True Blessedness

²⁷ As he said these things, ^(A)a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, ^(B)“Blessed is the womb that bore you, and the breasts at which you nursed!” ²⁸ But he said, ^(C)“Blessed rather are those ^(D)who hear the word of God and ^(E)keep it!”

⁵⁸ And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord ^(A)had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

⁴⁰ and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth ^(A)was filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁴² and she exclaimed with a loud cry, ^(B)“Blessed are you among women, and ^(C)blessed is ^(D)the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ And why is this granted to me that the mother of ^(E)my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ And ^(F)blessed is she who believed that there would be^[a] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.”

Mary's Song of Praise: The Magnificat

⁴⁶ And Mary said,

⁹ Jabez was ^(A)more honorable than his brothers; and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”^{[a] 10} Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, “Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm^[b] so that it might not bring me pain!” And God granted what he asked.

³¹ And behold, ^(A)you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and ^(B)you shall call his name Jesus. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of ^(C)the Most High. And the Lord God ^(D)will give to him the throne of ^(E)his father David, ³³ and he will reign over the house of Jacob ^(F)forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”