Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
46 The Canticle of Mary.[a] And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.
48 For he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant;
henceforth all generations will call me blessed.
49 The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 His mercy is shown from age to age
to those who fear him.
51 He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has routed those who are arrogant in the desires of their hearts.
52 He has brought down the mighty from their thrones
and lifted up the lowly.
53 He has filled the hungry with good things
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has come to the aid of Israel his servant,
ever mindful of his merciful love,
55 according to the promises he made to our ancestors,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
18 King David’s Prayer. Then King David went in and, sitting in the presence of the Lord, he said:
“Who am I, Lord God, and what is my lineage, that you have brought me this far?
23 And what other nation on earth can be compared to your people Israel, whom you sent forth to redeem for yourself from Egypt by awe-inspiring deeds as you drove out other nations and their gods. 24 You have established your people Israel as your own forever, and you, Lord, became their God.
25 “And now, Lord God, in regard to the promise that you have made concerning your servant and his house, do what you have promised, 26 so that your name will be exalted forever, and people will say: ‘the Lord of hosts is the God of Israel,’ and the house of your servant David will be established before you, 27 since you, the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, made this revelation to your servant: ‘I shall build a house for you.’ Therefore, your servant has found the courage to offer this prayer to you.
28 “And now, Lord God, you are God, and your words are true. You have made this generous promise to your servant.[a] 29 Therefore, bless the house of your servant, so that it may remain ever before you. For you, Lord God, have spoken, and with your blessing the house of your servant will be blessed forever.”
The Blessing of Abraham.[a] 6 Thus Abraham believed in God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. 7 You can be assured that those who have faith are children of Abraham. 8 Because Scripture foresaw[b] that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, it declared the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you all the nations will be blessed.” 9 For this reason, those who have faith share the blessing with Abraham, the faithful one.
10 The Curse of the Law. In contrast, those who rely on the works of the Law are under a curse, for it is written “Cursed is everyone who does not persevere in doing all the things that are written in the book of the Law.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the Law, for the one who is righteous will live by faith. 12 However, the Law is not based on faith. On the contrary, whoever does these things shall live by them.
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse himself for us, as it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hung upon a tree.” 14 This is so that the blessing bestowed upon Abraham might be extended to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
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