Friday of the 4th week of Advent

1Now it happened that, when the king had settled in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2he said to the prophet Nathan, “Do you not see that I live in a house of cedar, and that the ark of God has been placed in the midst of tent skins?” 3And Nathan said to the king: “Go, do all that is in your heart. For the Lord is with you.” 4But it happened in that night, behold, the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying: 5“Go, and say to my servant David: ‘Thus says the Lord: Should you build a house for me as a dwelling place?

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8And now, so shall you speak to my servant David: ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: I took you from the pastures, from following the sheep, so that you would be the leader over my people Israel. 9And I have been with you everywhere that you walked. And I have slain all your enemies before your face. And I have made you a great name, beside the name of the great ones who are upon the earth. 10And I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and I will plant them, and they shall live there, and they shall no longer be disturbed. Neither shall the sons of iniquity continue to afflict them as before, 11from the day when I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give rest to you from all your enemies. And the Lord foretells to you that the Lord himself will make a house for you. 12And when your days will have been fulfilled, and you will sleep with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who will go forth from your loins, and I will make firm his kingdom.

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14I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. And if he will commit any iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and with the wounds of the sons of men.

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16And your house shall be faithful, and your kingdom shall be before your face, for eternity, and your throne shall be secure continuously.’ ”

2I will sing the mercies of the Lord in eternity. I will announce your truth with my mouth, from generation to generation.

3For you have said: Mercy will be built in the heavens, unto eternity. Your truth will be prepared there.

4I have set up a covenant with my elect. I have sworn to David my servant:

5I will prepare your offspring, even in eternity. And I will build up your throne, from generation to generation.

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27He will invoke me: “You are my father, my God, and the support of my salvation.”

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29I will preserve my mercy for him eternally, and my covenant for him faithfully.

67And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit. And he prophesied, saying: 68“Blessed is the Lord God of Israel. For he has visited and has wrought the redemption of his people. 69And he has raised up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of David his servant, 70just as he spoke by the mouth of his holy Prophets, who are from ages past: 71salvation from our enemies, and from the hand of all those who hate us, 72to accomplish mercy with our fathers, and to call to mind his holy testament, 73the oath, which he swore to Abraham, our father, that he would grant to us, 74so that, having been freed from the hand of our enemies, we may serve him without fear, 75in holiness and in justice before him, throughout all our days. 76And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High. For you will go before the face of the Lord: to prepare his ways, 77to give knowledge of salvation to his people for the remission of their sins, 78through the heart of the mercy of our God, by which, descending from on high, he has visited us, 79to illuminate those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to direct our feet in the way of peace.”