Praise to the Creator and Protector.

The Lord, an Abundant Helper.

David’s Prayer

¹⁸ Then David the king came in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “^(A)Who am I, Lord ^[a]God, and who are the members of my household, that You have brought me this far? ¹⁹ And yet this was insignificant in Your eyes, Lord God, ^(B)for You have spoken also of the house of Your servant regarding the distant future. And ^(C)this is the ^[b]custom of mankind, Lord God. ²⁰ Again what more can David say to You? For ^(D)You know Your servant, Lord God! ^21 (E)For the sake of Your word, and according to Your heart, You have done all this greatness, to let Your servant know. ²² For this reason ^(F)You are great, Lord God; for ^(G)there is no one like You, and there is no God except You, ^(H)according to all that we have heard with our ears. ²³ And ^(I)what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people, and to make a name for Himself, and ^(J)to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, ^[c]because of ^(K)Your people whom ^(L)You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from other nations and their gods? ²⁴ For ^(M)You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and ^(N)You, Lord, have become their God. ²⁵ Now then, Lord God, the word that You have spoken about Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do just as You have spoken, ^26 (O)so that Your name may be great forever, by saying, ‘The Lord of armies is God over Israel’; and may the house of Your servant David be established before You. ²⁷ For You, Lord of armies, God of Israel, have ^[d]given a revelation to Your servant, saying, ‘^(P)I will build you a house’; therefore Your servant has found ^[e]courage to pray this prayer to You. ²⁸ Now then, Lord God, You are God, and ^(Q)Your words are truth; and You have ^[f]promised this good thing to Your servant. ²⁹ And now, may ^[g]it please You to bless the house of Your servant, so that it may continue forever before You. For You, Lord God, have spoken; and ^[h](R)with Your blessing may the house of Your servant be blessed forever.”

Faith Brings Righteousness

3 ^[a]You foolish ^(A)Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ ^(B)was publicly portrayed as crucified? ² This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of ^[b]the Law, or by ^(C)hearing ^[c]with faith? ³ Are you so foolish? Having begun ^[d]by the Spirit, are you now ^[e]being perfected by the flesh? ⁴ Did you ^[f]suffer so many things in vain—^(D)if indeed it was in vain? ⁵ So then, does He who ^(E)provides you with the Spirit and ^(F)works ^[g]miracles among you, do it by works of ^[h]the Law, or by ^(G)hearing ^[i]with faith?

⁶ Just as ^(H)Abraham ^(I)believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. ⁷ Therefore, recognize that ^(J)it is those who are of faith who are ^(K)sons of Abraham. ⁸ The Scripture, foreseeing that God ^[j]would justify the ^[k]Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “^(L)All the nations will be blessed in you.” ⁹ So then, ^(M)those who are of faith are blessed with ^[l]Abraham, the believer.

¹⁰ For all who are of works of ^[m]the Law are under a curse; for it is written: “^(N)Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all the things written in the book of the Law, to do them.” ¹¹ Now, that ^(O)no one is justified ^[n]by ^[o]the Law before God is evident; for, “^[p](P)the righteous one will live by faith.” ^12 [q]However, the Law is not ^[r]of faith; on the contrary, “^(Q)The person who performs ^[s]them will live by ^[t]them.” ¹³ Christ ^(R)redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written: “^(S)Cursed is everyone who hangs on ^(T)a ^[u]tree”— ¹⁴ in order that ^(U)in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we ^(V)would receive ^(W)the promise of the Spirit through faith.

John the Baptist Is Born

⁵⁷ Now the time ^[a]had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. ⁵⁸ Her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had ^[b](A)displayed His great mercy toward her; and they were rejoicing with her.

⁵⁹ And it happened that on ^(B)the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were going to call him Zechariah, ^[c]after his father. ⁶⁰ And yet his mother responded and said, “No indeed; but ^(C)he shall be called John.” ⁶¹ And they said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.” ⁶² And they ^[d](D)made signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. ⁶³ And he asked for a tablet and wrote ^[e]as follows, “^(E)His name is John.” And they were all amazed. ^64 (F)And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue freed, and he began speaking in praise of God. ⁶⁵ And fear came on all those who lived around them; and all these matters were being talked about in ^(G)the entire hill country of Judea. ⁶⁶ All who heard them kept them in mind, saying, “What then will this child turn out to be?” For indeed ^(H)the hand of the Lord was with him.