Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Mary's Song of Praise
46 (A) Mary said:
With all my heart
I praise the Lord,
47 and I am glad
because of God my Savior.
48 God cares for me,
his humble servant.
From now on,
all people will say
God has blessed me.
49 God All-Powerful has done
great things for me,
and his name is holy.
50 He always shows mercy
to everyone
who worships him.
51 The Lord has used
his powerful arm
to scatter those
who are proud.
52 (B) God drags strong rulers
from their thrones
and puts humble people
in places of power.
53 God gives the hungry
good things to eat,
and sends the rich away
with nothing.
54 God helps his servant Israel
and is always merciful
to his people.
55 (C) The Lord made this promise
to our ancestors,
to Abraham and his family
forever!
A New Day for Jerusalem
60 Jerusalem, stand up! Shine!
Your new day is dawning.
The glory of the Lord
shines brightly on you.
2 The earth and its people
are covered with darkness,
but the glory of the Lord
is shining upon you.
3 Nations and kings
will come to the light
of your dawning day.
Crowds Are Coming to Jerusalem
The Lord said:
4 (A) Open your eyes! Look around!
Crowds are coming.
Your sons are on their way
from distant lands;
your daughters are being carried
like little children.
5 When you see this,
your faces will glow;
your hearts will pound
and swell with pride.[a]
Treasures from across the sea
and the wealth of nations
will be brought to you.
6 Your country will be covered
with caravans of young camels
from Midian and Ephah.[b]
The people of Sheba[c]
will bring gold and spices
in praise of me, the Lord.
Zechariah Praises the Lord
67 The Holy Spirit came upon Zechariah, and he began to speak:
68 Praise the Lord,
the God of Israel!
He has come
to save his people.
69 Our God has given us
a mighty Savior[a]
from the family
of David his servant.
70 Long ago the Lord promised
by the words
of his holy prophets
71 to save us from our enemies
and from everyone
who hates us.
72 God said he would be kind
to our people and keep
his sacred promise.
73 He told our ancestor Abraham
74 that he would rescue us
from our enemies.
Then we could serve him
without fear,
75 by being holy and good
as long as we live.
76 (A) You, my son, will be called
the prophet of God Most High.
You will go ahead of the Lord
to get everything ready
for him.
77 You will tell his people
that they can be saved
when their sins
are forgiven.
78 God's love and kindness
will shine upon us
like the sun that rises
in the sky.[b]
79 (B) On us who live
in the dark shadow
of death
this light will shine
to guide us
into a life of peace.
80 As John grew up, God's Spirit gave him great power. John lived in the desert until the time he was sent to the people of Israel.
Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society For more information about CEV, visit www.bibles.com and www.cev.bible.