Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
2 See, God saves me. I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord God is my strength and song. And He has become the One Who saves me.” 3 As water from a well brings joy to the thirsty, so people have joy when He saves them. 4 In that day you will say, “Give thanks to the Lord. Call on His name. Make known His works among the people. Help them remember that His name is honored.” 5 Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done great things. Let this be known in all the earth. 6 Call out and sing for joy, O people of Zion. For the Holy One of Israel is great among you.
8 See, the eyes of the Lord God are on the sinful nation, and I will destroy it from the earth. But I will not destroy all the people of Jacob,” says the Lord.
9 “I will say what must be done. I will shake the people of Jacob among all the nations, as grain is shaken on a fine net. But not the smallest seed will fall to the ground. 10 All the sinners among My people who say, ‘The trouble will not catch up to us or come to us,’ will die by the sword.
Israel to Have New Life
11 “In that day I will build again the tent of David that fell down. Yes, I will build it again from the stones that fell down. I will set it up again as it used to be. 12 And so the people of Israel will own what is left of the land of Edom and all the nations that are called by My name,” says the Lord who does this.
13 “The days are coming,” says the Lord, “when the man who plows will catch up with the man who gathers. The man who crushes the grapes will catch up with the man who plants the seed. The mountains will drip sweet wine, and all the hills will flow with it. 14 And I will return My people Israel to their riches. They will build again the cities that have been destroyed, and live in them. They will plant grape-fields and drink their wine. And they will make gardens and eat their fruit. 15 I will plant My people on their land. And they will never again be pulled up from the land I gave them,” says the Lord your God.
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 When the time came, Elizabeth gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and family heard how the Lord had shown loving-kindness to her. They were happy for her. 59 On the eighth day they did the religious act of the Jews on the child. They named him Zacharias, after his father. 60 But his mother said, “No! His name is John.” 61 They said to her, “No one in your family has that name.”
62 Then they talked to his father with their hands to find out what he would name the child. 63 He asked for something to write on. He wrote, “His name is John.” They were all surprised and wondered about it. 64 Zacharias was able to talk from that time on and he gave thanks to God.
65 All those who lived near them were afraid. The news of what had happened was told through all the hill country of Judea. 66 And all who heard those words remembered them and said, “What is this child going to be?” For the hand of the Lord was on him.
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