Psalm 89:1-18

1I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever;

with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.

2I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;

your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.

3You said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one,

I have sworn to my servant David:

4'I will establish your descendants forever,

and build your throne for all generations.'" Selah

5Let the heavens praise your wonders, O LORD,

your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones.

6For who in the skies can be compared to the LORD?

Who among the heavenly beings is like the LORD,

7a God feared in the council of the holy ones,

great and awesome above all that are around him?

8O LORD God of hosts,

who is as mighty as you, O LORD?

Your faithfulness surrounds you.

9You rule the raging of the sea;

when its waves rise, you still them.

10You crushed Rahab like a carcass;

you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm.

11The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours;

the world and all that is in it — you have founded them.

12The north and the south — you created them;

Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name.

13You have a mighty arm;

strong is your hand, high your right hand.

14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;

steadfast love and faithfulness go before you.

15Happy are the people who know the festal shout,

who walk, O LORD, in the light of your countenance;

16they exult in your name all day long,

and extol your righteousness.

17For you are the glory of their strength;

by your favor our horn is exalted.

18For our shield belongs to the LORD,

Psalm 147:1-11

1Praise the Lord!

How good it is to sing praises to our God;

for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.

2The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

he gathers the outcasts of Israel.

3He heals the brokenhearted,

and binds up their wounds.

4He determines the number of the stars;

he gives to all of them their names.

5Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

his understanding is beyond measure.

6The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;

he casts the wicked to the ground.

7Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

make melody to our God on the lyre.

8He covers the heavens with clouds,

prepares rain for the earth,

makes grass grow on the hills.

9He gives to the animals their food,

and to the young ravens when they cry.

10His delight is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;

11but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,

in those who hope in his steadfast love.

4Now before this, the priest Eliashib, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, 5prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. 6While this was taking place I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon I went to the king. After some time I asked leave of the king 7and returned to Jerusalem. I then discovered the wrong that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah, preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the room. 9Then I gave orders and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them; so that the Levites and the singers, who had conducted the service, had gone back to their fields. 11So I remonstrated with the officials and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. 12Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses the priest Shelemiah, the scribe Zadok, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah, for they were considered faithful; and their duty was to distribute to their associates. 14Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.

15In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys; and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I warned them at that time against selling food. 16Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of merchandise and sold them on the sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 17Then I remonstrated with the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day? 18Did not your ancestors act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath."

19When it began to be dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the sabbath. And I set some of my servants over the gates, to prevent any burden from being brought in on the sabbath day. 20Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21But I warned them and said to them, "Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. 22And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

1:1In the second year of King Darius, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: 2Thus says the LORD of hosts: These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord's house. 3Then the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 4Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins? 5Now therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared. 6You have sown much, and harvested little; you eat, but you never have enough; you drink, but you never have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and you that earn wages earn wages to put them into a bag with holes.

7Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider how you have fared. 8Go up to the hills and bring wood and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored, says the LORD. 9You have looked for much, and, lo, it came to little; and when you brought it home, I blew it away. Why? says the LORD of hosts. Because my house lies in ruins, while all of you hurry off to your own houses. 10Therefore the heavens above you have withheld the dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11And I have called for a drought on the land and the hills, on the grain, the new wine, the oil, on what the soil produces, on human beings and animals, and on all their labors.

12Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, obeyed the voice of the LORD their God, and the words of the prophet Haggai, as the LORD their God had sent him; and the people feared the LORD. 13Then Haggai, the messenger of the LORD, spoke to the people with the Lord's message, saying, I am with you, says the LORD. 14And the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the LORD of hosts, their God, 15on the twenty-fourth day of the month, in the sixth month.

2:1In the second year of King Darius, in the seventh month, on the twenty-first day of the month, the word of the LORD came by the prophet Haggai, saying: 2Speak now to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people, and say, 3Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? 4Yet now take courage, O Zerubbabel, says the LORD; take courage, O Joshua, son of Jehozadak, the high priest; take courage, all you people of the land, says the LORD; work, for I am with you, says the LORD of hosts, 5according to the promise that I made you when you came out of Egypt. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. 6For thus says the LORD of hosts: Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and the dry land; 7and I will shake all the nations, so that the treasure of all nations shall come, and I will fill this house with splendor, says the LORD of hosts. 8The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, says the LORD of hosts. 9The latter splendor of this house shall be greater than the former, says the LORD of hosts; and in this place I will give prosperity, says the LORD of hosts.

1A great portent appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2She was pregnant and was crying out in birthpangs, in the agony of giving birth. 3Then another portent appeared in heaven: a great red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. 4His tail swept down a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bear a child, so that he might devour her child as soon as it was born. 5And she gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. But her child was snatched away and taken to God and to his throne; 6and the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, so that there she can be nourished for one thousand two hundred sixty days.

7And war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. The dragon and his angels fought back, 8but they were defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9The great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world — he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, proclaiming,

"Now have come the salvation and the power

and the kingdom of our God

and the authority of his Messiah,

for the accuser of our comrades has been thrown down,

who accuses them day and night before our God.

11But they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony,

for they did not cling to life even in the face of death.

12Rejoice then, you heavens

and those who dwell in them!

But woe to the earth and the sea,

for the devil has come down to you

with great wrath,

because he knows that his time is short!"

53When Jesus had finished these parables, he left that place.

54He came to his home town and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, "Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? 55Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? 56And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?" 57And they took offence at him. But Jesus said to them, "Prophets are not without honour except in their own country and in their own house." 58And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.

Psalm 1

1Happy are those

who do not follow the advice of the wicked,

or take the path that sinners tread,

or sit in the seat of scoffers;

2but their delight is in the law of the LORD,

and on his law they meditate day and night.

3They are like trees

planted by streams of water,

which yield their fruit in its season,

and their leaves do not wither.

In all that they do, they prosper.

4The wicked are not so,

but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,

nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;

6for the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,

but the way of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 33

1Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous.

Praise befits the upright.

2Praise the LORD with the lyre;

make melody to him with the harp of ten strings.

3Sing to him a new song;

play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4For the word of the LORD is upright,

and all his work is done in faithfulness.

5He loves righteousness and justice;

the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

6By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,

and all their host by the breath of his mouth.

7He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle;

he put the deeps in storehouses.

8Let all the earth fear the LORD;

let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

9For he spoke, and it came to be;

he commanded, and it stood firm.

10The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;

he frustrates the plans of the peoples.

11The counsel of the LORD stands forever,

the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

12Happy is the nation whose God is the LORD,

the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.

13The LORD looks down from heaven;

he sees all humankind.

14From where he sits enthroned he watches

all the inhabitants of the earth —

15he who fashions the hearts of them all,

and observes all their deeds.

16A king is not saved by his great army;

a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.

17The war horse is a vain hope for victory,

and by its great might it cannot save.

18Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him,

on those who hope in his steadfast love,

19to deliver their soul from death,

and to keep them alive in famine.

20Our soul waits for the LORD;

he is our help and shield.

21Our heart is glad in him,

because we trust in his holy name.

22Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,

even as we hope in you.