Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 24
A Psalm of David.
1 The earth belongs to the Lord, and its fullness,
the world, and those who dwell in it.
2 For He has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the floods.
3 Who may ascend the hill of the Lord?
Who may stand in His holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart;
who has not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
nor sworn deceitfully.
5 He will receive the blessing from the Lord,
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is Jacob, the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek Your face. Selah
7 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
and be lifted up, you everlasting doors,
that the King of glory may enter.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
the Lord mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O you gates;
lift up, you everlasting doors,
that the King of glory may enter.
10 Who is He—this King of glory?
The Lord of Hosts,
He is the King of glory. Selah
The Departure From Sinai
11 And it was on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was lifted up from over the tabernacle of the testimony. 12 The children of Israel set out from the Wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran. 13 And they set out for the first time at the command of the Lord by the hand of Moses.
14 And the standard of the camp of the sons of Judah set out first by their armies, and over his armies was Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15 Over the armies of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 Over the armies of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon. 17 The tabernacle was taken down, and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari set out, carrying the tabernacle.
18 The standard of the camp of Reuben set out by their armies, and over his armies was Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19 Over the armies of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 Over the armies of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 21 The Kohathites set out, carrying the sanctuary, and they set up the tabernacle before they came.
22 The standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim set out by their armies, and over his armies was Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23 Over the armies of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24 Over the armies of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25 Then the standard of the camp of the children of Dan set out, which was the rear guard of all the camps by their armies, and over his armies was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 Over the armies of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Okran. 27 Over the armies of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan. 28 This was the order of march of the children of Israel, company by company, when they set out.
29 Moses said to Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses’ father-in-law, “We are setting out to the place of which the Lord said, ‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you because the Lord has spoken good concerning Israel.”
30 Hobab said to him, “I will not go. But I will depart to my own land, and to my kindred.”
31 So Moses said, “Please do not leave us, because you know where to camp in the wilderness, and you may be our eyes. 32 Moreover, if you go with us, then it will be that whatever good the Lord will do for us, we will likewise do for you.”
33 They set out three days from the mountain of the Lord, and the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them the three days’ journey, to find a resting place for them. 34 And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day when they set out from of the camp.
35 And it was, when the ark set out, that Moses said,
“Rise up, O Lord,
and let Your enemies be scattered,
and let them that hate You flee before You.”
36 And when it rested, he said,
“Return, O Lord,
to the multitude of thousands of Israel.”
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now Elizabeth’s time had come to give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 Her neighbors and cousins heard how the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they rejoiced with her.
59 On the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they were calling him Zechariah, after the name of his father. 60 But his mother answered, “Not so! He shall be called John.”
61 They said to her, “There is no one among your relatives who is called by this name.”
62 They made signs to his father, asking what he would have him called. 63 He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all were amazed. 64 Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he spoke and praised God. 65 Fear came on all who lived around them. And all these facts were talked about throughout all the hill country of Judea. 66 All those who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What kind of child will he be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
The Prophecy of Zechariah
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,
70 as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets of long ago,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us,
72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant,
73 the oath which He swore to our father Abraham,
74 to grant us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies,
might serve Him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to His people
by the remission of their sins,
78 through the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise from on high has visited us;
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he remained in the wilderness until the day of his appearance to Israel.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.