Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The King of Glory
A Psalm of David.
24 (A)The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof,[a]
the world and those who dwell therein,
2 for he has (B)founded it upon (C)the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
3 (D)Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his (E)holy place?
4 (F)He who has (G)clean hands and (H)a pure heart,
who does not (I)lift up his soul to (J)what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
5 He will receive (K)blessing from the Lord
and (L)righteousness from (M)the God of his salvation.
6 Such is (N)the generation of those who seek him,
who (O)seek the face of the God of Jacob.[b] Selah
7 (P)Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that (Q)the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, (R)mighty in battle!
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
(S)The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory! Selah
Israel Leaves Sinai
11 In the second year, in the second month, on the twentieth day of the month, (A)the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle of the testimony, 12 and the people of Israel (B)set out by stages from the (C)wilderness of Sinai. And the cloud settled down in the (D)wilderness of Paran. 13 They set out for the first time (E)at the command of the Lord by Moses. 14 The standard of the camp of the people of Judah set out (F)first by their companies, and over their company was (G)Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 15 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Issachar was Nethanel the son of Zuar. 16 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.
17 And when (H)the tabernacle was taken down, the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari, (I)who carried the tabernacle, set out. 18 And (J)the standard of the camp of Reuben set out by their companies, and over their company was (K)Elizur the son of Shedeur. 19 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Simeon was (L)Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 20 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Gad was (M)Eliasaph the son of (N)Deuel.
21 Then the Kohathites set out, (O)carrying the holy things, and (P)the tabernacle was set up before their arrival. 22 And (Q)the standard of the camp of the people of Ephraim set out by their companies, and over their company was (R)Elishama the son of Ammihud. 23 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Manasseh was (S)Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 24 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Benjamin was (T)Abidan the son of Gideoni.
25 Then (U)the standard of the camp of the people of Dan, acting as the (V)rear guard of all the camps, set out by their companies, and over their company was (W)Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 26 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Asher was (X)Pagiel the son of Ochran. 27 And over the company of the tribe of the people of Naphtali was (Y)Ahira the son of Enan. 28 (Z)This was the order of march of the people of Israel by their companies, when they set out.
29 And Moses said to Hobab the son of (AA)Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, “We are setting out for the place of which the Lord said, (AB)‘I will give it to you.’ Come with us, and we will do good to you, for (AC)the Lord has promised good to Israel.” 30 But he said to him, “I will not go. I will depart to my own land and to my kindred.” 31 And he said, “Please do not leave us, for you know where we should camp in the wilderness, and you will serve (AD)as eyes for us. 32 And if you do go with us, (AE)whatever good the Lord will do to us, the same will we do to you.”
33 So they set out from (AF)the mount of the Lord three days' journey. And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days' journey, to seek out (AG)a resting place for them. 34 (AH)And the cloud of the Lord was over them by day, whenever they set out from the camp.
35 And whenever the ark set out, Moses said, (AI)“Arise, O Lord, and let your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate you flee before you.” 36 And when it rested, he said, “Return, O Lord, to the ten thousand thousands of Israel.”
The Birth of John the Baptist
57 Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord (A)had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And (B)on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, 60 but his mother answered, “No; (C)he shall be called John.” 61 And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” 62 And (D)they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. 63 And he asked for (E)a writing tablet and wrote, (F)“His name is John.” And they all wondered. 64 (G)And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue (H)loosed, and he spoke, (I)blessing God. 65 And (J)fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all (K)the hill country of Judea, 66 and all who heard them (L)laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For (M)the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy
67 And his father Zechariah (N)was filled with the Holy Spirit and (O)prophesied, saying,
68 (P)“Blessed be the Lord (Q)God of Israel,
for he has (R)visited and (S)redeemed his people
69 and (T)has raised up (U)a horn of salvation for us
(V)in the house of his servant David,
70 (W)as (X)he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 (Y)that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 (Z)to show the mercy promised to our fathers
and (AA)to remember his holy (AB)covenant,
73 (AC)the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74 that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him (AD)without fear,
75 (AE)in holiness and righteousness before him (AF)all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called (AG)the prophet of (AH)the Most High;
for (AI)you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
(AJ)in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the (AK)tender mercy of our God,
whereby (AL)the sunrise shall (AM)visit us[a] (AN)from on high
79 to (AO)give light to (AP)those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into (AQ)the way of (AR)peace.”
80 (AS)And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was (AT)in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.