FIRST
READING: 2 Samuel
7: 1 - 5, 8 - 12, 14, 16
1
Now when the king dwelt in his house, and the LORD had given him rest
from all his enemies round about,
2
the king said to Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a
house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells in a tent."
3
And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in your heart;
for the LORD is with you."
4
But that same night the word of the LORD came to Nathan,
5
"Go and tell my servant David, `Thus says the LORD: Would you
build me a house to dwell in?
8
Now therefore thus you shall say to my servant David, `Thus says the
LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep,
that you should be prince over my people Israel;
9
and I have been with you wherever you went, and have cut off all your
enemies from before you; and I will make for you a great name, like
the name of the great ones of the earth.
10
And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them,
that they may dwell in their own place, and be disturbed no more; and
violent men shall afflict them no more, as formerly,
11
from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I
will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the LORD declares
to you that the LORD will make you a house.
12
When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I
will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from
your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
14
I will be his father, and he shall be my son. When he commits
iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, with the stripes of
the sons of men;
16
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure for ever before
me; your throne shall be established for ever.'"
PSALM:
Psalms 89:
2 - 5, 27, 29
2
For thy steadfast love was established for ever, thy faithfulness is
firm as the heavens.
3
Thou hast said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I
have sworn to David my servant:
4
`I will establish your descendants for ever, and build your throne
for all generations.'" [Selah]
5
Let the heavens praise thy wonders, O LORD, thy faithfulness in the
assembly of the holy ones!
27
And I will make him the first-born, the highest of the kings of the
earth.
29
I will establish his line for ever and his throne as the days of the
heavens.
GOSPEL:
Luke 1:
67 - 79
67
And his father Zechari'ah was filled with the Holy Spirit, and
prophesied, saying,
68
"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and
redeemed his people,
69
and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his
servant David,
70
as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71
that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all
who hate us;
72
to perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his
holy covenant,
73
the oath which he swore to our father Abraham,
74
to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75
in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life.
76
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you
will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77
to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of
their sins,
78
through the tender mercy of our God, when the day shall dawn upon us
from on high
79
to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of
death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."
