‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Now I myself also am convinced about you, my brothers, that you yourselves also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to instruct one another.
“Men and brothers, it is possible to speak with confidence to you about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us until this day. 30 Therefore, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, 31 by having foreseen this, he spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was he abandoned in Hades nor did his flesh experience decay. 32 This Jesus God raised up, of which we all are witnesses. 33 Therefore, having been exalted to the right hand of God and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out this that you see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” ’
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt, that God has made him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified!”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?” 35 And the angel answered and said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth—she also has conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren. 37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38 So Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s female slave! May it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I have not had sexual relations with a man?”
And Zechariah said to the angel, “By what will I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years!”
Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly. 20 But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all this happened in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
23 “Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son,
and they will call his name Emmanuel,”
which is translated, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph, when he woke up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife 25 and did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
And Jesus, when he began his ministry, was himself about thirty years old, being the son (as it was believed) of Joseph the son of Eli,
And they were all speaking well of him, and were astonished at the gracious words that were coming out of his mouth. And they were saying, “Is this man not the son of Joseph?”
Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found the one whom Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets wrote about—Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth!”
and they were saying, “Is this one not Jesus the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
You are doing the deeds of your father!”
They said to him, “We were not born from sexual immorality! We have one father, God!”
and a sword will pierce your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed!”
He made the one who did not know sin to be sin on our behalf, in order that we could become the righteousness of God in him.
who did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth,
And you know that that one was revealed in order that he might take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
Therefore, when he came into the world, he said,
“Sacrifice and offering you did not want,
but a body you prepared for me;
And Moses was unable to go into the tent of assembly because the cloud settled on it and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle.
Is anything too difficult for Yahweh? At the appointed time I will return to you in the spring and Sarah shall have a son.”
“I know that you can do all things,
and any scheme from you will not be thwarted.
‘Ah Lord Yahweh! Look, you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you,
But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With human beings this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
For he himself spoke and it came to pass.
He himself commanded and it stood firm.
And the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
So Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s female slave! May it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
And Mary said,
“My soul exalts the Lord,
and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior,
Therefore I exhort you, brothers, through the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, so that you may approve what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.
Now in those days Mary set out and traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 40 and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud shout and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! 45 And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!”
46 And Mary said,
“My soul exalts the Lord,
47 and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave,
for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed,
49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for generation after generation
to those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled those who are hungry with good things,
and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed.
54 He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
55 just as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her home.
Now in those days Mary set out and traveled with haste into the hill country, to a town of Judah, 40 and entered into the house of Zechariah, and greeted Elizabeth. 41 And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42 And she cried out with a loud shout and said,
“Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 And why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! 45 And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!”
And blessed is she who believed that there will be a fulfillment to what was spoken to her from the Lord!”
For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 it is not from works, so that no one can boast.
And it happened that when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby in her womb leaped and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.
For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!
For he will be great in the sight of the Lord,
and he must never drink wine or beer,
and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit
while he is still in his mother’s womb.
The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. 30 It is necessary for that one to increase, but for me to decrease.”
And Mary said,
“My soul exalts the Lord,
47 and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave,
for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed,
49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
50 And his mercy is for generation after generation
to those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled those who are hungry with good things,
and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed.
54 He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
55 just as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
56 And Mary stayed with her about three months, and returned to her home.
And do not be drunk with wine (in which is dissipation), but be filled by the Spirit, 19 speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and singing praise in your heart to the Lord, 20 giving thanks always for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to the God and Father,
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another with all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God, 17 and everything whatever you do in word or in deed, giving thanks for all things in the name of the Lord Jesus to God the Father through him.
Then Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in Yahweh, my strength is exalted in Yahweh; I grin over my enemies, for I rejoice over your salvation.
2 There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is no one besides you,
and there is no rock like our God.
3 Do not increase speaking very proud words!
Let no arrogance go forth from your mouth,
for Yahweh is a God of knowledge
whose deeds are not weighed.
4 The bows of mighty warriors are shattered,
but those who stumble gird themselves with strength.
5 Those who were full must hire themselves out for bread,
but those who are hungry will become fat.
As for the infertile, she will bear seven,
but she who has many sons withers away.
6 Yahweh kills and restores alive,
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 Yahweh makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low and also exalts.
8 He raises up the poor from the dust.
From the ash heap he lifts up the needy,
to cause them to sit with noble people
and to cause them to inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth belong to Yahweh
and he has set the inhabited world on them.
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked will be destroyed in the darkness,
because a man will not prevail by his might.
10 Yahweh will shatter his adversaries;
he will thunder against them in the heavens.
Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to his king
and will exalt the might of his anointed one.
And Mary said,
“My soul exalts the Lord,
And Mary said,
“My soul exalts the Lord,
47 and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior,
48 because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave,
for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed,
49 because the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior,
because he has looked upon the humble state of his female slave,
for behold, from now on all generations will consider me blessed,
For consider your calling, brothers, that not many were wise according to human standards, not many were powerful, not many were well born. 27 But the foolish things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong, 28 and the insignificant of the world, and the despised, God chose, the things that are not, in order that he might abolish the things that are,
because the Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
“Return to your home and tell all that God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole town all that Jesus had done for him.
Only fear Yahweh and serve him faithfully with all of your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you.
Because of your word and according to your heart, you have done all of this great thing, in order to let your servant know. 22 Therefore you are great, my lord Yahweh, for there is no one like you, and there is no god except you, in all that we have heard with our ears. 23 Who is like your people, like Israel? Israel is the one nation on earth whose God led them, in order to redeem a people for himself, and to make a name for himself, and to do for you the great and awesome things for your land in the presence of your people whom he redeemed for himself from Egypt, from the nations and their gods.
Then our mouth was filled with laughter,
and our tongue with rejoicing.
Then they said among the nations,
“Yahweh has done great things for these people.”
3 Yahweh has done great things for us;
we are glad.
And his mercy is for generation after generation
to those who fear him.
51 He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled those who are hungry with good things,
and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed.
He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
He has filled those who are hungry with good things,
and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and according to his custom he entered into the synagogue on the day of the Sabbath and stood up to read. 17 And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him, and unrolling the scroll he found the place where it was written,
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because of which he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to send out in freedom those who are oppressed,
19 to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”
For consider your calling, brothers, that not many were wise according to human standards, not many were powerful, not many were well born. 27 But the foolish things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong, 28 and the insignificant of the world, and the despised, God chose, the things that are not, in order that he might abolish the things that are,
Every man in distress and every man who had a creditor and every embittered man gathered to him, and he became their commander. Now there were about four hundred men with him.
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
55 just as he spoke to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”
And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.”
Sing to Yahweh a new song, for he has done wonders.
His right hand and his holy arm have secured his victory.
2 Yahweh has made known his salvation;
to the eyes of the nations he has revealed his righteousness.
3 He has remembered his loyal love and his faithfulness
to the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
And Yahweh said to Abram, “Go out from your land and from your relatives, and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing. 3 And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse. And all families of the earth will be blessed in you.”
And God said, “No, but Sarah your wife shall bear a son for you, and you shall call his name Isaac. And I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant to his offspring after him.
All the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring, because you have listened to my voice.”
And I will multiply your descendants like the stars of heaven, and I will give to your descendants all these lands. And all nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring,
Your descendants shall be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west, and to the east, and to the north and to the south. And all the families of the earth will be blessed through you and through your descendants.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly. 20 But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all this happened in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
23 “Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son,
and they will call his name Emmanuel,”
which is translated, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph, when he woke up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife 25 and did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
Now the time came for Elizabeth that she should give birth, and she gave birth to a son. 58 And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown his great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. 59 And it happened that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they were wanting to name him after his father Zechariah. 60 And his mother answered and said, “No, but he will be named John.” 61 And they said to her, “There is no one of your relatives who is called by this name.” 62 So they made signs to his father asking what he wanted him to be named, 63 and he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, saying, “John is his name.” And they were all astonished. 64 And his mouth and his tongue were opened immediately, and he began to speak, praising God. 65 And fear came on all those who lived near them, and in all the hill country of Judea all these events were discussed. 66 And all those who heard kept these things in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be? For indeed the hand of the Lord was with him!”
67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
68 “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited to help and has redeemed his people,
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times—
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us,
72 to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to Abraham our father,
to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
could serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
76 And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the merciful compassion of our God
by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to direct our feet into the way of peace.”
80 And the child kept growing and becoming strong in spirit, and was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Look, children are the heritage of Yahweh;
the fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,
so are the children of one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.
They shall not be put to shame
when they speak with enemies at the gate.
Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh,
who walks in his ways.
2 You will indeed eat of the labor of your hands;
you will be happy and it will be well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine
within your house.
Your children will be like olive shoots
about your table.
“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has visited to help and has redeemed his people,
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because of which he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me
to proclaim release to the captives,
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to send out in freedom those who are oppressed,
in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace,
because you know that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your ancestors not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb 20 who was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has been revealed in these last times for you 21 who through him are believing in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
70 just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times—
71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us,
72 to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to Abraham our father,
to grant us 74 that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
could serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
Zedekiah son of Kenaanah made horns of iron for himself and said, “Thus says Yahweh: ‘With these you shall gore the Arameans until finishing them.’ ”
For you are the glory of their strength,
and by your favor our horn rises up,
And so my faithfulness
and my loyal love will be with him,
and in my name his horn will rise up.
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all those who hate us,
giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you for a share of the inheritance of the saints in light, 13 who has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have the redemption, the forgiveness of sins,
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
And Yahweh said to Abram, “Go out from your land and from your relatives, and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing. 3 And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse. And all families of the earth will be blessed in you.”
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff between his feet,
until Shiloh comes.
And to him shall be the obedience of nations.
When your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you who will go out from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son for me, whom I will punish when he does wrong, with a rod of men and with blows of human beings. 15 But my loyal love shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you one will go out for me,
to be ruler in Israel;
and his origins are from of old,
from ancient days.
to a virgin legally promised in marriage to a man named Joseph of the house of David. And the name of the virgin was Mary.
But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
to show mercy to our fathers
and to remember his holy covenant,
just as he spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets from earliest times—
that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
could serve him without fear 75 in holiness and righteousness
before him all our days.
And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
by the forgiveness of their sins,
And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he said, “Teacher, say it.” 41 “There were two debtors who owed a certain creditor. One owed five hundred denarii and the other fifty. 42 When they were not able to repay him, he forgave the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose that it is the one to whom he forgave more.” And he said to him, “You have judged correctly.” 44 And turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered into your house. You did not give me water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You did not give me a kiss, but from the time I entered, she has not stopped kissing my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with olive oil, but she anointed my feet with perfumed oil. 47 For this reason I tell you, her sins—which were many—have been forgiven, for she loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 And those who were reclining at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.”
As far as east is from west,
so he has removed far from us the guilt of our transgressions.
On the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
because of the merciful compassion of our God
by which the dawn will visit to help us from on high,
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
to direct our feet into the way of peace.”
the people who sit in darkness
have seen a great light,
and the ones who sit in the land and shadow of death,
a light has dawned on them.”
“Comfort; comfort my people,” says your God.
2 “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call to her,
that her compulsory labor is fulfilled, that her sin is paid for,
that she has received from the hand of Yahweh double for all her sins.”
3 A voice is calling in the wilderness, “Clear the way of Yahweh!
Make a highway smooth in the desert for our God!
“Look! I am going to send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you are seeking will come suddenly to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you are taking pleasure—look!—he is about to come,” says Yahweh of hosts.
And so you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare his ways,
This one will be great, and he will be called the Son of the Most High,
and the Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.
And the angel answered and said to her,
“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,
and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.
Therefore also the one to be born will be called holy, the Son of God.
And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, looking forward to the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he would see the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus so that they could do for him according to what was customary under the law, 28 he took him in his arms and praised God and said,
29 “Now dismiss your slave in peace, Lord,
according to your word.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all the peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and glory to your people Israel.”
33 And his father and mother were astonished at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed—35 and a sword will pierce your own soul also, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed!”
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher (she was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and herself as a widow up to eighty-four years) who did not depart from the temple with fastings and prayers, serving night and day. 38 And at that same hour she approached and began to give thanks to God, and to speak about him to all those who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
and my spirit has rejoiced greatly in God my Savior,
Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire. 2 (This first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to be registered, each one to his own town. 4 So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered together with Mary, who was legally promised in marriage to him and was pregnant. 6 And it happened that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And there were shepherds in the same region, living out of doors and keeping watch, guarding over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. 10 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: 11 that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. 12 And this will be the sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace
among people with whom he is pleased!”
15 And it happened that when the angels had departed from them into heaven, the shepherds began to say to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has revealed to us!” 16 And they went hurrying and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the statement that had been told to them about this child. 18 And all who heard it were astonished concerning what had been said to them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as it had been told to them.
Now it happened that in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus to register all the empire. 2 (This first registration took place when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to be registered, each one to his own town. 4 So Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family line of David, 5 to be registered together with Mary, who was legally promised in marriage to him and was pregnant. 6 And it happened that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
So Mary said, “Behold, the Lord’s female slave! May it happen to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
And I will put hostility
between you and between the woman,
and between your offspring and between her offspring;
he will strike you on the head,
and you will strike him on the heel.”
For surely he is not concerned with angels, but he is concerned with the descendants of Abraham.
And Yahweh said to Abram, “Go out from your land and from your relatives, and from the house of your father, to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make you a great nation, and I will bless you, and I will make your name great. And you will be a blessing. 3 And I will bless those who bless you, and those who curse you I will curse. And all families of the earth will be blessed in you.”
I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
a star will go out from Jacob,
and a scepter will rise from Israel;
it will crush the foreheads of Moab
and destroy all the children of Seth.
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor the ruler’s staff between his feet,
until Shiloh comes.
And to him shall be the obedience of nations.
It happened that the king settled in his house. (Now Yahweh had given rest to him from all his enemies all around.) 2 And the king said to Nathan the prophet, “Look, please, I am living in a house of cedar, but the ark of God is staying in the middle of the tent.” 3 Nathan said to the king, “Go and do all that is in your heart, for Yahweh is with you.” 4 But it happened that night, the word of Yahweh came to Nathan, saying, 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh: “Are you the one to build for me a house for my dwelling? 6 For I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought up the Israelites from Egypt until this day; rather, I was going about in a tent and in a tabernacle. 7 In all of my going about among all the Israelites, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, saying, ‘Why did you not build me a cedar house?’ ” ’ 8 So then, thus you shall say to my servant David, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, “I took you from the pasture from following the sheep to be a leader over my people, over Israel, 9 and I have been with you everywhere you went. I have cut off all of your enemies from in front of you, and I will make a great name for you, as the name of the great ones who are on the earth. 10 I will make a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them so that they can dwell in their own place. They will not tremble any longer, and the children of wickedness will not afflict them again, as in the former days. 11 In the manner that I appointed judges over my people Israel, I will give you rest from all your enemies. And Yahweh declares to you that Yahweh will build a house for you. 12 When your days are full and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you who will go out from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be a father to him, and he will be a son for me, whom I will punish when he does wrong, with a rod of men and with blows of human beings. 15 But my loyal love shall not depart from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
17 According to all these words and according to all this vision, this Nathan spoke to David.
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look! the virgin is with child and she is about to give birth to a son, and she shall call his name ‘God with us.’
But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
too small to be among the clans of Judah,
from you one will go out for me,
to be ruler in Israel;
and his origins are from of old,
from ancient days.
Then Yahweh said to me, “You did well to see, for I am watching over my word to perform it.”
Now the birth of Jesus Christ occurred in this way. His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. 19 So Joseph her husband, being righteous and not wanting to disgrace her, intended to divorce her secretly. 20 But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 And she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name ‘Jesus,’ because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 Now all this happened in order that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying,
23 “Behold, the virgin will become pregnant and will give birth to a son,
and they will call his name Emmanuel,”
which is translated, “God with us.” 24 And Joseph, when he woke up from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and he took his wife 25 and did not have sexual relations with her until she gave birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.
And she gave birth to her firstborn son, and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
And this will be the sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.”
And they went hurrying and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the manger.
But the Lord answered and said to him, “Hypocrites! Does not each one of you untie his ox or his donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it away to water it?
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. The one who comes to me will never be hungry, and the one who believes in me will never be thirsty again.
Then they journeyed from Bethel. And when they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel went into labor. And she had hard labor. 17 And when her labor was the most difficult the midwife said to her, “Do not be afraid for you have another son.” 18 And it happened that when her life was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-Oni. But his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died and she was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). 20 And Jacob erected a pillar at her burial site. That is the pillar of the burial site of Rachel unto this day.
Then Herod, when he saw that he had been deceived by the wise men, became very angry, and he sent soldiers and executed all the children in Bethlehem and in all the region around it from the age of two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined precisely from the wise men. 17 Then what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, saying,
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children,
and she did not want to be comforted,
because they exist no longer.”
and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
A declaration of Yahweh to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.”
And there were shepherds in the same region, living out of doors and keeping watch, guarding over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord stood near them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. 10 And the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring good news to you of great joy which will be for all the people: 11 that today a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you in the city of David. 12 And this will be the sign for you: you will find the baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace
among people with whom he is pleased!”
For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that although he was rich, for your sake he became poor, in order that you, by his poverty, may become rich.
And most certainly, great is the mystery of godliness:
Who was revealed in the flesh,
was vindicated by the Spirit,
was seen by angels,
was proclaimed among the Gentiles,
was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.
He has done a mighty deed with his arm;
he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
and has exalted the lowly.
53 He has filled those who are hungry with good things,
and those who are rich he has sent away empty-handed.
For consider your calling, brothers, that not many were wise according to human standards, not many were powerful, not many were well born. 27 But the foolish things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong, 28 and the insignificant of the world, and the despised, God chose, the things that are not, in order that he might abolish the things that are, 29 so that all flesh may not boast before God.
On the next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
But the angel said to him,
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah,
because your prayer has been heard,
and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,
and you will call his name John.
And the angel said to her,
“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.
that we, being rescued from the hand of our enemies,
could serve him without fear
But as he was considering these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for what has been conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
when the morning stars were singing together
and all the sons of God shouted for joy?
to the praise of the glory of his grace that he bestowed on us in the beloved,
that we who hoped beforehand in Christ should be for the praise of his glory,
who is the down payment of our inheritance, until the redemption of the possession, to the praise of his glory.
And the cloud covered the tent of assembly, and the glory of Yahweh filled the tabernacle.
And when Solomon finished praying, then fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of Yahweh filled the house. 2 And the priests were not able to go into the house of Yahweh, for the glory of Yahweh had filled the house. 3 When all the Israelites saw the fire come down and the glory of Yahweh upon the house, they knelt down with their faces to the ground on the pavement and worshiped and gave thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loyal love is everlasting.
She called the boy Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel,” referring to the capture of the ark of God and concerning her father-in-law and husband.
And look! There was the glory of the God of Israel like the vision that I saw in the valley.
And the glory of the God of Israel lifted itself up from upon the cherub that he was on and went to the threshold of the house, and he called to the man who was clothed in linen with a scribal writing case at his side.
And the glory of Yahweh rose up from on the cherub toward the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the courtyard was filled with the brightness of the glory of Yahweh.
And the glory of Yahweh went out from the threshold of the temple, and it stood above the cherubim.