Humility and Glory

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come.

He is the image of the invisible God,
The firstborn of all creation.
For from Him all things were created,
Both in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Visible and invisible,
Whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities,
All things have been created through Him and for Him.

Who, although He existed in the form of God
Did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
But emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant,
And being made in the likeness of men.

He Himself likewise also partook of the same,
So that through death He might render powerless
Him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
And might free those who through fear of death
Were subject to slavery all their lives.

He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

He was despised and forsaken by men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,
And like one from whom men hide their face,
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried,
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions;
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.

And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals,
For You were slain and purchased for God with Your blood
Men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain
To receive power and riches and wisdom and might
And honor and glory and blessing.”

And every created thing which is in heaven
And on earth and under the earth and on the sea
And all things in them, I heard saying,
“To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
Be blessing and honor and glory and dominion
Forever and ever.”

And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen,”
And the elders fell down and worshiped.