to make fair decisions.[e]
2 Then he will judge[f] your people fairly,
and your oppressed ones[g] equitably.
3 The mountains will bring news of peace to the people,
and the hills will announce justice.[h]
4 He will defend[i] the oppressed among the people;
he will deliver[j] the children[k] of the poor
and crush the oppressor.
5 People will fear[l] you[m] as long as the sun and moon remain in the sky,
for generation after generation.[n]
6 He[o] will descend like rain on the mown grass,[p]
like showers that drench[q] the earth.[r]
7 During his days the godly will flourish;[s]
peace will prevail as long as the moon remains in the sky.[t]
8 May he rule[u] from sea to sea,[v]
and from the Euphrates River[w] to the ends of the earth.
9 Before him the coastlands[x] will bow down,
and his enemies will lick the dust.[y]
10 The kings of Tarshish[z] and the coastlands will offer gifts;
the kings of Sheba[aa] and Seba[ab] will bring tribute.
11 All kings will bow down to him;
all nations will serve him.
12 For he will rescue the needy[ac] when they cry out for help,
and the oppressed[ad] who have no defender.
13 He will take pity[ae] on the poor and needy;
the lives of the needy he will save.
14 From harm and violence he will defend them;[af]
he will value their lives.[ag]
15 May he live![ah] May they offer him gold from Sheba.[ai]
May they continually pray for him.
May they pronounce blessings on him all day long.[aj]
16 May there be[ak] an abundance[al] of grain in the earth;
on the tops[am] of the mountains may it[an] sway.[ao]
May its[ap] fruit trees[aq] flourish[ar] like the forests of Lebanon.[as]
May its crops[at] be as abundant[au] as the grass of the earth.[av]
17 May his fame endure.[aw]
May his dynasty last as long as the sun remains in the sky.[ax]
May they use his name when they formulate their blessings.[ay]
May all nations consider him to be favored by God.[az]
18 The Lord God, the God of Israel, deserves praise.[ba]
He alone accomplishes amazing things.[bb]
19 His glorious name deserves praise[bc] forevermore.
May his majestic splendor[bd] fill the whole earth.
We agree! We agree![be]
20 This collection of the prayers of David son of Jesse ends here.[bf]
7 Moreover,[a] the Lord says:
“Sing for joy for the descendants of Jacob.
Utter glad shouts for that foremost of the nations.[b]
Make your praises heard.[c]
Then say, ‘Lord, rescue your people.
Deliver those of Israel who remain alive.’[d]
8 Then I will reply,[e] ‘I will bring them back from the land of the north.
I will gather them in from the distant parts of the earth.
Blind and lame people will come with them,
so will pregnant women and women about to give birth.
A vast throng of people will come back here.
9 They will come back shedding tears of contrition.
I will bring them back praying prayers of repentance.[f]
I will lead them besides streams of water,
along smooth paths where they will never stumble.[g]
I will do this because I am Israel’s father;
Ephraim[h] is my firstborn son.’”
10 Listen to the Lord’s message, O nations.
Proclaim it in the faraway lands along the sea.
Say, “The one who scattered Israel will regather them.
He will watch over his people like a shepherd watches over his flock.”
11 For the Lord will rescue the descendants of Jacob.
He will secure their release[i] from those who had overpowered them.[j]
12 They will come and shout for joy on Mount Zion.
They will be radiant with joy[k] over the good things the Lord provides,
the grain, the fresh wine, the olive oil,
the young sheep, and the calves he has given to them.
They will be like a well-watered garden
and will not grow faint or weary any more.
13 The Lord says,[l] “At that time young women will dance and be glad.
Young men and old men will rejoice.[m]
I will turn their grief into gladness.
I will give them comfort and joy in place of their sorrow.
14 I will provide the priests with abundant provisions.[n]
My people will be filled to the full with the good things I provide.”
The Prologue to the Gospel
1 In the beginning[a] was the Word, and the Word was with God,[b] and the Word was fully God.[c] 2 The Word[d] was with God in the beginning. 3 All things were created[e] by him, and apart from him not one thing was created[f] that has been created.[g] 4 In him was life,[h] and the life was the light of mankind.[i] 5 And the light shines on[j] in the darkness,[k] but[l] the darkness has not mastered it.[m]
6 A man came, sent from God, whose name was John.[n] 7 He came as a witness[o] to testify[p] about the light, so that everyone[q] might believe through him. 8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify[r] about the light. 9 The true light, who gives light to everyone,[s] was coming into the world.[t]
10 He was in the world, and the world was created[a] by him, but[b] the world did not recognize[c] him. 11 He came to what was his own,[d] but[e] his own people[f] did not receive him.[g] 12 But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name[h]—he has given the right to become God’s children 13 —children not born[i] by human parents[j] or by human desire[k] or a husband’s[l] decision,[m] but by God.
14 Now[n] the Word became flesh[o] and took up residence[p] among us. We[q] saw his glory—the glory of the one and only,[r] full of grace and truth, who came from the Father. 15 John[s] testified[t] about him and shouted out,[u] “This one was the one about whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is greater than I am,[v] because he existed before me.’” 16 For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another.[w] 17 For the law was given through Moses, but[x] grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. The only one,[y] himself God, who is in closest fellowship with[z] the Father, has made God[aa] known.[ab]
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