Bible Browser

God’s Blessing on Israel

44But now hear, O Jacob my servant,
   Israel whom I have chosen!
² Thus says the Lord who made you,
   who formed you in the womb and will help you:
Do not fear, O Jacob my servant,
   Jeshurun whom I have chosen.
³ For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
   and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour my spirit upon your descendants,
   and my blessing on your offspring.
⁴ They shall spring up like a green tamarisk,
   like willows by flowing streams.
⁵ This one will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’,
   another will be called by the name of Jacob,
yet another will write on the hand, ‘The Lord’s’,
   and adopt the name of Israel.

⁶ Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel
   and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:
I am the first and I am the last;
   besides me there is no god.
⁷ Who is like me? Let them proclaim it,
   let them declare and set it forth before me.
Who has announced from of old the things to come?^*
   Let them tell us^* what is yet to be.
⁸ Do not fear, or be afraid;
   have I not told you from of old and declared it?
   You are my witnesses!
Is there any god besides me?
   There is no other rock; I know not one.

Psalm 68

1  Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered; ♦︎
   let those that hate him flee before him.
2  As the smoke vanishes, so may they vanish away; ♦︎
   as wax melts at the fire,
      so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.
3  But let the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; ♦︎
   let them make merry with gladness.
4  Sing to God, sing praises to his name;
      exalt him who rides on the clouds. ♦︎
   The Lord is his name; rejoice before him.
5  Father of the fatherless, defender of widows, ♦︎
   God in his holy habitation!
6  God gives the solitary a home
      and brings forth prisoners to songs of welcome, ♦︎
   but the rebellious inhabit a burning desert.
7  O God, when you went forth before your people, ♦︎
   when you marched through the wilderness,
8  The earth shook and the heavens dropped down rain,
      at the presence of God, the Lord of Sinai, ♦︎
   at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9  You sent down a gracious rain, O God; ♦︎
   you refreshed your inheritance when it was weary.
10  Your people came to dwell there; ♦︎
   in your goodness, O God, you provide for the poor.
11  The Lord gave the word;
      great was the company of women who bore the tidings: ♦︎
   ‘Kings and their armies they flee, they flee!’
      and women at home are dividing the spoil.
12  Though you stayed among the sheepfolds, ♦︎
   see now a dove’s wings covered with silver
      and its feathers with green gold.
13  When the Almighty scattered the kings, ♦︎
   it was like snowflakes falling on Zalmon.
14  You mighty mountain, great mountain of Bashan! ♦︎
   You towering mountain, great mountain of Bashan!
15  Why look with envy, you towering mountains,
      at the mount which God has desired for his dwelling, ♦︎
   the place where the Lord will dwell for ever?
16  The chariots of God are twice ten thousand,
      even thousands upon thousands; ♦︎
   the Lord is among them, the Lord of Sinai in holy power.
17  You have gone up on high and led captivity captive; ♦︎
   you have received tribute,
      even from those who rebelled,
      that you may reign as Lord and God.
18  Blessed be the Lord who bears our burdens day by day, ♦︎
   for God is our salvation.
19  God is for us the God of our salvation; ♦︎
   God is the Lord who can deliver from death.
32  Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; ♦︎
   make music in praise of the Lord;
33  He rides on the ancient heaven of heavens ♦︎
   and sends forth his voice, a mighty voice.
34  Ascribe power to God, whose splendour is over Israel, ♦︎
   whose power is above the clouds.
35  How terrible is God in his holy sanctuary, ♦︎
   the God of Israel, who gives power and strength to his people!
      Blessed be God.

7 But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ⁸Therefore it is said,
‘When he ascended on high he made captivity itself a captive;
   he gave gifts to his people.’
⁹(When it says, ‘He ascended’, what does it mean but that he had also descended^* into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰He who descended is the same one who ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things.) ¹¹The gifts he gave were that some would be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, ¹²to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³until all of us come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. ¹⁴We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming. ¹⁵But speaking the truth in love, we must grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶from whom the whole body, joined and knitted together by every ligament with which it is equipped, as each part is working properly, promotes the body’s growth in building itself up in love.

44 Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you—that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.’ ⁴⁵Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, ⁴⁶and he said to them, ‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah^* is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, ⁴⁷and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. ⁴⁸You are witnesses^* of these things. ⁴⁹And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised; so stay here in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.’

The Ascension of Jesus

50 Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them. ⁵¹While he was blessing them, he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.^{* 52}And they worshipped him, and^* returned to Jerusalem with great joy; ⁵³and they were continually in the temple blessing God.^*