Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Psalm 27
My Stronghold
Of David.
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom should I fear?(A)
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
whom should I dread?(B)
2 When evildoers came against me to devour my flesh,(C)
my foes and my enemies stumbled and fell.(D)
3 Though an army deploys against me,
my heart will not be afraid;
though a war breaks out against me,
I will still be confident.(E)
4 I have asked one thing from the Lord;
it is what I desire:
to dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,(F)
gazing on the beauty of the Lord(G)
and seeking him in his temple.(H)
5 For he will conceal me in his shelter
in the day of adversity;
he will hide me under the cover of his tent;
he will set me high on a rock.(I)
6 Then my head will be high
above my enemies around me;(J)
I will offer sacrifices in his tent with shouts of joy.(K)
I will sing and make music to the Lord.(L)
7 Lord, hear my voice when I call;
be gracious to me and answer me.(M)
8 My heart says this about you:
“Seek[a] his face.”
Lord, I will seek your face.(N)
9 Do not hide your face from me;(O)
do not turn your servant away in anger.(P)
You have been my helper;(Q)
do not leave me or abandon me,
God of my salvation.
10 Even if my father and mother abandon me,
the Lord cares for me.(R)
Judah’s Marital Unfaithfulness
10 Don’t all of us have one Father?(A) Didn’t one God create us?(B) Why then do we act treacherously against one another,(C) profaning(D) the covenant of our ancestors?(E) 11 Judah has acted treacherously, and a detestable(F) act has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned(G) the Lord’s sanctuary,[a](H) which he loves,(I) and has married the daughter of a foreign god.[b](J) 12 May the Lord cut off(K) from the tents of Jacob the man who does this, whoever he may be,[c](L) even if he presents an offering to the Lord of Armies.
13 This is another thing you do. You are covering the Lord’s altar with tears, with weeping and groaning,(M) because he no longer respects your offerings or receives them gladly from your hands.(N)
14 And you ask, “Why?” Because even though the Lord has been a witness(O) between you and the wife of your youth,(P) you have acted treacherously against her. She was your marriage partner(Q) and your wife by covenant.(R) 15 Didn’t God make them one and give them a portion of spirit? What is the one seeking?[d] Godly offspring. So watch yourselves carefully,[e](S) so that no one acts treacherously against the wife of his[f] youth.
16 “If he hates(T) and divorces his wife,”(U) says the Lord God of Israel, “he[g] covers his garment with injustice,”(V) says the Lord of Armies. Therefore, watch yourselves carefully,[h] and do not act treacherously.
Judgment at the Lord’s Coming
17 You have wearied the Lord(W) with your words.
Yet you ask, “How have we wearied him?”
When you say, “Everyone who does what is evil is good in the Lord’s sight, and he is delighted with them,(X) or else where is the God of justice?” (Y)
3 “See, I am going to send my messenger,(Z) and he will clear the way before me.(AA) Then the Lord you seek(AB) will suddenly come to his temple,(AC) the Messenger of the covenant you delight in—see, he is coming,” says the Lord of Armies.
Gabriel Predicts John’s Birth
5 In the days of King Herod(A) of Judea, there was a priest of Abijah’s division(B) named Zechariah. His wife was from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 Both were righteous in God’s sight,(C) living without blame(D) according to all the commands and requirements of the Lord. 7 But they had no children because Elizabeth could not conceive, and both of them were well along in years.(E)
8 When his division was on duty(F) and he was serving as priest before God, 9 it happened that he was chosen by lot,(G) according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the sanctuary of the Lord and burn incense.(H) 10 At the hour of incense the whole assembly of the people was praying outside. 11 An angel of the Lord(I) appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense.(J) 12 When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with fear.(K) 13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid,(L) Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard.(M) Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will name him John.(N) 14 There will be joy and delight for you, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord and will never drink wine or beer.(O) He will be filled with the Holy Spirit(P) while still in his mother’s womb.(Q) 16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.(R) 17 And he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of fathers to their children,(S) and the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous, to make ready for the Lord a prepared people.”(T)
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