Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
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.”
12 Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem.
Praise your God, O Zion.
13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong.
He blesses your children[a] within you.
14 He[b] brings peace to your territory.[c]
He abundantly provides for you[d] the best grain.
15 He[e] sends his command through the earth;[f]
swiftly his order reaches its destination.[g]
16 He sends the snow that is white like wool;
he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.[h]
17 He throws his hailstones[i] like crumbs.
Who can withstand the cold wind he sends?[j]
18 He then orders it all to melt;[k]
he breathes on it,[l] and the water flows.
19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and regulations to Israel.
20 He has not done so with any other nation;
they are not aware of his regulations.
Praise the Lord!
Spiritual Blessings in Christ
3 Blessed[a] is[b] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed[c] us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in Christ. 4 For[d] he chose us in Christ[e] before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and blameless[f] before him[g] in love.[h] 5 He did this by predestining[i] us to adoption as his[j] legal heirs[k] through Jesus Christ, according to the pleasure[l] of his will— 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace[m] that he has freely bestowed on us in his dearly loved Son.[n] 7 In him[o] we have redemption through his blood,[p] the forgiveness of our offenses,[q] according to the riches of his grace 8 that he lavished on us in all wisdom and insight. 9 He did this when he revealed[r] to us the mystery[s] of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth[t] in Christ,[u] 10 toward the administration of the fullness of the times, to head up[v] all things in Christ—the things in heaven[w] and the things on earth.[x] 11 In Christ[y] we too have been claimed as God’s own possession,[z] since we were predestined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to the counsel of his will 12 so that we, who were the first to set our hope[aa] on Christ,[ab] would be to the praise of his glory. 13 And when[ac] you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation)—when you believed in Christ[ad]—you were marked with the seal[ae] of the promised Holy Spirit,[af] 14 who is the down payment[ag] of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession,[ah] to the praise of his glory.
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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