Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
68 `Blessed [is] the Lord, the God of Israel, Because He did look upon, And wrought redemption for His people,
69 And did raise an horn of salvation to us, In the house of David His servant,
70 As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets, Which have been from the age;
71 Salvation from our enemies, And out of the hand of all hating us,
72 To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant,
73 An oath that He sware to Abraham our father,
74 To give to us, without fear, Out of the hand of our enemies having been delivered,
75 To serve Him, in holiness and righteousness Before Him, all the days of our life.
76 And thou, child, Prophet of the Highest Shalt thou be called; For thou shalt go before the face of the Lord, To prepare His ways.
77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people In remission of their sins,
78 Through the tender mercies of our God, In which the rising from on high did look upon us,
79 To give light to those sitting in darkness and death-shade, To guide our feet to a way of peace.'
13 Hard against Me have been your words, Said Jehovah, and ye have said: `What have we spoken against Thee?'
14 Ye have said, `A vain thing to serve God! And what gain when we kept His charge? And when we have gone in black, Because of Jehovah of Hosts?
15 And now, we are declaring the proud happy, Yea, built up have been those doing wickedness, Yea they have tempted God, and escape.'
16 Then have those fearing Jehovah spoken one to another, And Jehovah doth attend and hear, And written is a book of memorial before Him Of those fearing Jehovah, And of those esteeming His name.
17 And they have been to Me, said Jehovah of Hosts, In the day that I am appointing -- a peculiar treasure, And I have had pity on them, As one hath pity on his son who is serving him.
18 And ye have turned back and considered, Between the righteous and the wicked, Between the servant of God and him who is not His servant.
18 what then? in every way, whether in pretence or in truth, Christ is proclaimed -- and in this I rejoice, yea, and shall rejoice.
19 For I have known that this shall fall out to me for salvation, through your supplication, and the supply of the Spirit of Christ Jesus,
20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, and in all freedom, as always, also now Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death,
21 for to me to live [is] Christ, and to die gain.
22 And if to live in the flesh [is] to me a fruit of work, then what shall I choose? I know not;
23 for I am pressed by the two, having the desire to depart, and to be with Christ, for it is far better,
24 and to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account,
25 and of this being persuaded, I have known that I shall remain and continue with you all, to your advancement and joy of the faith,
26 that your boasting may abound in Christ Jesus in me through my presence again to you.