Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Ransomed Return to Zion
35 The wilderness and the dry land will be glad;
the desert will rejoice and blossom like a rose.[a][b](A)
2 It will blossom abundantly
and will also rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon will be given to it,
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon.(B)
They will see the glory of the Lord,(C)
the splendor of our God.(D)
3 Strengthen the weak hands,
steady the shaking knees!(E)
4 Say to the cowardly:
“Be strong; do not fear!
Here is your God; vengeance is coming.(F)
God’s retribution is coming; He will save you.”(G)
5 Then the eyes of the blind will be opened,
and the ears of the deaf unstopped.(H)
6 Then the lame will leap like a deer,(I)
and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy,(J)
for water will gush in the wilderness,
and streams in the desert;(K)
7 the parched ground will become a pool of water,
and the thirsty land springs of water.(L)
In the haunt of jackals,(M) in their lairs,
there will be grass, reeds, and papyrus.
8 A road will be there and a way;(N)
it will be called the Holy Way.(O)
The unclean will not travel on it,(P)
but it will be for the one who walks the path.(Q)
Even the fool will not go astray.
9 There will be no lion there,
and no vicious beast will go up on it;
they will not be found there.
But the redeemed will walk on it,
10 and the redeemed of the Lord will return(R)
and come to Zion with singing,
crowned with unending joy.
Joy and gladness will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee.(S)
5 Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,(A)
6 the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea and everything in them.(B)
He remains faithful forever,(C)
7 executing justice for the exploited
and giving food to the hungry.(D)
The Lord frees prisoners.(E)
8 The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.(F)
The Lord raises up those who are oppressed.[a](G)
The Lord loves the righteous.(H)
9 The Lord protects foreigners
and helps the fatherless and the widow,(I)
but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.(J)
10 The Lord reigns forever;
Zion, your God reigns for all generations.(K)
Hallelujah!
Mary’s Praise
46 And Mary said:
My soul proclaims the greatness of[a] the Lord,(A)
47 and my spirit has rejoiced(B) in God my Savior,(C)
48 because He has looked with favor
on the humble condition of His slave.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,(D)
49 because the Mighty One(E)
has done great things for me,(F)
and His name(G) is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation(H)
on those who fear Him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with His arm;(I)
He has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;
52 He has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things(J)
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped His servant Israel,
mindful of His mercy,[b]
55 just as He spoke to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his descendants[c] forever.
Waiting for the Lord
7 Therefore, brothers, be patient until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth and is patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains.(A) 8 You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord’s coming is near.(B)
9 Brothers, do not complain about one another, so that you will not be judged. Look, the judge stands at the door!(C)
10 Brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name as an example of suffering and patience.
2 When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent a message by his disciples(A) 3 and asked Him, “Are You the One who is to come, or should we expect someone else?”(B)
4 Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind see, the lame walk, those with skin diseases are healed,[a] the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor are told the good news.(C) 6 And if anyone is not offended because of Me, he is blessed.”(D)
7 As these men went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?(E) 8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? Look, those who wear soft clothes are in kings’ palaces. 9 But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and far more than a prophet.(F) 10 This is the one it is written about:
11 “I assure you: Among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared,[d] but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
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