Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁷ I will remember the tender mercies of the Lord, the praise of the Lord for all the things that the Lord hath bestowed upon us, and for the multitude of his good things to the house of Israel, which he hath given them according to his kindness, and according to the multitude of his mercies.

⁸ And he said: Surely they are my people, children that will not deny: so he became their saviour.

⁹ In all their affliction he was not troubled, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love, and in his mercy he redeemed them, and he carried them and lifted them up all the days of old.

148 Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise ye him in the high places.

² Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

³ Praise ye him, O sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars and light.

⁴ Praise him, ye heavens of heavens: and let all the waters that are above the heavens

⁵ Praise the name of the Lord. For he spoke, and they were made: he commanded, and they were created.

⁶ He hath established them for ever, and for ages of ages: he hath made a decree, and it shall not pass away.

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all ye deeps:

⁸ Fire, hail, snow, ice, stormy winds which fulfill his word:

⁹ Mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars:

¹⁰ Beasts and all cattle: serpents and feathered fowls:

¹¹ Kings of the earth and all people: princes and all judges of the earth:

¹² Young men and maidens: let the old with the younger, praise the name of the Lord:

¹³ For his name alone is exalted.

¹⁴ The praise of him is above heaven and earth: and he hath exalted the horn of his people. A hymn to all his saints: to the children of Israel, a people approaching to him. Alleluia.

¹⁰ For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, who had brought many children into glory, to perfect the author of their salvation, by his passion.

¹¹ For both he that sanctifieth, and they who are sanctified, are all of one. For which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying:

¹² I will declare thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the church will I praise thee.

¹³ And again: I will put my trust in him. And again: Behold I and my children, whom God hath given me.

¹⁴ Therefore because the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself in like manner hath been partaker of the same: that, through death, he might destroy him who had the empire of death, that is to say, the devil:

¹⁵ And might deliver them, who through the fear of death were all their lifetime subject to servitude.

¹⁶ For no where doth he take hold of the angels: but of the seed of Abraham he taketh hold.

¹⁷ Wherefore it behoved him in all things to be made like unto his brethren, that he might become a merciful and faithful priest before God, that he might be a propitiation for the sins of the people.

¹⁸ For in that, wherein he himself hath suffered and been tempted, he is able to succour them also that are tempted.

¹³ And after they were departed, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph, saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and fly into Egypt: and be there until I shall tell thee. For it will come to pass that Herod will seek the child to destroy him.

¹⁴ Who arose, and took the child and his mother by night, and retired into Egypt: and he was there until the death of Herod:

¹⁵ That it might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the prophet, saying: Out of Egypt have I called my son.

¹⁶ Then Herod perceiving that he was deluded by the wise men, was exceeding angry; and sending killed all the men children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

¹⁷ Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremias the prophet, saying:

¹⁸ A voice in Rama was heard, lamentation and great mourning; Rachel bewailing her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.

¹⁹ But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeared in sleep to Joseph in Egypt,

²⁰ Saying: Arise, and take the child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel. For they are dead that sought the life of the child.

²¹ Who arose, and took the child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel.

²² But hearing that Archelaus reigned in Judea in the room of Herod his father, he was afraid to go thither: and being warned in sleep retired into the quarters of Galilee.

²³ And coming he dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was said by prophets: That he shall be called a Nazarene.