Wednesday, December 23, 2026

1Behold I send my angel, and he shall prepare the way before my face. And presently the Lord, whom you seek, and the angel of the testament, whom you desire, shall come to his temple. Behold, he cometh, saith the Lord of hosts.

2And who shall be able to think of the day of his coming? and who shall stand to see him? for he is like a refining fire, and like the fuller's herb:

3And he shall sit refining and cleansing the silver, and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and shall refine them as gold, and as silver, and they shall offer sacrifices to the Lord in justice.

4And the sacrifice of Juda and of Jerusalem shall please the Lord, as in the days of old, and in the ancient years.

5Behold, I will send you Elias the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

6And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers: lest I come, and strike the earth with anathema.

4Let all them be confounded that act unjust things without cause. Shew, O Lord, thy ways to me, and teach me thy paths.

5Direct me in thy truth, and teach me; for thou art God my Saviour; and on thee have I waited all the day long.

8The Lord is sweet and righteous: therefore he will give a law to sinners in the way.

9He will guide the mild in judgment: he will teach the meek his ways.

10All the ways of the Lord are mercy and truth, to them that seek after his covenant and his testimonies.

14The Lord is a firmament to them that fear him: and his covenant shall be made manifest to them.

57Now Elizabeth's full time of being delivered was come: and she brought forth a son.

58And her neighbors and kinsfolks heard that the Lord had shewed his great mercy towards her: and they congratulated with her.

59And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child: and they called him by his father's name Zachary.

60And his mother answering, said: Not so. But he shall be called John.

61And they said to her: There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name.

62And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

63And demanding a writing table, he wrote, saying: John is his name. And they all wondered.

64And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed: and he spoke, blessing God.

65And fear came upon all their neighbours: and all these things were noised abroad over all the hill country of Judea.

66And all they that had heard them laid them up in their heart, saying: What an one, think ye, shall this child be? For the hand of the Lord was with him.