Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
8 Let me hear what the God, Yahweh, will speak;
For He will (A)speak peace to His people, [a]to His holy ones;
But let them not (B)turn back to [b]folly.
9 Surely (C)His salvation is near to those who [c]fear Him,
That (D)glory may dwell in our land.
10 (E)Lovingkindness and [d]truth have met together;
(F)Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 [e]Truth (G)springs up from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 Indeed, (H)Yahweh will give what is good,
And our (I)land will yield its produce.
13 (J)Righteousness will go before Him
And will establish the way of His steps.
6 “But I gave you also (A)cleanness of teeth in all your cities
And lack of bread in all your places,
Yet you have (B)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
7 “And I also (C)withheld the rain from you
While there were still three months until harvest.
Then I would send rain on one city,
And on (D)another city I would not send rain;
One portion would be rained on,
While the portion not rained on would dry up.
8 So two or three cities would wander around to another city to drink (E)water,
But would (F)not be satisfied;
Yet you have (G)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
9 “I (H)struck you with scorching wind and mildew;
And the (I)gnawing locust was devouring
Your many gardens and vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees;
Yet you have (J)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
10 “I sent a (K)pestilence among you after the manner of Egypt;
I (L)killed your choice men by the sword along with your (M)captured horses,
And I made the (N)stench of your camp rise up even in your nostrils;
Yet you have (O)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
11 “I overthrew you as (P)God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,
And you were like a (Q)firebrand [a]delivered from a blaze;
Yet you have (R)not returned to Me,” declares Yahweh.
12 “Therefore thus I will do to you, O Israel;
Because I will do this to you,
Prepare to (S)meet your God, O Israel.”
13 For behold, He who (T)forms mountains and (U)creates the wind
And (V)declares to man what are His thoughts,
He who (W)makes dawn into gloom
And (X)treads on the high places of the earth,
(Y)Yahweh God of hosts is His name.
John the Baptist Is Born
57 Now the time was fulfilled for Elizabeth to [a]give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And her neighbors and her relatives heard that the Lord had (A)magnified 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, after the name of his father. 60 But his mother answered and said, “No, 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)were making signs to his father, as to what he wanted him called. 63 And he asked for a tablet and wrote as follows, “(E)His name is John.” And they all marveled. 64 (F)And at once his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak, blessing God. 65 And fear came on all those living around them, and all these matters were being talked about in all (G)the hill country of Judea. 66 And all who heard these things put them in their heart, saying, “What then will this child be?” For (H)the hand of the [b]Lord was indeed with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah (I)was filled with the Holy Spirit, and (J)prophesied, saying:
68 “(K)Blessed be the [c]Lord God of Israel,
For He visited and accomplished (L)redemption for His people,
69 And raised up a (M)horn of salvation for us
In the house of David (N)His servant—
70 (O)As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets (P)from of old—
71 [d](Q)Salvation (R)from our enemies,
And from the hand of all who hate us,
72 (S)To show mercy toward our fathers,
(T)And to remember His holy covenant,
73 (U)The oath which He swore to Abraham our father,
74 To grant us that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
Might serve Him without fear,
75 (V)In holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the (W)prophet of (X)the Most High,
For you will go on (Y)before the [e]Lord to (Z)make ready His ways,
77 To give to His people the knowledge of salvation
[f]By (AA)the forgiveness of their sins,
78 Because of the tender mercy of our God,
With which (AB)the Sunrise from on high will visit us,
79 (AC)To shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death,
To direct our feet into the (AD)way of peace.”
80 (AE)And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the desolate regions until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
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