Psalm 46; Jeremiah 23:1–6; Luke 23:33–43; Colossians 1:11–20

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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


Jeremiah 23:1–6

The Righteous Branch

uWoe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! declares the Lord. Therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning uthe shepherds who care for my people: You have scattered my flock and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. vBehold, I will attend to you for your evil deeds, declares the Lord. wThen I will gather the remnant of my flock xout of all the countries where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, yand they shall be fruitful and multiply. zI will set shepherds over them who will care for them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall any be missing, declares the Lord.

aBehold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous bBranch, and che shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and dIsrael will edwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: fThe Lord is our righteousness.


Luke 23:33–43

33 qAnd when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, pone on his right and one on his left. 34 And Jesus said, Father, rforgive them, sfor they know not what they do.1 And they cast lots tto divide his garments. 35 And uthe people stood by, watching, vbut wthe rulers xscoffed at him, saying, yHe saved others; zlet him save himself, aif he is bthe Christ of God, chis Chosen One! 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and doffering him sour wine 37 and saying, eIf you are fthe King of the Jews, save yourself! 38 gThere was also an inscription over him,2 This is fthe King of the Jews.

39 hOne of the criminals who were hanged irailed at him,3 saying, Are you not jthe Christ? Save yourself and us! 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong. 42 And he said, Jesus, remember me kwhen you come into your kingdom. 43 And he said to him, Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in lparadise.


Colossians 1:11–20

11 ybeing strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for zall endurance and patience awith joy; 12 bgiving thanks1 to the Father, who has qualified you2 to share in cthe inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He dhas delivered us from ethe domain of darkness and transferred us to fthe kingdom of ghis beloved Son, 14 hin whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

The Preeminence of Christ

15 iHe is the image of jthe invisible God, kthe firstborn of all creation. 16 For by3 him all things were created, lin heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether mthrones or ndominions or rulers or authoritiesall things were created othrough him and for him. 17 And phe is before all things, and in him all things qhold together. 18 And rhe is the head of the body, the church. He is sthe beginning, tthe firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For uin him all the vfullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and wthrough him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, xmaking peace yby the blood of his cross.