Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord Exalts the Humble.
113 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
(A)Praise Him, you (B)servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord.
2 (C)Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time on and forever.
3 (D)From [c]the rising of the sun to its setting,
The (E)name of the Lord is to be praised.
4 The Lord is (F)high above all nations;
His (G)glory is above the heavens.
5 (H)Who is like the Lord our God,
Who (I)is enthroned on high,
6 Who (J)looks far down to
The heavens and the earth?
7 He (K)raises the poor from the dust,
He lifts the needy from the garbage heap,
8 To (L)seat them with noblemen,
With the noblemen of His people.
9 He (M)has the infertile woman live in the house
As a joyful mother of children.
[d]Praise [e]the Lord!
The Blindness of the People
14 “(A)I have kept silent for a long time,
I have kept still and restrained Myself.
Now like a woman in labor I will groan,
I will both gasp and pant.
15 I will (B)lay waste the mountains and hills
And wither all their vegetation;
I will (C)turn the rivers into coastlands
And dry up the ponds.
16 I will (D)lead those who are blind by a way they have not known,
In paths they have not known I will guide them.
I will (E)turn darkness into light before them
And (F)uneven land into plains.
These are the things I will do,
And I will (G)not leave them undone.”
17 They will be turned back and be (H)utterly put to shame,
Who trust in [a]idols,
Who say to cast metal images,
“You are our gods.”
18 (I)Hear, you who are deaf!
And look, you who are blind, so that you may see.
19 Who is blind but My (J)servant,
Or so deaf as My (K)messenger whom I send?
Who is so blind as one who is [b](L)at peace with Me,
Or so blind as the servant of the Lord?
20 (M)You have seen many things, but you do not retain them;
Your ears are open, but no one hears.
21 The Lord was pleased for His righteousness’ sake
To make the Law (N)great and glorious.
John the Baptist’s Birth Foretold
5 (A)In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the (B)division of [a]Abijah; and he had a wife [b]from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both (C)righteous in the sight of God, walking (D)blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. 7 And yet they had no child, because Elizabeth was infertile, and they were both advanced in [c]years.
8 Now it happened that while (E)he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot (F)to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer (G)outside at the hour of the incense offering. 11 Now (H)an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12 Zechariah was troubled when he saw the angel, and (I)fear [d]gripped him. 13 But the angel said to him, “(J)Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and (K)you shall [e]name him John. 14 You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice over his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will (L)drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit [f]while still in his mother’s womb. 16 And he will (M)turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17 And it is he who will (N)go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of (O)Elijah, (P)to turn the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, to (Q)make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zechariah said to the angel, “How will I know this? For (R)I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in her [g]years.” 19 The angel answered and said to him, “I am (S)Gabriel, who [h](T)stands in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. 20 And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”
21 And meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah, and were wondering at his delay in the temple. 22 But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them; and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple, and he repeatedly (U)[i]made signs to them, and remained speechless. 23 When the days of his priestly service were concluded, he went back home.
24 Now after these days his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, and she kept herself [j]in seclusion for five months, saying, 25 “This is the way the Lord has dealt with me in the days when He looked with favor upon me, to (V)take away my disgrace among people.”
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