Thursday of the 3rd week of Advent

1“Sing, barren, you who didn’t give birth!

Break out into singing, and cry aloud, you who didn’t travail with child!

For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife,” says the LORD.

2“Enlarge the place of your tent,

and let them stretch out the curtains of your habitations;

don’t spare; lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.

3For you will spread out on the right hand and on the left;

and your offspring will possess the nations

and settle in desolate cities.

4“Don’t be afraid, for you will not be ashamed.

Don’t be confounded, for you will not be disappointed.

For you will forget the shame of your youth.

You will remember the reproach of your widowhood no more.

5For your Maker is your husband; the LORD of Armies is his name.

The Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer.

He will be called the God of the whole earth.

6For the LORD has called you as a wife forsaken and grieved in spirit,

even a wife of youth, when she is cast off,” says your God.

7“For a small moment I have forsaken you,

but I will gather you with great mercies.

8In overflowing wrath I hid my face from you for a moment,

but with everlasting loving kindness I will have mercy on you,” says the LORD your Redeemer.

9“For this is like the waters of Noah to me;

for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth,

so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.

10For the mountains may depart,

and the hills be removed,

but my loving kindness will not depart from you,

and my covenant of peace will not be removed,”

says the LORD who has mercy on you.

1I will extol you, LORD, for you have raised me up,

and have not made my foes to rejoice over me.

…

3LORD, you have brought up my soul from Sheol.

You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

4Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of his.

Give thanks to his holy name.

5For his anger is but for a moment.

His favor is for a lifetime.

Weeping may stay for the night,

but joy comes in the morning.

…

10Hear, LORD, and have mercy on me.

LORD, be my helper.”

11You have turned my mourning into dancing for me.

You have removed my sackcloth, and clothed me with gladness,

12to the end that my heart may sing praise to you, and not be silent.

LORD my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

24When John’s messengers had departed, he began to tell the multitudes about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 25But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are gorgeously dressed and live delicately are in kings’ courts. 26But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and much more than a prophet.

27This is he of whom it is written,

‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

who will prepare your way before you.’

28“For I tell you, among those who are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptizer; yet he who is least in God’s Kingdom is greater than he.” 29When all the people and the tax collectors heard this, they declared God to be just, having been baptized with John’s baptism. 30But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the counsel of God, not being baptized by him themselves.