There was a certain man of Zorah, of the tribe of the Danites, whose name was Manoah. His wife was barren, having borne no children. And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her, ‘Although you are barren, having borne no children, you shall conceive and bear a son. Now be careful…
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Then Isaiah said: ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary mortals, that you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. From Isaiah 7:10-14, NRSV The prophecy…
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‘Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons shall bow down before you.Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up.He crouches down, he stretches out like a lion, like a lioness—who dares rouse him up?The sceptre shall not…
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And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants,all who keep the sabbath, and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant—these I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer;their burnt-offerings and…
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This is like the days of Noah to me: Just as I swore that the waters of Noah would never again go over the earth,so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you.For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed,but my steadfast love shall not depart from…
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Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other.By myself I have sworn, from my mouth has gone forth in righteousness a word that shall not return:‘To me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.’ From Isaiah 45:6-8,18,21-25, NRSV Isaiah’s words were addressed…
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For I will leave in the midst of you a people humble and lowly.They shall seek refuge in the name of the Lord— the remnant of Israel;they shall do no wrong and utter no lies,nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouths. Then they will pasture and lie down, and no one shall make them…
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I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near—a star shall come out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel;it shall crush the borderlands of Moab, and the territory of all the Shethites. From Numbers 24:2-7,15-17, NRSV In today’s reading we hear the prophecy of Balaam who was the least…
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The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom;like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing.The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God. From Isaiah 35:1-10, NRSV…
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Then Elijah arose, a prophet like fire, and his word burned like a torch.He brought a famine upon them, and by his zeal he made them few in number.By the word of the Lord he shut up the heavens, and also three times brought down fire.How glorious you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Whose…
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