Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
113 1 An exhortation to praise the Lord for his providence 7 in that that contrary to the course of nature he worketh in his Church.
Praise ye the Lord.
1 Praise, O ye servants of the Lord, [a]praise the Name of the Lord.
2 Blessed be the Name of the Lord from henceforth and forever.
3 The Lord’s Name is praised from the rising of the sun, unto the going down of the same.
4 The Lord is high above all [b]nations, and his glory above the heavens.
5 Who is like unto the Lord our God, that hath his dwelling on high.
6 Who abaseth himself to behold things in the heavens and in the earth!
7 He raiseth the needy out of the dust, and lifteth up the [c]poor out of the dung,
8 That he may set him with the princes, even with the princes of his people.
9 He maketh the barren woman to dwell with a family, and a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the Lord.
14 I have a long time held my peace: I have been still and refrained myself; now will I cry like a [a]travailing woman: I will destroy and devour at once.
15 I will make waste mountains, and hills, and dry up all their herbs, and I will make the floods islands, and I will dry up the pools.
16 ¶ And I will bring the [b]blind by a way, that they knew not, and lead them by paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.
17 They shall be turned back: they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, and say to the molten images, Ye are our gods.
18 ¶ Hear, ye deaf: and ye blind, regard, that ye may see.
19 Who is blind but my [c]servant? or deaf as my [d]messenger, that I sent? who is blind as the [e]perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant?
20 Seeing many things, but thou keepest them not? opening the ears, but he heareth not?
21 The Lord is willing for his righteousness sake, that he may magnify the Law and exalt it.
5 In [a]the [b]time of [c]Herod King of Judea, there was a certain Priest named Zacharias, of the (A)[d]course of Abijah: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.
6 Both were [e]just before God, and [f]walked in all the [g]commandments and ordinances of the Lord, [h]without reproof.
7 And they had no child, because that Elizabeth was barren: and both were well stricken in age.
8 And it came to pass, as he executed the Priest’s office before God, as his course came in order,
9 (B)According to the custom of the Priest’s office, his lot was to burn incense, when he went into the [i]Temple of the Lord.
10 And the whole multitude of the people were without in prayer, (C)while the incense was burning.
11 Then appeared unto him an Angel of the Lord, standing at the right side of the Altar of incense.
12 And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.
13 But the Angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.
14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth.
15 For he shall be great in the [j]sight of the Lord, and shall neither drink wine, nor [k]strong drink: and he shall be filled with the holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb.
16 (D)And many of the children of Israel shall he [l]turn to their Lord God.
17 (E)For he shall go [m]before him [n]in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the [o]hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the [p]wisdom of the just men, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
18 Then Zacharias said unto the Angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife is of a great age.
19 And the Angel answered, and said unto him, I am Gabriel [q]that stand in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee, and to show thee these good tidings.
20 And behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not be able to speak, until the day that these things be done, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.
21 Now the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the Temple.
22 And when he came out, he could not speak unto them: then they perceived that he had seen a vision in the Temple: for he made signs unto them, and remained dumb.
23 And it came to pass, when the days of his office were fulfilled, that he departed to his own house.
24 And after those days, his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,
25 Thus hath the Lord dealt with me, in the days wherein he looked on me, to take from me my rebuke among men.
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