Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Messiah’s Jubilee
61 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me,(A)
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.(B)
He has sent me to heal[a] the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives
and freedom to the prisoners;(C)
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,(D)
and the day of our God’s vengeance;(E)
to comfort(F) all who mourn,
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion;
to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,
festive oil instead of mourning,(G)
and splendid clothes instead of despair.[b]
And they will be called righteous trees,
planted by the Lord
to glorify him.(H)
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins;(I)
they will restore the former devastations;
they will renew the ruined cities,
the devastations of many generations.
8 For I the Lord love justice;(A)
I hate robbery and injustice;[a]
I will faithfully reward my people
and make a permanent covenant(B) with them.
9 Their descendants will be known among the nations,
and their posterity among the peoples.
All who see them will recognize
that they are a people the Lord has blessed.
10 I rejoice greatly in the Lord,
I exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation
and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness,(C)
as a groom wears a turban
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.(D)
11 For as the earth produces its growth,
and as a garden enables what is sown to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
to spring up before all the nations.(E)
Psalm 126
Zion’s Restoration
A song of ascents.
1 When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,[a]
we were like those who dream.(A)
2 Our mouths were filled with laughter then,(B)
and our tongues with shouts of joy.(C)
Then they said among the nations,
“The Lord has done great things for them.”(D)
3 The Lord had done great things for us;
we were joyful.(E)
Mary’s Praise
46 And Mary said:
My soul magnifies the Lord,(A)
47 and my spirit rejoices(B) in God my Savior,(C)
48 because he has looked with favor
on the humble condition of his servant.
Surely, from now on all generations
will call me blessed,(D)
49 because the Mighty One(E)
has done great things for me,(F)
and his name(G) is holy.
50 His mercy is from generation to generation(H)
on those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;(I)
he has scattered the proud
because of the thoughts of their hearts;(J)
52 he has toppled the mighty from their thrones
and exalted the lowly.(K)
53 He has satisfied the hungry with good things(L)
and sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
remembering his mercy
55 to Abraham and his descendants[a] forever,(M)
just as he spoke to our ancestors.
16 Rejoice(A) always, 17 pray constantly, 18 give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will(B) for you in Christ Jesus. 19 Don’t stifle the Spirit. 20 Don’t despise prophecies, 21 but test all things.(C) Hold on to what is good. 22 Stay away(D) from every kind of evil.
23 Now may the God of peace(E) himself sanctify you completely. And may your whole spirit,(F) soul, and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming(G) of our Lord(H) Jesus Christ.(I) 24 He who calls(J) you(K) is faithful; he will do it.
John the Baptist’s Testimony
19 This was John’s testimony when the Jews from Jerusalem(A) sent priests(B) and Levites(C) to ask him, “Who are you?”
20 He didn’t deny it but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.”(D)
21 “What then?” they asked him. “Are you Elijah?” (E)
“I am not,” he said.
“Are you the Prophet?” (F)
“No,” he answered.
22 “Who are you, then?” they asked. “We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What can you tell us about yourself?”
23 He said, “I am a voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the Lord[a](G)—just as Isaiah(H) the prophet said.”
24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.(I) 25 So they asked him, “Why then do you baptize if you aren’t the Messiah, or Elijah, or the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with[b] water,”(J) John answered them. “Someone stands among you, but you don’t know him. 27 He is the one coming after me,[c](K) whose sandal strap I’m not worthy to untie.” 28 All this happened in Bethany[d] across the Jordan,(L) where John was baptizing.
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