Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁶⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people:

⁶⁹ And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us, in the house of David his servant:

⁷⁰ As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets, who are from the beginning:

⁷¹ Salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us:

⁷² To perform mercy to our fathers, and to remember his holy testament,

⁷³ The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father, that he would grant to us,

⁷⁴ That being delivered from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear,

⁷⁵ In holiness and justice before him, all our days.

⁷⁶ And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways:

⁷⁷ To give knowledge of salvation to his people, unto the remission of their sins:

⁷⁸ Through the bowels of the mercy of our God, in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:

⁷⁹ To enlighten them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: to direct our feet into the way of peace.

⁵ And I will come to you in judgment, and will be a speedy witness against sorcerers, and adulterers, and false swearers, and them that oppress the hireling in his wages; the widows, and the fatherless: and oppress the stranger, and have not feared me, saith the Lord of hosts.

⁶ For I am the Lord, and I change not: and you the sons of Jacob are not consumed.

⁷ For from the days of your fathers you have departed from my ordinances, and have not kept them: Return to me, and I will return to you, saith the Lord of hosts. And you have said: Wherein shall we return?

⁸ Shall a man afflict God? for you afflict me. And you have said: Wherein do we afflict thee? in tithes and in firstfruits.

⁹ And you are cursed with want, and you afflict me, even the whole nation of you.

¹⁰ Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and try me in this, saith the Lord: if I open not unto you the flood-gates of heaven, and pour you out a blessing even to abundance.

¹¹ And I will rebuke for your sakes the devourer, and he shall not spoil the fruit of your land: neither shall the vine in the field be barren, saith the Lord of hosts.

¹² And all nations shall call you blessed: for you shall be a delightful land, saith the Lord of hosts.

¹² Now, brethren, I desire you should know, that the things which have happened to me, have fallen out rather to the furtherance of the gospel:

¹³ So that my bands are made manifest in Christ, in all the court, and in all other places;

¹⁴ And many of the brethren in the Lord, growing confident by my bands, are much more bold to speak the word of God without fear.

¹⁵ Some indeed, even out of envy and contention; but some also for good will preach Christ.

¹⁶ Some out of charity, knowing that I am set for the defence of the gospel.

¹⁷ And some out of contention preach Christ not sincerely: supposing that they raise affliction to my bands.

¹⁸ But what then? So that by all means, whether by occasion, or by truth, Christ be preached: in this also I rejoice, yea, and will rejoice.