True Blessedness

²⁷ While he was saying this, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!”^{(A) 28} But he said, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”^(B)

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

⁴⁰ where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴² and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.^{(A) 43} And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?^{(B) 44} For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵ And blessed is she who believed that there would be^[a] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Mary’s Song of Praise

⁴⁶ And Mary^[b] said,

⁹ Jabez was honored more than his brothers, and his mother named him Jabez, saying, “Because I bore him in pain.”^{(A) 10} Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory and that your hand might be with me and that you would keep me from hurt and harm!” And God granted what he asked.

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