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.'

¹⁶ Do not stop the Spirit when he wants to do something.

¹⁷ Do not despise people who speak words from God.

¹⁸ But test everything that is said. Keep what is good.

¹⁹ Have nothing to do with any kind of wrong thing.

²⁰ May God himself, who gives peace, make you pure and clean. You are set apart and belong only to him. And may your spirit and soul and body all together be kept free from fault until our Lord Jesus Christ comes.

²¹ ) It is God who calls you, and he can be trusted. He will surely do what he has said.

²² My brothers, ask God to help us.

²³ Greet all the brothers with a kiss that is holy.

²⁴ I give you this order from the Lord. Read this letter to all the Christian brothers.

⁶ God sent a man named John.

⁷ He came to talk about the Light, so that all people might believe in the Light by what he said.

⁸ He himself was not that Light, but he was sent to talk about the Light.

¹⁹ The leaders of the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem. They asked John, `Who are you?' John told them.

²⁰ He did not hide the truth, but he told people plainly. He said, `I am not the Christ.'

²¹ So they asked him, `Well then, are you Elijah?' He answered, `No, I am not.' They asked, `Are you the Prophet?' He answered, `No.'

²² Then those priests said, `Who are you? We want to give an answer to the people who sent us. What do you say about yourself?'

²³ John said, `I am a voice calling in the desert, "Make the road straight for the Lord." This is what was said by Isaiah, the prophet of God long ago.'

²⁴ It was the Pharisees who had sent these people to John.

²⁵ So they asked him, `If you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet, why then are you baptizing?'

²⁶ John answered, `I baptize people in water. But there is a man standing among you whom you do not know.

²⁷ He is the one coming after me who is greater than I am. I am not even good enough to untie his shoe strings.'

²⁸ The place where John was baptizing was Bethany on the other side of the Jordan River.