Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
A Song and Psalm for the sons of Korah.
1 ¶ Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness.
2 Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is Mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.
3 God is known in her palaces for a refuge.
4 For, behold, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.
5 They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled and hasted away.
6 Fear took hold upon them there and pain as of a woman in travail.
7 Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.
8 ¶ As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of the hosts, in the city of our God; God will establish it for ever. Selah.
9 We have conceived according to thy mercy, O God, in the midst of thy temple.
10 According to thy name, O God, so is thy praise unto the ends of the earth; thy right hand is full of righteousness.
11 Let Mount Zion rejoice, let the daughters of Judah be glad because of thy judgments.
12 Walk about Zion and go round about her; tell the towers thereof.
13 Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces that ye may tell it to the generation following.
14 For this God is our God eternally and for ever; he will be our guide even unto death.
24 ¶ And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he did not go, as the first and second times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness;
2 and lifting up his eyes, he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.
3 Then he took up his parable and said, Balaam, the son of Beor, has said and the man whose eyes are open has said,
4 he who has heard the words of God has said, who saw the vision of the Almighty, fallen, but having his eyes open:
5 How beautiful are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy habitations, O Israel!
6 As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river’s side, as the trees of lign aloes which the LORD has planted, and as cedars beside the waters.
7 From his branches he shall distil waters, and his seed shall be in many waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brought him forth out of Egypt; he has, as it were, the strength of a unicorn; he shall eat up the Gentiles his enemies and shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion and as a great lion; who shall awaken him? Blessed is he that blesses thee, and cursed is he that curses thee.
10 ¶ Then Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and smiting his hands together he said, I called thee to curse my enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore, now flee thou to thy place; I said that I would honour thee; but, behold, the LORD has deprived thee of honour.
12 And Balaam replied unto Balak, Did I not declare also unto thy messengers which thou didst send unto me, saying,
13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD, to do either good or bad of my own heart; but what the LORD saith that will I speak?
14 Therefore, behold, I go now unto my people; come and I will indicate unto thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
26 ¶ And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth
27 to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David and the virgin’s name was Mary.
28 And the angel came in unto her and said, Hail, thou that art much graced, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women.
29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his words and wondered in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.
30 Then the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found grace with God.
31 And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a son and shalt call his name Jesus.
32 He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest, and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David;
33 and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end.
34 Then Mary said unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?
35 And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.
36 And, behold, thy relative Elisabeth, she has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.
37 For with God nothing is impossible.
38 Then Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.
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