4th Sunday of Advent

2But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,

being small among the clans of Judah,

out of you one will come out to me who is to be ruler in Israel;

whose goings out are from of old, from ancient times.

3Therefore he will abandon them until the time that she who is in labor gives birth.

Then the rest of his brothers will return to the children of Israel.

4He shall stand, and shall shepherd in the strength of the LORD,

in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.

They will live, for then he will be great to the ends of the earth.

5He will be our peace when Assyria invades our land

and when he marches through our fortresses,

then we will raise against him seven shepherds,

and eight leaders of men.

1Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,

you who lead Joseph like a flock,

you who sit above the cherubim, shine out.

2Before Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up your might!

Come to save us!

…

14Turn again, we beg you, God of Armies.

Look down from heaven, and see, and visit this vine,

15the stock which your right hand planted,

the branch that you made strong for yourself.

…

17Let your hand be on the man of your right hand,

on the son of man whom you made strong for yourself.

18So we will not turn away from you.

Revive us, and we will call on your name.

5Therefore when he comes into the world, he says,

“You didn’t desire sacrifice and offering,

but you prepared a body for me.

6You had no pleasure in whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin.

7Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (in the scroll of the book it is written of me)

to do your will, O God.’”

8Previously saying, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire, neither had pleasure in them” (those which are offered according to the law), 9then he has said, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He takes away the first, that he may establish the second, 10by which will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

39Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah, 40and entered into the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! 43Why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44For behold, when the voice of your greeting came into my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy! 45Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of the things which have been spoken to her from the Lord!”