Saturday, December 20, 2025

¹The earth is the LORD’s, with its fullness; the world, and those who dwell in it. ²For he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods. ³Who may ascend to the LORD’s hill? Who may stand in his holy place? ⁴He who has clean hands and a pure heart; who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood, and has not sworn deceitfully. ⁵He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, righteousness from the God of his salvation. ⁶This is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face—even Jacob. Selah.

²⁶Now in the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷to a virgin pledged to be married to a man whose name was Joseph, of David’s house. The virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸Having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, you highly favored one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women!” ²⁹But when she saw him, she was greatly troubled at the saying, and considered what kind of salutation this might be. ³⁰The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹Behold, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and shall name him ‘Jesus.’ ³²He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, ³³and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever. There will be no end to his Kingdom.” ³⁴Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, seeing I am a virgin?” ³⁵The angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore also the holy one who is born from you will be called the Son of God. ³⁶Behold, Elizabeth your relative also has conceived a son in her old age; and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. ³⁷For nothing spoken by God is impossible.” ³⁸Mary said, “Behold, the servant of the Lord; let it be done to me according to your word.” Then the angel departed from her.