Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Mary Praises God
46 Then Mary said,
“I praise the Lord with all my heart.
47 I am very happy because God is my Savior.
48 I am not important,
but he has shown his care for me, his lowly servant.
From now until the end of time,
people will remember how much God blessed me.
49 Yes, the Powerful One has done great things for me.
His name is very holy.
50 He always gives mercy
to those who worship him.
51 He reached out his arm and showed his power.
He scattered those who are proud and think great things about themselves.
52 He brought down rulers from their thrones
and raised up the humble people.
53 He filled the hungry with good things,
but he sent the rich away with nothing.
54 God has helped Israel—the people he chose to serve him.
He did not forget his promise to give us his mercy.
55 He has done what he promised to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his children forever.”
The Kingdom to Be Brought Back
6 The Lord says,
“Jerusalem was hurt and crippled.
She was thrown away.
She was hurt and punished,
but I will bring her back to me.
7 “The people of that ‘crippled’ city
will be the only ones left alive.
They were forced to leave,
but I will make them into a strong nation.”
The Lord will be their king.
He will rule from Mount Zion forever.
8 And you, Tower of Flocks,[a]
your time will come.
Ophel, hill of Zion,
you will again have the right to rule.
Yes, the kingdom will be in Jerusalem
as it was in the past.
We Saw Christ’s Glory
16 We told you about the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. We told you about his coming. The things we told you were not just clever stories that people invented. No, we saw the greatness of Jesus with our own eyes. 17 Jesus heard the voice of the great and glorious God. That was when he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice said, “This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him.” 18 And we heard that voice. It came from heaven while we were with Jesus on the holy mountain.[a]
19 This makes us more sure about what the prophets said. And it is good for you to follow closely what they said, which is like a light shining in a dark place. You have that light until the day begins and the morning star brings new light to your minds. 20 Most important of all, you must understand this: No prophecy in the Scriptures comes from the prophet’s own understanding. 21 No prophecy ever came from what some person wanted to say. But people were led by the Holy Spirit and spoke words from God.
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International