Monday 26 March 2012

10The Lord spoke again to Ahaz, saying,11“Ask a sign of the Lord your God;ask it either in the depth, or in the height above.”

12But Ahaz said, “I won’t ask.I won’t tempt the Lord.”

13He said, “Listen now, house of David.Is it not enough for you to try the patience of men,that you will try the patience of my God also?14Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign.Behold, the virgin will conceive,and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.· · · some verses are not read10Take counsel together, and it will be brought to nothing;speak the word, and it will not stand,for God is with us.”

7Sacrifice and offering you didn’t desire.You have opened my ears.You have not required burnt offering and sin offering.8Then I said, “Behold, I have come.

8It is written about me in the book in the scroll.9I delight to do your will, my God.Yes, your law is within my heart.”

10I have proclaimed glad news of righteousness in the great assembly.Behold, I will not seal my lips, Lord, you know.

11I have not hidden your righteousness within my heart.I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation.I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great assembly.

4For it is impossible that the blood of bullsand goats should take away sins.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 offeringsand sacrifices for sin you didn’t desire,neither had pleasure in them” (thosewhich 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.

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 womband give birth to a son,and shall name him ‘Jesus.’32He will be greatand 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 onewho 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 herwho 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.