The skies are happy because the Lord did great things.\par The earth is happy, even deep down under the earth!\par The mountains sing with thanks to God.\par All the trees in the forest are happy!\par Why? Because the Lord saved Jacob.\par The Lord did great things for Israel.\par
Heavens and Earth, be happy!\par Mountains, shout with joy!\par Why? Because the Lord comforts his people.\par The Lord is good to his poor people.\par
I will teach them a new word:\par ‘Peace.’\par I will give peace to the people near me\par and to the people that are far away.\par I will heal (forgive) those people!”\par The Lord himself said these things.\par
There will be peace.\par Yes, the Assyrian army\par will come into our country\par and trample our large buildings.\par But the Ruler of Israel {\cf2\super [63]} will choose\par seven shepherds and eight leaders. {\cf2\super [64]} \par
The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “We will go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened. We will see this thing the Lord (God) told us about.”
The Holy Spirit {\cf2\super [60]} came down on him. The Spirit looked like a real dove. Then a voice came from heaven and said, “You are my Son and I love you. I am very pleased with you.”
Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son. God gave his Son so that every person that believes in him would not be lost, but have life forever.
God has spoken to the Jewish people. God sent them the Good News {\cf2\super [210]} that peace has come through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Lord (Ruler) of all people!
And this brings praise to God because of his wonderful grace (kindness). God gave that grace to us freely. He gave us that grace in \{Christ,\} the One he loves.
And through Christ, God was happy to bring all things back to himself again—things on earth and things in heaven. God made peace by using Christ’s blood (death) on the cross.
Then I heard every living thing that is in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea. I heard every thing in all these places. I heard them all saying: