O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is thy name in all the earth!
Thou whose glory above the heavens is chanted 2 by the mouth of babes and infants,
thou hast founded a bulwark because of thy foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger. 3 When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers,
the moon and the stars which thou hast established; 4 what is man that thou art mindful of him,
and the son of man that thou dost care for him? 5 Yet thou hast made him little less than God,
and dost crown him with glory and honor. 6 Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands;
thou hast put all things under his feet, 7 all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field, 8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the sea. 9 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is thy name in all the earth!
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
Psalm 103 1 Bless the Lord, O my soul;
and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
3
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
4
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6
The Lord works vindication
and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel. 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor requite us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father pities his children,
so the Lord pities those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
upon those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children's children, 18 to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments. 19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all. 20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
hearkening to the voice of his word! 21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,
his ministers that do his will! 22 Bless the Lord, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the Lord, O my soul!
9 And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. 12 He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house, or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring.
15 And God said to Abraham, "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and moreover I will give you a son by her; I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her."
8 See to it that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fulness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have come to fulness of life in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ; 12 and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
"I have said this to you in figures; the hour is coming when I shall no longer speak to you in figures but tell you plainly of the Father. 26 In that day you will ask in my name; and I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for you; 27 for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from the Father. 28 I came from the Father and have come into the world; again, I am leaving the world and going to the Father."
29
His disciples said, "Ah, now you are speaking plainly, not in any figure! 30 Now we know that you know all things, and need none to question you; by this we believe that you came from God."
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
praise him in the heights!
2
Praise him, all his angels,
praise him, all his host!
3
Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5
Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
6
And he established them for ever and ever;
he fixed their bounds which cannot be passed. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command! 9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars! 10 Beasts and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children! 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
10 Go through, go through the gates, prepare the way for the people; build up, build up the highway, clear it of stones, lift up an ensign over the peoples. 11 Behold, the Lord has proclaimed to the end of the earth: Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your salvation comes; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him." 12 And they shall be called The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord; and you shall be called Sought out, a city not forsaken.
Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child of the Holy Spirit; 19 and her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to send her away quietly. 20 But as he considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit; 21 she will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:
23
"Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and his name shall be called Emmanuel" (which means, God with us).
24
When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he took his wife, 25 but knew her not until she had borne a son; and he called his name Jesus.
