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The Eternal Covenant of Peace

54Sing, O barren one who did not bear;
   burst into song and shout,
   you who have not been in labour!
For the children of the desolate woman will be more
   than the children of her that is married, says the Lord.
² Enlarge the site of your tent,
   and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out;
do not hold back; lengthen your cords
   and strengthen your stakes.
³ For you will spread out to the right and to the left,
   and your descendants will possess the nations
   and will settle the desolate towns.

⁴ Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
   do not be discouraged, for you will not suffer disgrace;
for you will forget the shame of your youth,
   and the disgrace of your widowhood you will remember no more.
⁵ For your Maker is your husband,
   the Lord of hosts is his name;
the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer,
   the God of the whole earth he is called.
⁶ For the Lord has called you
   like a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,
like the wife of a man’s youth when she is cast off,
   says your God.
⁷ For a brief moment I abandoned you,
   but with great compassion I will gather you.
⁸ In overflowing wrath for a moment
   I hid my face from you,
but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you,
   says the Lord, your Redeemer.

⁹ This is like the days of Noah to me:
   Just as I swore that the waters of Noah
   would never again go over the earth,
so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you
   and will not rebuke you.
¹⁰ For the mountains may depart
   and the hills be removed,
but my steadfast love shall not depart from you,
   and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,
   says the Lord, who has compassion on you.

Psalm 30

Thanksgiving for Recovery from Grave Illness

A Psalm. A Song at the dedication of the temple. Of David.
¹ I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
   and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
² O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
   and you have healed me.
³ O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
   restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.^*

⁴ Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
   and give thanks to his holy name.
⁵ For his anger is but for a moment;
   his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning.

⁶ As for me, I said in my prosperity,
   ‘I shall never be moved.’
¹¹ You have turned my mourning into dancing;
   you have taken off my sackcloth
   and clothed me with joy,
¹² so that my soul^* may praise you and not be silent.
   O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.

24 When John’s messengers had gone, Jesus^* began to speak to the crowds about John:^* ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵What then did you go out to see? Someone^* dressed in soft robes? Look, those who put on fine clothing and live in luxury are in royal palaces. ²⁶What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ²⁷This is the one about whom it is written,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
   who will prepare your way before you.”
²⁸I tell you, among those born of women no one is greater than John; yet the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.’ ²⁹(And all the people who heard this, including the tax-collectors, acknowledged the justice of God,^* because they had been baptized with John’s baptism. ³⁰But by refusing to be baptized by him, the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God’s purpose for themselves.)