Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
8 I will listen to what God will say;
surely the Lord will declare peace
to his people, his faithful ones,
and not let them go back to foolish ways.(A)
9 His salvation is very near those who fear him,
so that glory may dwell in our land.(B)
10 Faithful love and truth will join together;
righteousness and peace will embrace.(C)
11 Truth will spring up from the earth,
and righteousness will look down from heaven.(D)
12 Also, the Lord will provide what is good,
and our land will yield its crops.(E)
13 Righteousness will go before him
to prepare the way for his steps.(F)
God’s Discipline and Israel’s Apostasy
6 I gave you absolutely nothing to eat[a](A) in all your cities,
a shortage of food in all your communities,
yet you did not return to me.(B)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
7 I also withheld the rain from you(C)
while there were still three months until harvest.
I sent rain on one city
but no rain on another.(D)
One field received rain
while a field with no rain withered.(E)
8 Two or three cities staggered
to another city to drink water(F)
but were not satisfied,(G)
yet you did not return(H) to me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.
9 I struck you with blight and mildew;(I)
the locust devoured(J)
your many gardens and vineyards,
your fig trees and olive trees,(K)
yet you did not return to me.(L)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
10 I sent plagues like those of Egypt;(M)
I killed your young men with the sword,(N)
along with your captured horses.(O)
I caused the stench of your camp
to fill your nostrils,(P)
yet you did not return to me.(Q)
This is the Lord’s declaration.
11 I overthrew some of you
as I[b] overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah,(R)
and you were like a burning stick
snatched from a fire,(S)
yet you did not return to me(T)—
This is the Lord’s declaration.
12 Therefore, Israel, that is what I will do to you,
and since I will do that to you,
Israel, prepare to meet your God!(U)
13 He is here:
the one who forms the mountains,(V)
creates the wind,(W)
and reveals his thoughts to man,(X)
the one who makes the dawn out of darkness
and strides on the heights of the earth.(Y)
The Lord, the God of Armies, is his name.(Z)
The Birth and Naming of John
57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her his great mercy,(A) and they rejoiced with her.
59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day,(B) they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother responded, “No. He will be called John.”(C)
61 Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” 62 So they motioned to his father(D) to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened(E) and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard about him(F) took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(G) and prophesied:(H)
68 Blessed is the Lord, the God of Israel,(I)
because he has visited
and provided redemption for his people.(J)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us(K)
in the house of his servant David,(L)
70 just as he spoke by the mouth
of his holy prophets in ancient times;(M)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our ancestors(N)
and remembered his holy covenant(O)—
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham,(P)
to grant that we,
74 having been rescued
from the hand of our enemies,
would serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in his presence all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(Q)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare his ways,(R)
77 to give his people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(S)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the dawn from on high(T) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(U)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 The child grew up and became strong in spirit,[a](V) and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
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