1,2I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple.
16-18At my preliminary hearing no one stood by me. They all ran like scared rabbits. But it doesn’t matter—the Master stood by me and helped me spread the Message loud and clear to those who had never heard it. I was snatched from the jaws of the lion! God’s looking after me, keeping me safe in the kingdom of heaven. All praise to him, praise forever! Oh, yes!
1-4I, Paul, am God’s slave and Christ’s agent for promoting the faith among God’s chosen people, getting out the accurate word on God and how to respond rightly to it. My aim is to raise hopes by pointing the way to life without end. This is the life God promised long ago—and he doesn’t break promises! And then when the time was ripe, he went public with his truth. I’ve been entrusted to proclaim this Message by order of our Savior, God himself. Dear Titus, legitimate son in the faith: Receive everything God our Father and Jesus our Savior give you!
10-16For there are a lot of rebels out there, full of loose, confusing, and deceiving talk. Those who were brought up religious and ought to know better are the worst. They’ve got to be shut up. They’re disrupting entire families with their teaching, and all for the sake of a fast buck. One of their own prophets said it best:The Cretans are liars from the womb,barking dogs, lazy bellies.He certainly spoke the truth. Get on them right away. Stop that diseased talk of Jewish make-believe and made-up rules so they can recover a robust faith. Everything is clean to the clean-minded; nothing is clean to dirty-minded unbelievers. They leave their dirty fingerprints on every thought and act. They say they know God, but their actions speak louder than their words. They’re real creeps, disobedient good-for-nothings.
11-13It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
14-16Taking a good look at them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests."They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.
17-19Jesus said, "Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?" Then he said to him, "Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you."
11"Are your ears awake? Listen. Listen to the Wind Words, the Spirit blowing through the churches. Christ-conquerors are safe from Devil-death."
12Write this to Pergamum, to the Angel of the church. The One with the sharp-biting sword draws from the sheath of his mouth—out come the sword words:
19"I see everything you’re doing for me. Impressive! The love and the faith, the service and persistence. Yes, very impressive! You get better at it every day.
2"Yes, indeed—God is my salvation.I trust, I won’t be afraid.God—yes God!—is my strength and song,best of all, my salvation!"
3,4Joyfully you’ll pull up buckets of waterfrom the wells of salvation.And as you do it, you’ll say,"Give thanks to God.Call out his name.Ask him anything!Shout to the nations, tell them what he’s done,spread the news of his great reputation!
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5,6"Sing praise-songs to God. He’s done it all!Let the whole earth know what he’s done!Raise the roof! Sing your hearts out, O Zion!The Greatest lives among you: The Holy of Israel."
2-6This is the way God put it:"They found grace out in the desert,these people who survived the killing.Israel, out looking for a place to rest,met God out looking for them!"God told them, "I’ve never quit loving you and never will.Expect love, love, and more love!And so now I’ll start over with you and build you up again,dear virgin Israel.You’ll resume your singing,grabbing tambourines and joining the dance.You’ll go back to your old work of planting vineyardson the Samaritan hillsides,And sit back and enjoy the fruit—oh, how you’ll enjoy those harvests!The time’s coming when watchmen will call outfrom the hilltops of Ephraim:‘On your feet! Let’s go to Zion,go to meet our God!’"* * *
7Oh yes, God says so:"Shout for joy at the top of your lungs for Jacob!Announce the good news to the number-one nation!Raise cheers! Sing praises. Say,‘God has saved his people,saved the core of Israel.’
10-14"Hear this, nations! God’s Message!Broadcast this all over the world!Tell them, ‘The One who scattered Israelwill gather them together again.From now on he’ll keep a careful eye on them,like a shepherd with his flock.’I, God, will pay a stiff ransom price for Jacob;I’ll free him from the grip of the Babylonian bully.The people will climb up Zion’s slopes shouting with joy,their faces beaming because of God’s bounty—Grain and wine and oil,flocks of sheep, herds of cattle.Their lives will be like a well-watered garden,never again left to dry up.Young women will dance and be happy,young men and old men will join in.I’ll convert their weeping into laughter,lavishing comfort, invading their grief with joy.I’ll make sure that their priests get three square meals a dayand that my people have more than enough.’" God’s Decree.* * *
1,2Come, let’s shout praises to God,raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!Let’s march into his presence singing praises,lifting the rafters with our hymns!
16"The one who listens to you, listens to me. The one who rejects you, rejects me. And rejecting me is the same as rejecting God, who sent me."
18-20Jesus said, "I know. I saw Satan fall, a bolt of lightning out of the sky. See what I’ve given you? Safe passage as you walk on snakes and scorpions, and protection from every assault of the Enemy. No one can put a hand on you. All the same, the great triumph is not in your authority over evil, but in God’s authority over you and presence with you. Not what you do for God but what God does for you—that’s the agenda for rejoicing."
28"Good answer!" said Jesus. "Do it and you’ll live."
15-17Clearly, you are a God who works behind the scenes,God of Israel, Savior God.Humiliated, all those otherswill be ashamed to show their faces in public.Out of work and at loose ends, the makers of no-god idolswon’t know what to do with themselves.The people of Israel, though, are saved by you, God,saved with an eternal salvation.They won’t be ashamed,they won’t be at loose ends, ever.
2I’m letting you know what I need,calling out for helpAnd lifting my armstoward your inner sanctuary.
6,7Blessed be God—he heard me praying.He proved he’s on my side;I’ve thrown my lot in with him.Now I’m jumping for joy,and shouting and singing my thanks to him.
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8,9God is all strength for his people,ample refuge for his chosen leader;Save your peopleand bless your heritage.Care for them;carry them like a good shepherd.
7-9I’ll make a list of God’s gracious dealings,all the things God has done that need praising,All the generous bounties of God,his great goodness to the family of Israel—Compassion lavished,love extravagant.He said, "Without question these are my people,children who would never betray me."So he became their Savior.In all their troubles,he was troubled, too.He didn’t send someone else to help them.He did it himself, in person.Out of his own love and pityhe redeemed them.He rescued them and carried them alongfor a long, long time.
21,22"Remember these things, O Jacob.Take it seriously, Israel, that you’re my servant.I made you, shaped you: You’re my servant.O Israel, I’ll never forget you.I’ve wiped the slate of all your wrongdoings.There’s nothing left of your sins.Come back to me, come back.I’ve redeemed you."
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23High heavens, sing!God has done it.Deep earth, shout!And you mountains, sing!A forest choir of oaks and pines and cedars!God has redeemed Jacob.God’s glory is on display in Israel.
24God, your Redeemer,who shaped your life in your mother’s womb, says:"I am God. I made all that is.With no help from you I spread out the skiesand laid out the earth."
1-3I run for dear life to God,I’ll never live to regret it.Do what you do so well:get me out of this mess and up on my feet.Put your ear to the ground and listen,give me space for salvation.Be a guest room where I can retreat;you said your door was always open!You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.
8-11Just as each day brims with your beauty,my mouth brims with praise.But don’t turn me out to pasture when I’m oldor put me on the shelf when I can’t pull my weight.My enemies are talking behind my back,watching for their chance to knife me.The gossip is: "God has abandoned him.Pounce on him now; no one will help him."
17-24You got me when I was an unformed youth,God, and taught me everything I know.Now I’m telling the world your wonders;I’ll keep at it until I’m old and gray.God, don’t walk off and leave meuntil I get out the newsOf your strong right arm to this world,news of your power to the world yet to come,Your famous and righteousways, O God.God, you’ve done it all!Who is quite like you?You, who made me stare trouble in the face,Turn me around;Now let me look life in the face.I’ve been to the bottom;Bring me up, streaming with honors;turn to me, be tender to me,And I’ll take up the lute and thank youto the tune of your faithfulness, God.I’ll make music for you on a harp,Holy One of Israel.When I open up in song to you,I let out lungsful of praise,my rescued life a song.All day long I’m chantingabout you and your righteous ways,While those who tried to do me inslink off looking ashamed.
1,2Hallelujah!O my soul, praise God!All my life long I’ll praise God,singing songs to my God as long as I live.
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3-9Don’t put your life in the hands of expertswho know nothing of life, of salvation life.Mere humans don’t have what it takes;when they die, their projects die with them.Instead, get help from the God of Jacob,put your hope in God and know real blessing!God made sky and soil,sea and all the fish in it.He always does what he says—he defends the wronged,he feeds the hungry.God frees prisoners—he gives sight to the blind,he lifts up the fallen.God loves good people, protects strangers,takes the side of orphans and widows,but makes short work of the wicked.
10God’s in charge—always.Zion’s God is God for good!Hallelujah!
1,2Wake up, wake up! Pull on your boots, Zion!Dress up in your Sunday best, Jerusalem, holy city!Those who want no part of God have been culled out.They won’t be coming along.Brush off the dust and get to your feet, captive Jerusalem!Throw off your chains, captive daughter of Zion!
7-10How beautiful on the mountainsare the feet of the messenger bringing good news,Breaking the news that all’s well,proclaiming good times, announcing salvation,telling Zion, "Your God reigns!"Voices! Listen! Your scouts are shouting, thunderclap shouts,shouting in joyful unison.They see with their own eyesGod coming back to Zion.Break into song! Boom it out, ruins of Jerusalem:"God has comforted his people!He’s redeemed Jerusalem!"God has rolled up his sleeves.All the nations can see his holy, muscled arm.Everyone, from one end of the earth to the other,sees him at work, doing his salvation work.
11,12Out of here! Out of here! Leave this place!Don’t look back. Don’t contaminate yourselves with plunder.Just leave, but leave clean. Purify yourselvesin the process of worship, carrying the holy vessels of God.But you don’t have to be in a hurry.You’re not running from anybody!God is leading you out of here,and the God of Israel is also your rear guard.
1-4Thank God because he’s good,because his love never quits.Tell the world, Israel,"His love never quits."And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world,"His love never quits."And you who fear God, join in,"His love never quits."
21-25Thank you for responding to me;you’ve truly become my salvation!The stone the masons discarded as flawedis now the capstone!This is God’s work.We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!This is the very day God acted—let’s celebrate and be festive!Salvation now, God. Salvation now!Oh yes, God—a free and full life!
26-29Blessed are you who enter in God’s name—from God’s house we bless you!God is God,he has bathed us in light.Adorn the shrine with garlands,hang colored banners above the altar!You’re my God, and I thank you.O my God, I lift high your praise.Thank God—he’s so good.His love never quits!
1-3God’s Message:"Guard my common good:Do what’s right and do it in the right way,For salvation is just around the corner,my setting-things-right is about to go into action.How fortunate are you who enter into these things,you men and women who embrace them,Who keep Sabbath and don’t defile it,who watch your step and don’t do anything evil!Make sure no outsider who now follows Godever has occasion to say, ‘God put me in second-class.I don’t really belong.’And make sure no physically mutilated personis ever made to think, ‘I’m damaged goods.I don’t really belong.’"
4,5For God says:"To the mutilated who keep my Sabbathsand choose what delights meand keep a firm grip on my covenant,I’ll provide them an honored placein my family and within my city,even more honored than that of sons and daughters.I’ll confer permanent honors on themthat will never be revoked.
9-12A call to the savage beasts: Come on the run.Come, devour, beast barbarians!For Israel’s watchmen are blind, the whole lot of them.They have no idea what’s going on.They’re dogs without sense enough to bark,lazy dogs, dreaming in the sun—But hungry dogs, they do know how to eat,voracious dogs, with never enough.And these are Israel’s shepherds!They know nothing, understand nothing.They all look after themselves,grabbing whatever’s not nailed down."Come," they say, "let’s have a party.Let’s go out and get drunk!"And tomorrow, more of the same:"Let’s live it up!"
1-3Generous in love—God, give grace!Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.Scrub away my guilt,soak out my sins in your laundry.I know how bad I’ve been;my sins are staring me down.
7-15Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean,scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life.Tune me in to foot-tapping songs,set these once-broken bones to dancing.Don’t look too close for blemishes,give me a clean bill of health.God, make a fresh start in me,shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.Don’t throw me out with the trash,or fail to breathe holiness in me.Bring me back from gray exile,put a fresh wind in my sails!Give me a job teaching rebels your waysso the lost can find their way home.Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.Unbutton my lips, dear God;I’ll let loose with your praise.
16,17Going through the motions doesn’t please you,a flawless performance is nothing to you.I learned God-worshipwhen my pride was shattered.Heart-shattered lives ready for lovedon’t for a moment escape God’s notice.