Genesis 1–2:4; Psalm 136:1–9; Psalm 136:23–26; Genesis 7:1–5; Genesis 7:11–18; Genesis 8:6–18; Genesis 9:8–13; Psalm 46; Genesis 22:1–18; Psalm 16; Exodus 14:10–31; Exodus 15:20–21; Exodus 15:1–13; Exodus 15:17–18; Isaiah 55:1–11; Isaiah 12:2–6; Proverbs 8:1–8; Proverbs 8:19–21; Proverbs 9:4–6; Psalm 19; Ezekiel 36:24–28; Psalm 42; Psalm 43; Ezekiel 37:1–14; Psalm 143; Zephaniah 3:14–20; Psalm 98; Romans 6:3–11; Psalm 114; Luke 24:1–12

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Genesis 1–2:4

The Creation of the World

In the abeginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was bwithout form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.

And God said, cLet there be light, and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.

And God said, dLet there be an expanse1 in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters. And God made2 the expanse and eseparated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were fabove the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven.3 And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

And God said, gLet the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear. And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth,4 and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, hLet the earth sprout vegetation, plants5 yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth. And it was so. 12 The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 13 And there was evening and there was morning, the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for isigns and for jseasons,6 and for days and years, 15 and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth. And it was so. 16 And God kmade the two great lightsthe greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the nightand the stars. 17 And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 to lrule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. 19 And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day.

20 And God said, Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds7 fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens. 21 So mGod created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. 22 And God blessed them, saying, nBe fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth. 23 And there was evening and there was morning, the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth living creatures according to their kindslivestock and creeping things and beasts of the earth according to their kinds. And it was so. 25 And God made the beasts of the earth according to their kinds and the livestock according to their kinds, and everything that creeps on the ground according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.

26 Then God said, oLet us make man8 in our image, pafter our likeness. And qlet them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.

27  So God created man in his own image,

in the image of God he created him;

rmale and female he created them.

28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, sBe fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. tYou shall have them for food. 30 And uto every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. 31 vAnd God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

The Seventh Day, God Rests

Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and wall the host of them. And xon the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.

The Creation of Man and Woman

yThese are the generations

of the heavens and the earth when they were created,

in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.


Psalm 136:1–9

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

wGive thanks to the Lord, for he is good,

xfor his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to ythe God of gods,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

Give thanks to ythe Lord of lords,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who alone zdoes great wonders,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who aby understanding bmade the heavens,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who cspread out the earth dabove the waters,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

to him who emade the great lights,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

the sun to rule over the day,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

the moon and stars to rule over the night,

for his steadfast love endures forever;


Psalm 136:23–26

23  It is he who oremembered us in our low estate,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

24  and prescued us from our foes,

for his steadfast love endures forever;

25  he who qgives food to all flesh,

for his steadfast love endures forever.

26  Give thanks to rthe God of heaven,

for his steadfast love endures forever.


Genesis 7:1–5

Then the Lord said to Noah, pGo into the ark, you and all your household, for I have seen that qyou are righteous before me in this generation. Take with you seven pairs of all rclean animals,1 the male and his mate, and a pair of the animals that are not clean, the male and his mate, and seven pairs2 of the birds of the heavens also, male and female, to keep their offspring alive on the face of all the earth. For in seven days sI will send rain on the earth forty days and forty nights, tand every living thing3 that I have made I will blot out from the face of the ground. uAnd Noah did all that the Lord had commanded him.


Genesis 7:11–18

11 In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the vfountains of the great deep burst forth, and wthe windows of the heavens were opened. 12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 On the very same day Noah and his sons, Shem and Ham and Japheth, and Noah’s wife and the three wives of his sons with them entered the ark, 14 they and every beast, according to its kind, and all the livestock according to their kinds, and every creeping thing that creeps on the earth, according to its kind, and every bird, according to its kind, every winged creature. 15 They xwent into the ark with Noah, two and two of all flesh in which there was the breath of life. 16 And those that entered, male and female of all flesh, went in yas God had commanded him. And the Lord shut him in.

17 The flood zcontinued forty days on the earth. The waters increased and bore up the ark, and it rose high above the earth. 18 The waters prevailed and increased greatly on the earth, and the ark floated on the face of the waters.


Genesis 8:6–18

At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made and sent forth a raven. It went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground. But the dove found no place to set her foot, and she returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took her and brought her into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark. 11 And the dove came back to him in the evening, and behold, in her mouth was a freshly plucked olive leaf. So Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days and sent forth the dove, and she did not return to him anymore.

13 In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. 14 In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. 15 Then God said to Noah, 16 Go out from the ark, iyou and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. 17 Bring out with you every living thing that is with you of all fleshbirds and animals and every creeping thing that creeps on the earththat they may swarm on the earth, and jbe fruitful and multiply on the earth. 18 So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him.


Genesis 9:8–13

Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, Behold, zI establish my covenant with you and your offspring after you, 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark; it is for every beast of the earth. 11 aI establish my covenant with you, that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters of the flood, and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth. 12 And God said, bThis is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set cmy bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth.


Psalm 46

God Is Our Fortress

To the choirmaster. Of athe Sons of Korah. According to bAlamoth.1 A Song.

God is our crefuge and strength,

a very dpresent2 help in etrouble.

Therefore we will not fear fthough the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into gthe heart of the sea,

though hits waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is ia river whose streams make glad jthe city of God,

the holy khabitation of the Most High.

lGod is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

mThe nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he nutters his voice, the earth omelts.

pThe Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

qCome, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

rHe makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he sbreaks the bow and shatters the spear;

the burns the chariots with fire.

10  uBe still, and know that I am God.

vI will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

11  pThe Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah


Genesis 22:1–18

The Sacrifice of Isaac

After these things kGod tested Abraham and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. He said, Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to lthe land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you. So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy1 will go over there and worship and come again to you. And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and mlaid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, My father! And he said, Here I am, my son. He said, Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? Abraham said, nGod will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son. So they went both of them together.

When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and olaid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. 12 He said, pDo not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for qnow I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me. 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, rThe Lord will provide;2 as it is said to this day, On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.3

15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, sBy myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring tas the stars of heaven and uas the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess vthe gate of his4 enemies, 18 and win your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, xbecause you have obeyed my voice.


Psalm 16

You Will Not Abandon My Soul

A hMiktam1 of David.

Preserve me, O God, for in you I itake refuge.

I say to the Lord, You are my Lord;

jI have no good apart from you.

As for kthe saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,

in whom is all my delight.2

The sorrows of those who run after3 another god shall multiply;

their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out

or ltake their names on my lips.

The Lord is mmy chosen portion and my ncup;

you hold my olot.

pThe lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the Lord who qgives me counsel;

in rthe night also my sheart instructs me.4

tI have uset the Lord always before me;

because he is at my vright hand, I shall not be wshaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my xwhole being5 rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

10  For you will not abandon my soul to ySheol,

zor let your aholy one see bcorruption.6

11  You make known to me cthe path of life;

in your presence there is dfullness of joy;

at your right hand are epleasures forevermore.


Exodus 14:10–31

10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel dcried out to the Lord. 11 They esaid to Moses, Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what fwe said to you in Egypt: Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. 13 And Moses said to the people, gFear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For hthe Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 iThe Lord will fight for you, and you have only jto be silent.

15 The Lord said to Moses, Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 kLift up your staff, and kstretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17 And lI will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and mI will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians nshall know that I am the Lord, mwhen I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.

19 oThen the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20 coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night1 without one coming near the other all night.

21 Then Moses kstretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by pa strong east wind all night and qmade the sea dry land, and the waters were rdivided. 22 And sthe people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being ta wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging2 their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, Let us flee from before Israel, for the uLord fights for them against the Egyptians.

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, vStretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. 27 wSo Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea xreturned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord ythrew3 the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28 The zwaters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea, anot one of them remained. 29 But the bpeople of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 Thus the Lord csaved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 dIsrael saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord, and they ebelieved in the Lord and in his servant Moses.


Exodus 15:20–21

20 Then vMiriam wthe prophetess, the xsister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and yall the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21 And Miriam sang to them:

zSing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.


Exodus 15:1–13

The Song of Moses

Then Moses and the people of Israel fsang this song to the Lord, saying,

gI will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider1 he has thrown into the sea.

hThe Lord is my strength and my isong,

and he has become jmy salvation;

this is my God, and I will praise him,

kmy father’s God, and lI will exalt him.

The Lord is ma man of war;

nthe Lord is his name.

oPharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea,

and his chosen pofficers were sunk in the Red Sea.

The qfloods covered them;

they rwent down into the depths like a stone.

sYour right hand, O Lord, glorious in power,

your right hand, O Lord, tshatters the enemy.

In the ugreatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;

you send out your fury; it vconsumes them like stubble.

At the wblast of your nostrils the waters piled up;

the xfloods stood up in a heap;

the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

The enemy said, yI will pursue, I will overtake,

I zwill divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.

I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.

10  You ablew with your wind; the bsea covered them;

they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11  cWho is like you, O Lord, among the gods?

Who is like you, majestic in holiness,

awesome in dglorious deeds, edoing wonders?

12  You stretched out fyour right hand;

the earth swallowed them.

13  You have gled in your steadfast love the people whom hyou have redeemed;

you have iguided them by your strength to your holy abode.


Exodus 15:17–18

17  You will bring them in and qplant them on your own mountain,

the place, O Lord, which you have made for your abode,

rthe sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.

18  sThe Lord will reign forever and ever.


Isaiah 55:1–11

The Compassion of the Lord

dCome, everyone who thirsts,

come to the waters;

and he who has no money,

ecome, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without price.

fWhy do you spend your money for that which is not bread,

and your labor for that which does not satisfy?

Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good,

and delight yourselves in rich food.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

ghear, that your soul may live;

hand I will make with you an everlasting covenant,

imy steadfast, sure love for jDavid.

kBehold, I made him a witness to the peoples,

la leader and commander for the peoples.

kBehold, you shall call a nation that you do not know,

and ma nation that did not know you shall run to you,

because of the Lord your God, and of the Holy One of Israel,

nfor he has glorified you.

oSeek the Lord while he may be found;

call upon him while he is near;

let the wicked forsake his way,

and the unrighteous man his thoughts;

let him return to the Lord, that he may have compassion on him,

and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.

pFor as the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

10  qFor as the rain and the snow come down from heaven

and do not return there but water the earth,

making it bring forth and sprout,

rgiving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

11  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;

it shall not return to me empty,

but sit shall accomplish that which I purpose,

and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.


Isaiah 12:2–6

Behold, God is my salvation;

I will trust, and will not be afraid;

for wthe Lord God1 is my strength and my song,

and he has become my salvation.

xWith joy you2 will draw water from the wells of salvation. yAnd you will say in that day:

zGive thanks to the Lord,

call upon his name,

amake known his deeds among the peoples,

proclaim bthat his name is exalted.

cSing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;

let this be made known3 in all the earth.

Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,

for great din your4 midst is ethe Holy One of Israel.


Proverbs 8:1–8

The Blessings of Wisdom

Does not lwisdom call?

Does not munderstanding raise her voice?

On nthe heights beside the way,

at the crossroads she takes her stand;

beside othe gates in front of pthe town,

at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:

To you, O qmen, I call,

and my cry is to qthe children of man.

O rsimple ones, learn sprudence;

O tfools, learn sense.

Hear, for I will speak unoble things,

and from my lips will come vwhat is right,

for my wmouth will utter truth;

wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

All the words of my mouth are righteous;

there is nothing xtwisted or crooked in them.


Proverbs 8:19–21

19  My fruit is pbetter than qgold, even fine gold,

and my yield than rchoice silver.

20  I walk in the way of righteousness,

in the paths of justice,

21  granting an inheritance to those who love me,

and filling their treasuries.


Proverbs 9:4–6

eWhoever is simple, let him turn in here!

fTo him who lacks sense she says,

Come, geat of my bread

and hdrink of zthe wine I have mixed.

Leave iyour simple ways,1 and jlive,

kand walk in the way of insight.


Psalm 19

The Law of the Lord Is Perfect

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

iThe heavens declare the glory of God,

and the sky above1 proclaims his handiwork.

Day to day pours out speech,

and night to night reveals knowledge.

There is no speech, nor are there words,

whose voice is not heard.

jTheir kvoice2 goes out through all the earth,

and their words to the end of the world.

In them he has set a tent for lthe sun,

mwhich comes out like na bridegroom leaving his chamber,

and, like a strong man, runs its course with joy.

Its rising is from the end of the heavens,

and its circuit to the end of them,

and there is nothing hidden from its heat.

oThe law of the Lord is perfect,3

previving the soul;

qthe testimony of the Lord is rsure,

smaking wise tthe simple;

uthe precepts of the Lord are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the Lord is vpure,

wenlightening the eyes;

the fear of the Lord is clean,

enduring forever;

the rules4 of the Lord are xtrue,

and righteous altogether.

10  More to be desired are they than ygold,

even much zfine gold;

asweeter also than honey

and drippings of bthe honeycomb.

11  Moreover, by them is your servant warned;

cin keeping them there is great reward.

12  dWho can discern his errors?

eDeclare me innocent from fhidden faults.

13  gKeep back your servant also from hpresumptuous sins;

let them not have idominion over me!

Then I shall be blameless,

and innocent of great transgression.

14  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

be acceptable in your sight,

O Lord, my jrock and my kredeemer.


Ezekiel 36:24–28

24 bI will take you cfrom the nations and gather you from all the countries and dbring you into your own land. 25 eI will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from fall your uncleannesses, and gfrom all your idols hI will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you ia new heart, and ia new spirit I will put within you. iAnd I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 jAnd I will put my Spirit within you, iand cause you to walk in my statutes and kbe careful to obey my rules.1 28 lYou shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and myou shall be my people, and I will be your God.


Psalm 42

Book Two

Why Are You Cast Down, O My Soul?

To the choirmaster. A Maskil1 of sthe Sons of Korah.

tAs a deer pants for flowing streams,

so pants my soul for you, O God.

uMy soul thirsts for God,

for vthe living God.

When shall I come and wappear before God?2

xMy tears have been my food

day and night,

ywhile they say to me all the day long,

Where is your God?

These things I remember,

as I zpour out my soul:

ahow I would go bwith the throng

and lead them in procession to the house of God

with glad shouts and songs of praise,

ca multitude keeping festival.

dWhy are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you ein turmoil within me?

fHope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation3 and my God.

My soul is cast down within me;

therefore I gremember you

hfrom the land of Jordan and of iHermon,

from Mount Mizar.

Deep calls to deep

at the roar of your waterfalls;

jall your breakers and your kwaves

have gone over me.

By day the Lord lcommands his steadfast love,

and at mnight his song is with me,

a prayer to the God of my life.

I say to God, nmy rock:

Why have you forgotten me?

oWhy do I go mourning

because of the oppression of the enemy?

10  As with a deadly wound in my bones,

my adversaries taunt me,

pwhile they say to me all the day long,

Where is your God?

11  qWhy are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God.


Psalm 43

Send Out Your Light and Your Truth

rVindicate me, O God, and sdefend my cause

against an ungodly people,

from tthe deceitful and unjust man

deliver me!

For you are uthe God in whom I take refuge;

why have you vrejected me?

Why do I wgo about mourning

because of the oppression of the enemy?

xSend out your light and your truth;

let them lead me;

let them bring me to your yholy hill

and to your zdwelling!

Then I will go to the altar of God,

to God my exceeding joy,

and I will praise you with the lyre,

O God, my God.

aWhy are you cast down, O my soul,

and why are you in turmoil within me?

bHope in God; for I shall again praise him,

my salvation and my God.


Ezekiel 37:1–14

The Valley of Dry Bones

dThe hand of the Lord was upon me, and ehe brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley;1 it was full of bones. And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. And he said to me, fSon of man, gcan these bones live? And hI answered, O Lord God, you know. Then he said to me, iProphesy over these bones, and say to them, jO dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause kbreath2 to enter you, and you shall live. lAnd I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and lcover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, mand you shall know that I am the Lord.

So I prophesied nas I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, oa rattling,3 and the bones came together, bone to its bone. And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But pthere was no breath in them. Then he said to me, iProphesy to the breath; prophesy, fson of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from qthe four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live. 10 So I prophesied nas he commanded me, and rthe breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.

11 Then he said to me, fSon of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, Our bones are dried up, and sour hope is lost; twe are indeed cut off. 12 Therefore iprophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, uI will open your graves and raise you from your graves, O my people. And vI will bring you into the land of Israel. 13 And wyou shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and raise you from your graves, O my people. 14 And xI will put my Spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I am the Lord; yI have spoken, and I will do it, declares the Lord.


Psalm 143

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David.

Hear my prayer, O Lord;

cgive ear to my pleas for mercy!

In your dfaithfulness answer me, in your drighteousness!

eEnter not into judgment with your servant,

for no one living is righteous fbefore you.

For the enemy has pursued my soul;

ghe has crushed my life to the ground;

hhe has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.

Therefore my spirit ifaints within me;

my heart within me is appalled.

jI remember the days of old;

kI meditate on all that you have done;

I ponder the work of your hands.

lI stretch out my hands to you;

mmy soul thirsts for you like na parched land. Selah

oAnswer me quickly, O Lord!

pMy spirit fails!

qHide not your face from me,

rlest I be like those who go down to the pit.

sLet me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,

for in you I ttrust.

uMake me know the way I should go,

vfor to you I lift up my soul.

wDeliver me from my enemies, O Lord!

I have fled to you for refuge.1

10  xTeach me to do your will,

for you are my God!

yLet your good Spirit zlead me

on alevel ground!

11  bFor your name’s sake, O Lord, cpreserve my life!

In your righteousness dbring my soul out of trouble!

12  And in your steadfast love you will ecut off my enemies,

and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,

for I am your fservant.


Zephaniah 3:14–20

Israel’s Joy and Restoration

14  jSing aloud, O daughter of Zion;

shout, O Israel!

Rejoice and exult with all your heart,

O daughter of Jerusalem!

15  The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;

he has cleared away your enemies.

kThe King of Israel, lthe Lord, is in your midst;

you shall never again fear evil.

16  zOn that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:

Fear not, O Zion;

mlet not your hands grow weak.

17  lThe Lord your God is in your midst,

na mighty one who will save;

ohe will rejoice over you with gladness;

he will quiet you by his love;

he will exult over you with loud singing.

18  I will gather those of you who mourn pfor the festival,

so that you will no longer suffer reproach.1

19  Behold, at that time qI will deal

with all your oppressors.

And rI will save the lame

and gather the outcast,

and I will change stheir shame into tpraise

and renown in all the earth.

20  uAt that time I will bring you in,

at the time when I gather you together;

for I will make you renowned and praised

among all the peoples of the earth,

vwhen I restore your fortunes

before your eyes, says the Lord.


Psalm 98

Make a Joyful Noise to the Lord

A Psalm.

Oh sing to the Lord ya new song,

for he has done zmarvelous things!

His aright hand and his holy arm

have worked salvation for him.

The Lord has bmade known his salvation;

he has crevealed his righteousness in dthe sight of the nations.

He has eremembered his fsteadfast love and faithfulness

to the house of Israel.

All gthe ends of the earth have seen

hthe salvation of our God.

iMake a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth;

jbreak forth into joyous song and sing praises!

Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre,

with the lyre and the ksound of melody!

With ltrumpets and the sound of mthe horn

imake a joyful noise before the King, the Lord!

nLet the sea roar, and oall that fills it;

othe world and those who dwell in it!

Let the rivers pclap their hands;

let qthe hills sing for joy together

before the Lord, for he comes

to rjudge the earth.

He will judge the world with righteousness,

and the peoples with equity.


Romans 6:3–11

Do you not know that all of us owho have been baptized pinto Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were qburied therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as rChrist was raised from the dead by sthe glory of the Father, we too might walk in tnewness of life.

For uif we have been united with him in va death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that wour old self1 xwas crucified with him in order that ythe body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For zone who has died ahas been set free2 from sin. Now bif we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that cChrist, being raised from the dead, will never die again; ddeath no longer has dominion over him. 10 For the death he died he died to sin, eonce for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves fdead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.


Psalm 114

Tremble at the Presence of the Lord

When pIsrael went out from Egypt,

the house of Jacob from qa people of strange language,

Judah became his rsanctuary,

Israel his dominion.

sThe sea looked and fled;

tJordan turned back.

uThe mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs.

What vails you, O sea, that you flee?

O Jordan, that you turn back?

O mountains, that you skip like rams?

O hills, like lambs?

wTremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,

at the presence of the God of Jacob,

who turns xthe rock into ya pool of water,

zthe flint into a spring of water.


Luke 24:1–12

The Resurrection

hBut on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, itaking the spices they had prepared. And they found jthe stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, ktwo lmen stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were mfrightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, nwhile he was still in Galilee, nthat the Son of Man omust be delivered into the hands of sinful men and pbe crucified and on qthe third day rise. And rthey remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they stold all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. 10 Now it was tMary Magdalene and uJoanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, 11 but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and vthey did not believe them. 12 But wPeter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw xthe linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.