Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁶⁸ Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and made redemption for his people

⁶⁹ And has raised up a horn of saving health for us in the house of his servant David,

⁷⁰ as he spoke by the mouth of the saints who from the beginning were his prophets;

⁷¹ salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us;

⁷² to fulfill mercy unto our fathers and remembering his holy covenant

⁷³ of the oath which he made to our father Abraham,

⁷⁴ that he would grant unto us, that without fear delivered out of the hand of our enemies, we might serve him

⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.

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

⁷⁷ giving knowledge of saving health unto his people for the remission of their sins

⁷⁸ through the bowels of mercy of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high has visited us

⁷⁹ to give light to those that dwell in darkness and in the shadow of death, to direct our feet into the way of peace.

¹³ ¶ Your words have prevailed against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken against thee?

¹⁴ Ye have said, It is vain to serve God, and what profit is it that we have kept his law and that we walk mournfully before the LORD of the hosts?

¹⁵ We say, therefore, now, that blessed are the proud and even that those that work wickedness are prospered; those that tempted God have escaped.

¹⁶ Then those that feared the LORD spoke one to another, and the LORD hearkened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for those that feared the LORD and for those that think in his name.

¹⁷ And they shall be mine, said the LORD of the hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spares his own son that serves him.

¹⁸ Therefore become ye converted, and ye shall make a difference between the just and the wicked, between him that serves God and him that did not serve him.

¹⁸ What then? notwithstanding, every way, whether in pretense, or in truth, Christ is preached, and I therein do rejoice, and will even rejoice.

¹⁹ For I know that this shall become my saving health through your prayer and the nourishment of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,

²⁰ according to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death.

²¹ ¶ For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

²² But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour, yet I do not know what to choose.

²³ For I am in a strait between the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better:

²⁴ nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.

²⁵ And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith,

²⁶ that your glorying in Jesus Christ may be more abundant by my coming to you again.