Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 24
The King of Glory
A Davidic psalm.
1 The earth and everything in it,
the world and its inhabitants,
belong to the Lord;(A)
2 for He laid its foundation on the seas
and established it on the rivers.(B)
3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in His holy place?(C)
4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,(D)
who has not set his mind[a] on what is false,(E)
and who has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He will receive blessing from the Lord,(F)
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.(G)
6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.[b](H)
7 Lift up your heads, you gates!
Rise up, ancient doors!
Then the King of glory will come in.(I)
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.(J)
9 Lift up your heads, you gates!
Rise up, ancient doors!
Then the King of glory will come in.
10 Who is He, this King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of glory.(K)
From Sinai to Paran
11 During the second year, in the second month on the twentieth day of the month, the cloud was lifted up above the tabernacle of the testimony. 12 The Israelites traveled on from the Wilderness of Sinai, moving from one place to the next(A) until the cloud stopped in the Wilderness of Paran.(B) 13 They set out for the first time according to the Lord’s command through Moses.(C)
14 The military divisions of the camp of Judah with their banner set out first, and Nahshon son of Amminadab(D) was over Judah’s divisions. 15 Nethanel son of Zuar(E) was over the division of the Issachar tribe, 16 and Eliab son of Helon was over the division of the Zebulun tribe. 17 The tabernacle was then taken down, and the Gershonites and the Merarites set out, transporting the tabernacle.
18 The military divisions of the camp of Reuben with their banner set out, and Elizur son of Shedeur was over Reuben’s division. 19 Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai(F) was over the division of Simeon’s tribe, 20 and Eliasaph son of Deuel was over the division of the tribe of Gad. 21 The Kohathites then set out, transporting the holy objects;(G) the tabernacle was to be set up before their arrival.
22 Next the military divisions of the camp of Ephraim with their banner set out, and Elishama son of Ammihud(H) was over Ephraim’s division. 23 Gamaliel son of Pedahzur was over the division of the tribe of Manasseh, 24 and Abidan son of Gideoni was over the division of the tribe of Benjamin.
25 The military divisions of the camp of Dan with their banner set out, serving as rear guard for all the camps, and Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai(I) was over Dan’s division. 26 Pagiel son of Ochran was over the division of the tribe of Asher, 27 and Ahira son of Enan was over the division of the tribe of Naphtali. 28 This was the order of march for the Israelites by their military divisions as they set out.
29 Moses said to Hobab, son of Moses’ father-in-law[a] Reuel[b](J) the Midianite: “We’re setting out for the place the Lord promised: ‘I will give it to you.’(K) Come with us, and we will treat you well, for the Lord has promised good things to Israel.”(L)
30 But he replied to him, “I don’t want to go. Instead, I will go to my own land and my relatives.”
31 “Please don’t leave us,” Moses said, “since you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you can serve as our eyes. 32 If you come with us, whatever good the Lord does for us we will do for you.”(M)
33 They set out from the mountain of the Lord on a three-day journey with the ark of the Lord’s covenant traveling ahead of them for those three days to seek a resting place for them.(N) 34 Meanwhile, the cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from the camp.
35 Whenever the ark set out, Moses would say:
Arise, Lord!
Let Your enemies be scattered,
and those who hate You flee from Your presence.(O)
36 When it came to rest, he would say:
Return, Lord,
to the countless thousands of Israel.(P)
The Birth and Naming of John
57 Now the time had come for Elizabeth to give birth, and she had a son. 58 Then her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her His great mercy,[a](A) and they rejoiced with her.
59 When they came to circumcise the child on the eighth day,(B) they were going to name him Zechariah, after his father. 60 But his mother responded, “No! He will be called John.”(C)
61 Then they said to her, “None of your relatives has that name.” 62 So they motioned to his father(D) to find out what he wanted him to be called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote:
HIS NAME IS JOHN.
And they were all amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened(E) and his tongue set free, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 Fear came on all those who lived around them, and all these things were being talked about throughout the hill country of Judea. 66 All who heard about him(F) took it to heart, saying, “What then will this child become?” For, indeed, the Lord’s hand was with him.
Zechariah’s Prophecy
67 Then his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit(G) and prophesied:(H)
68 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,(I)
because He has visited
and provided redemption for His people.(J)
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation[b] for us(K)
in the house of His servant David,(L)
70 just as He spoke by the mouth
of His holy prophets in ancient times;(M)
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the clutches[c] of those who hate us.
72 He has dealt mercifully with our fathers(N)
and remembered His holy covenant(O)—
73 the oath that He swore to our father Abraham.(P)
He has given us the privilege,
74 since we have been rescued
from our enemies’ clutches,[d]
to serve Him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness
in His presence all our days.
76 And child, you will be called
a prophet of the Most High,(Q)
for you will go before the Lord
to prepare His ways,(R)
77 to give His people knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins.(S)
78 Because of our God’s merciful compassion,
the Dawn from on high(T) will visit us
79 to shine on those who live in darkness
and the shadow of death,(U)
to guide our feet into the way of peace.
80 The child grew up and became spiritually strong,(V) and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
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