Luke 1:68-79

New International Version

⁶⁸“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,^(A)
    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.^(B)
⁶⁹He has raised up a horn^[a]^(C) of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David^(D)
⁷⁰(as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),^(E)
⁷¹salvation from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us—
⁷²to show mercy to our ancestors^(F)
    and to remember his holy covenant,^(G)
⁷³    the oath he swore to our father Abraham:^(H)
⁷⁴to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
    and to enable us to serve him^(I) without fear^(J)
⁷⁵    in holiness and righteousness^(K) before him all our days.

⁷⁶And you, my child, will be called a prophet^(L) of the Most High;^(M)
    for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,^(N)
⁷⁷to give his people the knowledge of salvation
    through the forgiveness of their sins,^(O)
⁷⁸because of the tender mercy of our God,
    by which the rising sun^(P) will come to us from heaven
⁷⁹to shine on those living in darkness
    and in the shadow of death,^(Q)
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”^(R)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Luke 1:69 Horn here symbolizes a strong king.

Jeremiah 22:1-17

New International Version

Judgment Against Wicked Kings

22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king^(A) of Judah and proclaim this message there: ²‘Hear^(B) the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne^(C)—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates.^(D) ³This is what the Lord says: Do what is just^(E) and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor^(F) the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow,^(G) and do not shed innocent blood^(H) in this place. ⁴For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings^(I) who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. ⁵But if you do not obey^(J) these commands, declares the Lord, I swear^(K) by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’”

⁶For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:

“Though you are like Gilead^(L) to me,
    like the summit of Lebanon,^(M)
I will surely make you like a wasteland,^(N)
    like towns not inhabited.
⁷I will send destroyers^(O) against you,
    each man with his weapons,
and they will cut^(P) up your fine cedar beams
    and throw them into the fire.^(Q)

⁸“People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’^(R) ⁹And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.^(S)’”

¹⁰Do not weep for the dead^(T) king or mourn^(U) his loss;
rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled,
because he will never return^(V)
nor see his native land again.

¹¹For this is what the Lord says about Shallum^[a]^(W) son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: “He will never return. ¹²He will die^(X) in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again.”

¹³“Woe^(Y) to him who builds^(Z) his palace by unrighteousness,
    his upper rooms by injustice,
making his own people work for nothing,
    not paying^(AA) them for their labor.
¹⁴He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace^(AB)
    with spacious upper rooms.’
So he makes large windows in it,
    panels it with cedar^(AC)
    and decorates it in red.^(AD)

¹⁵“Does it make you a king
    to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
    He did what was right and just,^(AE)
    so all went well^(AF) with him.
¹⁶He defended the cause of the poor and needy,^(AG)
    and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know^(AH) me?”
    declares the Lord.
¹⁷“But your eyes and your heart
    are set only on dishonest gain,^(AI)
on shedding innocent blood^(AJ)
    and on oppression and extortion.”^(AK)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Jeremiah 22:11 Also called Jehoahaz

1 Peter 1:3-9

New International Version

Praise to God for a Living Hope

³Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!^(A) In his great mercy^(B) he has given us new birth^(C) into a living hope^(D) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,^(E) ⁴and into an inheritance^(F) that can never perish, spoil or fade.^(G) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,^(H) ⁵who through faith are shielded by God’s power^(I) until the coming of the salvation^(J) that is ready to be revealed^(K) in the last time. ⁶In all this you greatly rejoice,^(L) though now for a little while^(M) you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.^(N) ⁷These have come so that the proven genuineness^(O) of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire^(P)—may result in praise, glory and honor^(Q) when Jesus Christ is revealed.^(R) ⁸Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him^(S) and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, ⁹for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.^(T)