Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 48[a]
A song, a psalm by the Korahites.
48 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise
in the city of our God,[b] his holy hill.
2 It is lofty and pleasing to look at,[c]
a source of joy to the whole earth.[d]
Mount Zion resembles the peaks of Zaphon;[e]
it is the city of the great king.
3 God is in its fortresses;
he reveals himself as its defender.[f]
4 For[g] look, the kings assemble;[h]
they advance together.
5 As soon as they see,[i] they are shocked;[j]
they are terrified, they quickly retreat.[k]
6 Look at them shake uncontrollably,[l]
like a woman writhing in childbirth.[m]
7 With an east wind
you shatter[n] the large ships.[o]
8 We heard about God’s mighty deeds; now we have seen them,[p]
in the city of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies,[q]
in the city of our God.
God makes it permanently secure.[r] (Selah)
9 Within your temple
we reflect on your loyal love, O God.
10 The praise you receive as far away as the ends of the earth
is worthy of your reputation, O God.[s]
You execute justice.[t]
11 Mount Zion rejoices;
the towns[u] of Judah are happy,[v]
because of your acts of judgment.[w]
12 Walk around[x] Zion. Encircle it.
Count its towers.
13 Consider its defenses.[y]
Walk through[z] its fortresses,
so you can tell the next generation about it.[aa]
14 For God, our God, is our defender forever.[ab]
He guides[ac] us.[ad]
Balaam Prophesies Yet Again
24 [a] When Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel,[b] he did not go as at the other times[c] to seek for omens,[d] but he set his face[e] toward the wilderness. 2 When Balaam lifted up his eyes, he saw Israel camped tribe by tribe;[f] and the Spirit of God came upon him. 3 Then he uttered this oracle:[g]
“The oracle[h] of Balaam son of Beor,
the oracle of the man whose eyes are open,[i]
4 the oracle of the one who hears the words of God,
who sees a vision from the Almighty,
although falling flat on the ground[j] with eyes open:[k]
5 ‘How[l] beautiful are your tents, O Jacob,
and your dwelling places, O Israel!
6 They are like[m] valleys[n] stretched forth,
like gardens by the river’s side,
like aloes[o] that the Lord has planted,
and like cedar trees beside the waters.
7 He will pour the water out of his buckets,[p]
and their descendants will be like abundant[q] water;[r]
their king will be greater than Agag,[s]
and their kingdom will be exalted.
8 God brought them out of Egypt.
They have, as it were, the strength of a young bull;
they will devour hostile people,[t]
and will break their bones,
and will pierce them through with arrows.
9 They crouch and lie down like a lion,
and as a lioness,[u] who can stir him?
Blessed is the one who blesses you,
and cursed is the one who curses you!’”
10 Then Balak became very angry at Balaam, and he struck his hands together.[v] Balak said to Balaam, “I called you to curse my enemies, and look, you have done nothing but bless[w] them these three times! 11 So now, go back where you came from![x] I said that I would greatly honor you, but now the Lord has stood in the way of your honor.”
12 Balaam said to Balak, “Did I not also tell your messengers whom you sent to me, 13 ‘If Balak would give me his palace full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond[y] the commandment[z] of the Lord to do either good or evil of my own will,[aa] but whatever the Lord tells me I must speak’? 14 And now, I am about to go[ab] back to my own people. Come now, and I will advise you as to what this people will do to your people in future days.”[ac]
Birth Announcement of Jesus the Messiah
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy,[a] the angel Gabriel[b] was sent by[c] God to a town of Galilee called Nazareth,[d] 27 to a virgin engaged[e] to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of David,[f] and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The[g] angel[h] came[i] to her and said, “Greetings, favored one,[j] the Lord is with you!”[k] 29 But[l] she was greatly troubled[m] by his words and began to wonder about the meaning of this greeting.[n] 30 So[o] the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid,[p] Mary, for you have found favor[q] with God! 31 Listen:[r] You will become pregnant[s] and give birth to[t] a son, and you will name him[u] Jesus.[v] 32 He[w] will be great,[x] and will be called the Son of the Most High,[y] and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father[z] David. 33 He[aa] will reign over the house of Jacob[ab] forever, and his kingdom will never end.” 34 Mary[ac] said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not been intimate with[ad] a man?” 35 The angel replied,[ae] “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow[af] you. Therefore the child[ag] to be born[ah] will be holy;[ai] he will be called the Son of God.
36 “And look,[aj] your relative[ak] Elizabeth has also become pregnant with[al] a son in her old age—although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month![am] 37 For nothing[an] will be impossible with God.” 38 So[ao] Mary said, “Yes,[ap] I am a servant[aq] of the Lord; let this happen to me[ar] according to your word.”[as] Then[at] the angel departed from her.
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