FIRST
READING: Zephaniah
3: 14 - 18
14
Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult
with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
15
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out
your enemies. The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you
shall fear evil no more.
16
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem: "Do not fear, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory; he
will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
18
as on a day of festival. "I will remove disaster from you, so
that you will not bear reproach for it.
PSALM:
Isaiah 12:
2 - 6
2
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be
afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has
become my salvation."
3
With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.
4
And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the LORD, call
upon his name; make known his deeds among the nations, proclaim that
his name is exalted.
5
"Sing praises to the LORD, for he has done gloriously; let this
be known in all the earth.
6
Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your
midst is the Holy One of Israel."
SECOND
READING: Philippians
4: 4 - 7
4
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.
5
Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand.
6
Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and
supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to
God.
7
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your
hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
GOSPEL:
Luke 3:
10 - 18
10
And the multitudes asked him, "What then shall we do?"
11
And he answered them, "He who has two coats, let him share with
him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise."
12
Tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, "Teacher,
what shall we do?"
13
And he said to them, "Collect no more than is appointed you."
14
Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he
said to them, "Rob no one by violence or by false accusation,
and be content with your wages."
15
As the people were in expectation, and all men questioned in their
hearts concerning John, whether perhaps he were the Christ,
16
John answered them all, "I baptize you with water; but he who is
mightier than I is coming, the thong of whose sandals I am not worthy
to untie; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.
17
His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor, and
to gather the wheat into his granary, but the chaff he will burn with
unquenchable fire."
18
So, with many other exhortations, he preached good news to the
people.
