Version 1
A valiant woman, who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels.
She obtains wool and flax and makes cloth with skilful hands.
She rises while it is still night and provides food for her household.
She girds herself with strength, and sturdy are her arms.
She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.
She fears not the snow for her household; and all her charges are doubly clothed.
She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs at the days to come!
She opens her mouth in wisdom and on her tongue is kindly counsel.
She wates the conduct of her household, and she eats not her food in idleness.
Her children rise up and praise her; her husband, too extols her.
Many are the women of proven worth, but you have excelled them all.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeing; the woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her the reward of her labours, and let her works praise her at the city gates.

Version 2
Who shall find a valiant woman? Who shall find a woman of strength?
A pearl of great price is she; all who are with her have confidence in her;
and benefit from her experience. She initiates good, not evil, every day of her life.
She does not neglect her tasks, she willingly works.
Broadminded, her understanding of life is a source of nurture for her.
She considers her options, then makes her move, investing the experience of nature for her.
She works diligently, taking pride in her inner resources and strengths.
When her gifts are encouraged and their value affirmed she will work wholeheartedly.
She opens her hearts to the needy; she is generous with the poor,
yet she does not neglect her family’s needs, nor her own priorities.
She is known for her dignity and strength; she laughs at the days to come.
She often speaks with wisdom and she teaches in a kindly way.
Those who are close to her praise her. Charm is superficial, and beauty fades,
but the woman who is wise is the one to be praised.
May all value who she is and may all applaud her integrity.

Version 3
A perfect wife-who can find her? She is far beyond the price of pearls.
Her husband’s heart has confidence in her and he will never be poor.
As long as she lives, she does him good and never harm all the days of her life.
She seeks wool and flax and works with wi1ling hands. She puts her hands to the distaff:
and her hands hold the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor and reaches out her hands to the needy.
Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future.
She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.
Her children rise up and bless her, her husband too, praises her. Many women have done excellently,
but you surpass them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Give her a share in the fruit of her hands,
and let her works praise her in the city gates.

Version 4
The truly capable woman — who can find her? She is far beyond the price of pearls.
Her husband’s heart has confidence in her, from her he will derive no little profit.
Advantage and not hurt she brings him all the days of her life.
She selects wool and flax, she does her work with eager hands.
She is like those merchant vessels, bringing her food from far away.
She gets up while it is still dark giving her household their food,
giving orders to her serving girls. She sets her mind on a field,
then she buys it; with what her hands have earned she plants a vineyard.
She puts her back into her work and shows how strong her arms can be.
She knows that her affairs are going well; her lamp does not go out at night.
She sets her hands to the distaff, her fingers grasp the spindle.
She holds out her hands to the poor, she opens her arms to the needy.
Snow may come, she has no fears for her household, with all her servants warmly clothed.
She makes her own quilts, she is dressed in fine linen and purple.
Her husband is respected at the city gates, taking his seat among the elders of the land.
She weaves materials and sells them, she supplies the merchant with sashes.
She is clothed in strength and dignity, she can laugh at the day to come.
When she opens her mouth, she does so wisely; on her tongue is kindly instruction.
She keeps good watch on the conduct of her household, no bread of idleness for her.
Her children stand up and proclaim her blessed, her husband, too, sings her praises.
Many women have done admirable things, but you surpass them all!
Charm is deceitful, and beauty empty; the woman who fears Yahweh is the one to praise.
Give her a share in what her hands have worked for, and let her works tell her praises at the city gates.

Version 1
On this mountain, the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples a banquet of rich food.
On this mountain, he will remove the mourning veil covering all peoples, and the shroud enwrapping all nations,
he will destroy Death forever. The Lord will wipe away the tears from every cheek; he will take away his people’s shame everywhere on earth, for the Lord has said so. That day, it will be said: See, this is our God in whom we hoped for salvation; the Lord is the one in whom we hoped. We exult and we rejoice that he has saved us.

Version 2
A reading from the Prophet Isaiah (25: 6-8)
On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear. And he will destroy on this mountain the shroud that is cast over all peoples, the sheet that is spread over all nations; he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces, and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.

Version 1
This was a man of mercy, whose righteous deeds have not been forgotten; his prosperity will remain with his descendants, and his inheritance to his children’s children. His descendants stand by the covenants; his children also, for his sake. His posterity will continue forever, and his glory will not be blotted out. His body is buried in peace, and his name lives to all generations. People will declare his wisdom, and the congregation proclaims his praise.

Version 2
Here is a generous woman whose good works have not been forgotten. In her descendants, there remains a rich inheritance born of her; Her descendants stand by her covenants, and thanks to her, so do her children’s children. Her offspring will last forever, her glory will not fade. Her body will be buried in peace and her name will live on for all generations. The people will proclaim her wisdom, the assembly will celebrate her praises.

Version 3
Here is a faithful woman whose good works have not been forgotten. In her descendants there remains a rich inheritance born of her, and thanks to her, in her children’s children. Her offspring will last forever, her glory will not fade. Her body will be buried in peace and her name will live on for all generations. The people will proclaim her wisdom, the assembly will celebrate her praise.

The virtuous man, though he dies before his time, will find rest. Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life; understanding, this is man`s grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age. He has sought to please God, so God has loved him; as he was living among sinners, has been taken away. He has been carried off so that evil may not warp his understanding or treachery seduce his soul; for the fascination of evil throws good things into the shade, and the whirlwind of desire corrupts a simple heart. Coming to perfection in so short a while, he achieved long life; his soul being pleasing to the Lord, he has taken him quickly from the wickedness around him. Yet people look on, uncomprehending; and it does not enter their heads that grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord, and protection, God’s holy ones.

Version 1
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to build up, and a time to break down; a time to laugh, and a time to weep; a time to dance, and a time to mourn; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace. God has made everything suitable for its time.

Version 2
To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven: He sets time for birth, and a time for death; the time for planting and the time for pulling up; the time for killing and the time for healing; the time for tearing down and the time for building. He set the time for sorrow and the time for joy; the time for mourning and the time for rejoicing.

The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them. In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die, their going looked like a disaster, they are leaving us, like annihilation; but they are in peace. If they experienced punishment as people see it, their hope was rich with immortality; slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be. God has put them to the test and proved them worthy to be with him; he has tested them like gold in a furnace and accepted them as a holocaust.

Refrain: Do not be afraid, I am with you.

I have called you by your name, you are mine.
I have called you by your name, you are mine.

Refrain

The Lord is my light and my help; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; before whom shall I shrink?

Refrain

There is one thing I asked of the Lord; for this I long:
to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Refrain

I am sure I shall see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
Hope in Him! Hold firm and take heart. Hope in the Lord.

Refrain

Response. The Lord is My Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters He leads me, to revive my drooping spirit.

Response

He guides me along the right path; He is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness, no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and Your staff; with these You give me comfort.

Response

You have prepared a banquet for me in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.

Response

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me all the days of my life. In the Lord’s house shall I dwell forever and ever.

Response

The Lord’s my shepherd, I’ll not want.
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green: He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

My soul he doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for his own name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk in deaths dark vale,
Yet will I fear none ill:
For thou art with me, and thy rod
And staff me comfort still.

My table thou fast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head thou’dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.

Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me:
And in God’s house for evermore
My dwelling place shall be.

Response: To you, O Lord, I lift my soul

Remember your mercy, Lord
And the love you have shown from of old.
In your love remember me,
Because of your goodness,O Lord

Response

Relieve the anguish of my heart
And set me free from my distress.
See my affliction and my toil
And take all my sins away

Response

Preserve my life and rescue me.
Do not disappoint me, you are my refuge.
May innocence and uprightness protect me:
For my hope is in you, O Lord

Response

Response: My soul is thirsting for the living God: When shall I see him face to face?

Like the deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is yearning for you, my God. My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life; when can I enter and see the face of God? These things will I remember as I pour out my soul: how I would lead the rejoicing crowd into the house of God, amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving, the throng wild with joy.

Response: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

O God, you are my God, for you I long;
For you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
Like a dry, weary land without water.

Response

So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
To see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
My lips will speak your praise.

Response

So I will bless you all my life,
In your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
My mouth shall praise you with joy.

Response

You have been my help;
In the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
Your right hand holds me fast.

Response

Hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given to us. When we were still helpless, at the appointed time, Christ died for the godless. You could hardly find anyone ready to die even for someone upright; though it is just possible that, for a really good person, someone might undertake to die. So it is proof of God’s own love for us, that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. How much more can we be sure, therefore, that, now that we have been justified by his death, we shall be saved through him from the retribution of God. For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more can we be sure that, being now reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. What is more, we are filled with exultant trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.

You cannot have forgotten that all of us, when we were baptised into Christ Jesus, were baptised into his death. So by our baptism into his death, we were buried with Him, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the Father’s glorious power, we too should begin living a new life. If we have been joined to him by dying a death like his, so we shall be by a resurrection like his; realising that our former self was crucified with him, so that the self which belonged to sin should be destroyed and we should be freed from the slavery of sin. Someone who has died, of course, no longer has to answer for sin. But we believe that, if we died with Christ, then we shall live with him too. We know that Christ has been raised from the dead and will never die again. Death has no power over him any more.

The life and death of each of us has its influence on others; if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord. This explains why Christ both died and came to life, it was so that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end, Christ died and lived again, so that he might be Lord of both the dead and the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother or sister? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall give praise to God.” So then, each of us will be accountable to God.

Love is always patient and kind; love is never jealous; love is not boastful or conceited, it is never rude and never seeks its own advantage, it does not take offence or store up grievances. Love does not rejoice in wrongdoing but finds its joy in the truth. It is always ready to make allowances, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes. Love never comes to an end. Now we see only reflections in a mirror, mere riddles, but then we shall be seeing face to face. Now I can know only imperfectly; but then I shall know just as fully as I am myself known. As it is, these remain; faith, hope and love, the three of them; and the greatest of these is love.

Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends. But as for prophecies, they will come to an end; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will come to an end.

We believe, and therefore speak out, knowing that the God who raised the Lord Jesus to life will raise us with Jesus in our turn, and put us by his side and you with us. For we know that when the tent that we live in on earth is folded up, there is a house built by God for us, an everlasting home not made by human hands, in the heavens.

We know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven. We are always courageous, although we know that while we are at home in our body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yet we are courageous, and we would rather leave the body and go home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home to the Lord. Therefore, we aspire to please him, whether we are at home to the Lord. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each may receive recompense, according to what he did in the body, whether good or evil.

Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all the spiritual blessings of heaven in Christ. Thus he chose us in Christ before the world was made to be holy and faultless before him in love, marking us out for himself beforehand, to be adopted sons, through Jesus Christ. Such was his purpose and good pleasure.

For us, our homeland is in heaven, and from heaven comes the saviour we are waiting for, the Lord Jesus Christ, and he will transfigure these wretched bodies of ours into copies of his glorious body. He will do that by the same power with which he can subdue the whole universe.

There is no need to worry, but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus. Fill your mind with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. Keep doing all the things that you learnt from me and have been taught by me and have heard or seen that I do.

Version 1
As for me, my life is already being poured away as an offering, and the time has come for me to depart. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come for me now is the crown of uprightness which the Lord, the upright judge, will give me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his appearing.

Version 2
As for me, the time is here for me to leave this life. I have done my best in the race. I have run the full distance and I have kept the faith. And now there is waiting for me the prize of victory awarded for a Righteous life, the prize which the Lord, the righteous judge will give me on that day – and not only me, but all those who wait with love for that time to appear. And the Lord will rescue me from all evil, and take me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever.

Version 1
The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Version 2
The time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Version 3
As for me I am already being poured out as a libation, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. From now on there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day and not only to me but also to all whom have longed for his appearing.

We are well aware that we have passed over from death to life because we love our brothers. Whoever does not love, remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you are well aware that no murderer has eternal life remaining in him. This is the proof of love, that he laid down his life for us, and we too ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

Version 1
Happy are those who die in the Lord. I, John heard a voice from heaven say to me, “Write down; Happy those who die in the Lord! Happy indeed, the Spirit says; now they can rest forever after their work, since their good deeds go with them.”

Version 2
I, John, heard a voice from heaven say to me, “Write down: Happy are those who die in the Lord! Happy indeed, the Spirit says; now they can rest for ever after their work, since their good deeds go with them.”

Version 3
“I, John, heard a voice from heaven say to me, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes”, said the Spirit, “let them find rest from their labours, for their works accompany them.”

“I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth; the first heaven and the first earth had disappeared now, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the holy city, and the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, as beautiful as a bride dressed for her husband. Then I heard a loud voice from the throne, “You see this city? Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them: they shall be his peoples, and he will be their God; his name is God-with-them. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes; there will be no more death, and no more mourning or sadness. The world of the past has gone.” Then the One sitting on the throne spoke: ‘Now I am making the whole of creation new,’ he said. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give water from the well of life free to anybody who is thirsty; it is the rightful inheritance of the one who proves victorious, and I will be his God and he a son to me.”

After that I saw that there was a huge number, impossible for anyone to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted in a loud voice, “Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ That is why they are standing in front of God’s throne and serving him day and night in his sanctuary, and the One who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them. They will never hunger or thirst again; sun and scorching wind will never plague them because the Lamb who is at the heart of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

They will see the Lord face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. It will never be night again, and they will not need lamplight or sunlight, because the Lord God will be shining on them. They will reign forever and ever.

Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the resurrection and the life, said the Lord:
He who believes in me will not die forever.
Alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
I am the resurrection and the life, said the Lord:
he who believes in me will not die forever.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
Come, you whom my Father has blessed, says the Lord
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
Happy are those who have died in the Lord;
let them rest from their labours for their good deeds go with them.
Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
I am the resurrection and the life, said the Lord:
he who believes in me will not die forever.
Glory and praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
Come, you whom my Father has blessed, says the Lord;
inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;
you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the kingdom.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead;
glory and kingship be him forever and ever.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the living bread from heaven, says the Lord;
whoever eats this bread will live forever.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
This is the will of my Father, says the Lord,
all who believe in the Son will have eternal life
and I will raise them to life again on the last day.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
Happy are those who die in the Lord;
let them rest from their labours for their good deeds go with them.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
This is the will of my Father, says the Lord,
all who believe in the Son will have eternal life
and I will raise them to life again on the last day.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
God loved the world so much, He gave us his only Son,
that all who believe in him might have eternal life.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
Well done, good and faithful servant;
enter into the joy of your master.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things shall be yours as well.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia!
I am the way, the truth, and the life;
no one comes to the Father, but by me, says the Lord.
Alleluia!

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Our true home is in Heaven,
and Jesus Christ whose return we long for,
will come from Heaven to save us.
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.!
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,
and I shall raise him up on the last day.
Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
A pure heart creates for me, O God, and give me again the joy of your help.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory!

Glory and praise to you, Lord, Jesus Christ!
Blessed are those who have died in the Lord;
let them rest from their labours for their good deeds go with them.
Glory and praise to you, Lord, Jesus Christ!

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.
Come, you whom my Father has blest, says the Lord;
Inherit the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.
Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ, King of endless glory.

Glory and praise to you, Lord, Jesus Christ.
I am the resurrection and the life, said the Lord:
he who believes in me will not die forever.
Glory and praise to you, Lord, Jesus Christ.

Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus Christ!
Come, you whom my Father has blessed, says the Lord;
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you since the foundation.
Praise and honour to you, Lord Jesus Christ!