Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for He has visited and redeemed His people,
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of His servant David,
70 as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets of long ago,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us,
72 to perform the mercy promised to our fathers
and to remember His holy covenant,
73 the oath which He swore to our father Abraham,
74 to grant us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies,
might serve Him without fear,
75 in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our lives.
76 “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to His people
by the remission of their sins,
78 through the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the sunrise from on high has visited us;
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
13 Your words have been hard against Me, says the Lord.
Yet you say, “What have we spoken against You?”
14 You said, “It is vain to serve God. What profit is it that we have kept His ordinance, and that we have walked as mourners before the Lord of Hosts? 15 And now we call the proud blessed, for those who do wickedness are built up; they even test God and escape.”
The Reward of the Faithful
16 Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another. The Lord listened and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.
17 They shall be Mine, says the Lord of Hosts, on the day when I make up My jewels. And I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18 Then you will again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him.
18 What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached. And in this I rejoice.
Indeed, I will rejoice. 19 For I know that through your prayer and the support of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, this will result in my deliverance. 20 Accordingly, it is my earnest expectation and my hope that I shall be ashamed in nothing, but that with all boldness as always, so now also, Christ will be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death. 21 For to me, to continue living is Christ, and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor to me. Yet I do not know what I shall choose. 23 I am in a difficult position between the two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. 24 Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for your sake. 25 Having this confidence, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your joyful advancement of the faith, 26 so that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ when I am in your presence again.
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.