Book of Common Prayer
God and the lamb are there
22 I saw no temple in the city, because the Lord God the Almighty is its temple, together with the lamb. 23 And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the lamb. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 Its gates will never be shut by day, for there will be no night there. 26 They will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it. 27 Nothing that has not been made holy will ever come into it, nor will anyone who practices abomination or who tells lies, but only those who are written in the lamb’s book of life.
22 Then he showed me the river of the water of life. It was sparkling like crystal, and flowing from the throne of God and of the lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city. On either bank of the river was growing the tree of life. It produces twelve kinds of fruit, bearing this fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. 3 Nothing accursed is there anymore. Rather, the throne of God and of the lamb are in the city, and his servants will worship him; 4 they will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. 5 There will be no more night, and they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will shine on them; and they will reign forever and ever.
The Magnificat: Mary’s song of praise
39 Mary got up then and there, and went in excitement to the hill country of Judaea. 40 She went into Zechariah’s house, and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby gave a leap in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the holy spirit, 42 and shouted at the top of her voice: “Of all women, you’re the blessed one! And the fruit of your womb—he’s blessed, too! 43 Why should this happen to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 Look—when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the child in my womb gave a great leap for joy! 45 A blessing on you, for believing that what the Lord said to you would come true!”
46 Mary said,
“My soul declares that the Lord is great,
47 my spirit exults in my savior, my God.
48 He saw his servant-girl in her humility;
from now, I’ll be blessed by all peoples to come.
48 He saw his servant-girl in her humility;
from now, I’ll be blessed by all peoples to come.
49 The Powerful One, whose name is Holy,
has done great things for me, for me.
50 His mercy extends from father to son,
from mother to daughter for those who fear him.
51 Powerful things he has done with his arm:
he routed the arrogant through their own cunning.
52 Down from their thrones he hurled the rulers,
up from the earth he raised the humble.
53 The hungry he filled with the fat of the land,
but the rich he sent off with nothing to eat.
54 He has rescued his servant, Israel his child,
because he remembered his mercy of old,
55 just as he said to our long-ago ancestors—
Abraham and his descendants forever.”
56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for three months, and then returned home.
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.