Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Lord’s Covenant with David
7 When the king had settled into his palace(A) and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2 the king said to the prophet Nathan,(B) “Look, I am living in a cedar house while the ark of God sits inside tent curtains.”(C)
3 So Nathan told the king, “Go and do all that is on your mind, for the Lord is with you.”
4 But that night the word of the Lord came to Nathan: 5 “Go to my servant David and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you to build me a house to dwell in?(D) 6 From the time I brought the Israelites out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have been moving around with a tent as my dwelling.(E) 7 In all my journeys with all the Israelites, have I ever spoken a word to one of the tribal leaders of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, asking: Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?’
8 “So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel.(F) 9 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a great name(G) for you like that of the greatest on the earth.(H) 10 I will designate a place(I) for my people Israel and plant them,(J) so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done 11 ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel.(K) I will give you rest from all your enemies.
“‘The Lord declares to you: The Lord himself will make a house for you.
Mary’s Praise
46 And Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,(A)
47 and my spirit rejoices(B) in God my Savior,(C)
48 because he has looked with favor
on the humble condition of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,(D)
49 because the Mighty One(E)
has done great things for me,(F)
and his name(G) is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation(H)
on those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;(I)
he has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;(J)
52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.(K)
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things(L)
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy
55 to Abraham and his descendants[a] forever,(M)
just as he spoke to our ancestors.
Psalm 89
Perplexity about God’s Promises
A Maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.(A)
1 I will sing about the Lord’s faithful love forever;(B)
I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations
with my mouth.(C)
2 For I will declare,
“Faithful love is built up forever;
you establish your faithfulness in the heavens.”(D)
3 The Lord said,
“I have made a covenant with my chosen one;
I have sworn an oath to David my servant:
4 ‘I will establish your offspring forever
and build up your throne for all generations.’”(E)Selah
19 You once spoke in a vision to your faithful ones
and said, “I have granted help to a warrior;
I have exalted one chosen[a] from the people.(A)
20 I have found David my servant;
I have anointed him with my sacred oil.(B)
21 My hand will always be with him,
and my arm will strengthen him.(C)
22 The enemy will not oppress[b] him;
the wicked will not afflict him.(D)
23 I will crush his foes before him
and strike those who hate him.(E)
24 My faithfulness and love will be with him,
and through my name
his horn will be exalted.(F)
25 I will extend his power to the sea
and his right hand to the rivers.(G)
26 He will call to me, ‘You are my Father,(H)
my God, the rock of my salvation.’(I)
Glory to God
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you(A) according to my gospel and the proclamation about Jesus Christ,(B) according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent(C) for long ages(D) 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures,(E) according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith(F) among all the Gentiles— 27 to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ—to him be the glory forever Amen.
Gabriel Predicts Jesus’s Birth
26 In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel(A) was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth,(B) 27 to a virgin engaged[a](C) to a man named Joseph, of the house of David.(D) The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And the angel came to her and said, “Greetings, favored woman! The Lord is with you.”[b] 29 But she was deeply troubled(E) by this statement, wondering what kind of greeting this could be. 30 Then the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary,(F) for you have found favor with God.(G) 31 Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus.(H) 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High,(I) and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.(J) 33 He will reign over the house of Jacob(K) forever, and his kingdom will have no end.” (L)
34 Mary asked the angel, “How can this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” [c]
35 The angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you,(M) and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.(N) 36 And consider your relative Elizabeth—even she has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called childless. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”(O)
38 “See, I am the Lord’s servant,” said Mary. “May it happen to me as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
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