Readings for Celebrating Advent

⁶⁸ “Praised be Adonai, the God of Isra’el,^[a]
    because he has visited and made a ransom to liberate his people
⁶⁹ by raising up for us a mighty Deliverer
    who is a descendant of his servant David.
⁷⁰ It is just as he has spoken
    through the mouth of the prophets from the very beginning —
⁷¹ that we should be delivered from our enemies
    and from the power of all who hate us.

⁷² “This has happened so that he might show
    the mercy promised to our fathers —
that he would remember his holy covenant,
⁷³     the oath he swore before Avraham avinu
⁷⁴ to grant us that we, freed from our enemies,
    would serve him without fear,
⁷⁵ in holiness and righteousness
    before him all our days.

⁷⁶ You, child, will be called a prophet of Ha‘Elyon;
    you will go before the Lord to prepare his way^[b]
77 by spreading the knowledge among his people
    that deliverance comes by having sins forgiven
⁷⁸ through our God’s most tender mercy,
    which causes the Sunrise to visit us from Heaven,
⁷⁹ to shine on those in darkness, living in the shadow of death,^[c]
    and to guide our feet into the paths of peace.”