Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁴⁶ Mary said, `My heart is praising the Lord.

⁴⁷ And my spirit is happy because God has saved me.

⁴⁸ He has remembered his servant even though she is not a great person. From now on all people of all times will say God has blessed me.

⁴⁹ He who has all power has done a big work for me. His name is holy.

⁵⁰ `He is kind to people of all times who respect him.

⁵¹ He has shown how strong he is with his arm. He has taken away people who were proud in their hearts.

⁵² He has moved big rulers from power, and those that were not great he has made great.

⁵³ He has given hungry people good things to eat, and sent away the rich people with nothing.

⁵⁴ He has helped his servant Israel.

⁵⁵ He has remembered to be kind just as he said to our fathers of long ago. He promised to be kind to Abraham and his children's children for ever.'

⁶ So it was with Abraham. The holy writings say `He believed God, and that was why God called him a good man.'

⁷ You see then, the people who believe God are children of Abraham.

⁸ The holy writings say that he will put people right with himself if they believe him, even those who are not Jews. It was written down before God did it. The holy writings told the good news to Abraham ahead of time. It said, `God will make you a blessing to all nations and people.'

⁹ Abraham believed God and was blessed. And so those who believe God are blessed too, along with him.

¹⁰ A curse is on all people who are trying to become good by obeying the law. The holy writings say, `Everyone is cursed who does not always obey everything that is written in the book of the law and do it.'

¹¹ Now, you can see this. No man is called a good man by God because he obeys the law. The holy writings say, `Those who are right with God shall live by faith.'

¹² The law does not ask people to believe. It says, `He who obeys the laws will live because of them.'

¹³ Christ has saved us from the curse which the law put on us. He took the curse on himself. It should have been on us. The holy writings say, `A curse be on everyone who hangs on a tree!'

¹⁴ Christ Jesus did this so that those who are not Jews will have the blessing which Abraham had. He did this so that when we believe, we will receive the Spirit who was promised to us.