Isaiah 61:1-10

New International Version

The Year of the Lord’s Favor

61 The Spirit^(A) of the Sovereign Lord^(B) is on me,
    because the Lord has anointed^(C) me
    to proclaim good news^(D) to the poor.^(E)
He has sent me to bind up^(F) the brokenhearted,
    to proclaim freedom^(G) for the captives^(H)
    and release from darkness for the prisoners,^[a]
²to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor^(I)
    and the day of vengeance^(J) of our God,
to comfort^(K) all who mourn,^(L)
³    and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown^(M) of beauty
    instead of ashes,^(N)
the oil^(O) of joy
    instead of mourning,^(P)
and a garment of praise
    instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
    a planting^(Q) of the Lord
    for the display of his splendor.^(R)

⁴They will rebuild the ancient ruins^(S)
    and restore the places long devastated;
they will renew the ruined cities
    that have been devastated for generations.
⁵Strangers^(T) will shepherd your flocks;
    foreigners will work your fields and vineyards.
⁶And you will be called priests^(U) of the Lord,
    you will be named ministers of our God.
You will feed on the wealth^(V) of nations,
    and in their riches you will boast.

⁷Instead of your shame^(W)
    you will receive a double^(X) portion,
and instead of disgrace
    you will rejoice in your inheritance.
And so you will inherit^(Y) a double portion in your land,
    and everlasting joy^(Z) will be yours.

⁸“For I, the Lord, love justice;^(AA)
    I hate robbery and wrongdoing.
In my faithfulness I will reward my people
    and make an everlasting covenant^(AB) with them.
⁹Their descendants^(AC) will be known among the nations
    and their offspring among the peoples.
All who see them will acknowledge
    that they are a people the Lord has blessed.”^(AD)

¹⁰I delight greatly in the Lord;
    my soul rejoices^(AE) in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation
    and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness,^(AF)
as a bridegroom adorns his head^(AG) like a priest,
    and as a bride^(AH) adorns herself with her jewels.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Isaiah 61:1 Hebrew; Septuagint the blind

Psalm 148

New International Version

Psalm 148

¹Praise the Lord.^[a]^(A)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;^(B)
    praise him in the heights above.
²Praise him, all his angels;^(C)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.^(D)
³Praise him, sun^(E) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
⁴Praise him, you highest heavens^(F)
    and you waters above the skies.^(G)

⁵Let them praise the name^(H) of the Lord,
for at his command^(I) they were created,
⁶and he established them for ever and ever—
he issued a decree^(J) that will never pass away.

⁷Praise the Lord^(K) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures^(L) and all ocean depths,^(M)
⁸lightning and hail,^(N) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,^(O)
⁹you mountains and all hills,^(P)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
¹⁰wild animals^(Q) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
¹¹kings^(R) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
¹²young men and women,
    old men and children.

¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord,^(S)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor^(T) is above the earth and the heavens.^(U)
¹⁴And he has raised up for his people a horn,^[b]^(V)
    the praise^(W) of all his faithful servants,^(X)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.^(Y)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.

Galatians 4:4-7

New International Version

⁴But when the set time had fully come,^(A) God sent his Son,^(B) born of a woman,^(C) born under the law,^(D) ⁵to redeem^(E) those under the law, that we might receive adoption^(F) to sonship.^[a]^(G) ⁶Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son^(H) into our hearts,^(I) the Spirit who calls out, “Abba,^[b] Father.”^(J) ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.^(K)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Galatians 4:5 The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture.
Galatians 4:6 Aramaic for Father

Luke 2:22-40

New International Version

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²²When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(A) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[a]),^(B) ²⁴and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[b]^(C)

²⁵Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(D) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(E) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^(F) ²⁸Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

²⁹“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,^(G)
    you may now dismiss^[c] your servant in peace.^(H)
³⁰For my eyes have seen your salvation,^(I)
³¹    which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
³²a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”^(J)

³³The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(K) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(L) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶There was also a prophet,^(M) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[d]^(N) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^(O) ³⁸Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(P)

³⁹When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^(Q) ⁴⁰And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(R)

Read full chapter