Sunday 2 January 2039

1“Arise, shine; for your light has come,and the Lord’s glory has risen on you!2For behold, darkness will cover the earth,and thick darkness the peoples;but the Lord will arise on you,and his glory shall be seen on you.3Nations will come to your light,and kings to the brightness of your rising.4“Lift up your eyes all around, and see:they all gather themselves together.They come to you.Your sons will come from far away,and your daughters will be carried in arms.5Then you shall see and be radiant,and your heart will thrill and be enlarged;because the abundance of the sea will be turned to you.The wealth of the nations will come to you.6A multitude of camels will cover you,the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah.All from Sheba will come.They will bring gold and frankincense,and will proclaim the praises of the Lord.

1God, give the king your justice;your righteousness to the royal son.2He will judge your people with righteousness,and your poor with justice.

7In his days, the righteous shall flourish,and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more.8He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,from the River to the ends of the earth.

10The kings of Tarshish and of the islands will bring tribute.The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.11Yes, all kings shall fall down before him.All nations shall serve him.

12For he will deliver the needy when he cries;the poor, who has no helper.13He will have pity on the poor and needy.He will save the souls of the needy.

2if it is so that you have heard of the administration ofthat grace of God which was given me toward you,3how that by revelation the mystery was made known to me,as I wrote before in few words,· · · verse 4 is not read5which in other generations was not made known to the children of men,as it has now been revealed to his holy apostlesand prophets in the Spirit,6that the Gentiles are fellow heirsand fellow members of the body,and fellow partakers of his promise in Christ Jesus through the Good News,

1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of King Herod,behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying,2“Where is he who is born King of the Jews?For we saw his star in the east,and have come to worship him.”3When King Herod heard it,he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.4Gathering together all the chief priestsand scribes of the people,he asked them where the Christ would be born.5They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea,for this is written through the prophet,

6‘You Bethlehem, land of Judah,are in no way least among the princes of Judah;for out of you shall come a governorwho shall shepherd my people, Israel.’”

7Then Herod secretly called the wise men,and learned from them exactly what time the star appeared.8He sent them to Bethlehem,and said, “Go and search diligently for the young child.When you have found him,bring me word, so that I also may come and worship him.”

9They, having heard the king, went their way;and behold, the star,which they saw in the east,went before them until it cameand stood over where the young child was.10When they saw the star,they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.11They came into the houseand saw the young child with Mary,his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him.Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts:gold, frankincense, and myrrh.12Being warned in a dream not to return to Herod,they went back to their own country another way.