Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Who Is like the Lord Our God?
2 (D)Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time forth and forevermore!
3 (E)From the rising of the sun to its setting,
(F)the name of the Lord is (G)to be praised!
4 The Lord is (H)high above all nations,
and his (I)glory above the heavens!
5 (J)Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
6 who (K)looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
7 He (L)raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
8 to make them (M)sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
9 He (N)gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
(O)Praise the Lord!
14 For a long time I have held my peace;
I have kept still and restrained myself;
now I will cry out (A)like a woman in labor;
I will gasp and pant.
15 (B)I will lay waste mountains and hills,
and dry up all their vegetation;
I will turn the rivers into islands,[a]
and dry up the pools.
16 (C)And I will lead the blind
in a way that they do not know,
in paths that they have not known
I will guide them.
I will turn the darkness before them into light,
(D)the rough places into level ground.
These are the things I do,
and I do not forsake them.
17 (E)They are turned back and utterly put to shame,
who trust in carved idols,
who say to metal images,
“You are our gods.”
Israel's Failure to Hear and See
18 Hear, you deaf,
and look, you blind, that you may see!
19 Who is blind but my servant,
or deaf as my messenger whom I send?
Who is blind as my dedicated one,[b]
or blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 (F)He sees many things, but does not observe them;
(G)his ears are open, but he does not hear.
21 The Lord was pleased, for his righteousness' sake,
to magnify his law and make it glorious.
Birth of John the Baptist Foretold
5 (A)In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah,[a] (B)of (C)the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both (D)righteous before God, walking (E)blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because (F)Elizabeth was barren, and (G)both were advanced in years.
8 Now (H)while he was serving as priest before God when (I)his division was on duty, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot (J)to enter (K)the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people (L)were praying (M)outside at the hour of incense. 11 And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of (N)the altar of incense. 12 And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and (O)fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for (P)your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and (Q)you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will (R)rejoice at his birth, 15 for he will be (S)great before the Lord. And (T)he must not drink wine or strong (U)drink, and (V)he will be (W)filled with the Holy Spirit, (X)even from his mother's womb. 16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, 17 and (Y)he will go before him (Z)in the spirit and power of Elijah, (AA)to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and (AB)the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, (AC)to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
18 And Zechariah said to the angel, (AD)“How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” 19 And the angel answered him, “I am (AE)Gabriel. (AF)I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, (AG)you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” 21 And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in (AH)the temple. 22 And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in (AI)the temple. And (AJ)he kept making signs to them and remained mute. 23 And (AK)when his time of (AL)service was ended, he went to his home.
24 After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, 25 “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, (AM)to take away my reproach among people.”
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.