Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
68 (A)“Blessed be the Lord (B)God of Israel,
for he has (C)visited and (D)redeemed his people
69 and (E)has raised up (F)a horn of salvation for us
(G)in the house of his servant David,
70 (H)as (I)he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 (J)that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 (K)to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and (L)to remember his holy (M)covenant,
73 (N)the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him (O)without fear,
75 (P)in holiness and righteousness before him (Q)all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called (R)the prophet of (S)the Most High;
for (T)you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
(U)in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the (V)tender mercy of our God,
whereby (W)the sunrise shall (X)visit us[a] (Y)from on high
79 to (Z)give light to (AA)those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into (AB)the way of (AC)peace.”
13 (A)“Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. (B)But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?’ 14 You have said, (C)‘It is vain to serve God. (D)What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15 And now we call (E)the arrogant blessed. (F)Evildoers not only prosper but (G)they put God to the test and they escape.’”
The Book of Remembrance
16 Then those who feared the Lord (H)spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and (I)a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17 “They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, (J)in the day when I make up (K)my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then once more you shall (L)see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice.
To Live Is Christ
Yes, and I will rejoice, 19 for I know that (A)through your prayers and (B)the help of (C)the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, 20 as it is my eager expectation and hope (D)that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full (E)courage now as always Christ (F)will be honored in my body, (G)whether by life or by death. 21 For to me (H)to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 (I)I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is (J)to depart and (K)be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. 25 (L)Convinced of this, (M)I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your (N)progress and (O)joy in the faith, 26 so that in me (P)you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.