Christmas Eve: II

Isaiah 62:6-12

6   On your walls, O Jerusalem,
    I have set watchmen;
  all the day and all the night
    they shall never be silent.
  You who put the LORD in remembrance,
    take no rest,
7   and give him no rest
    until he establishes Jerusalem
    and makes it a praise in the earth.
8   The LORD has sworn by his right hand
    and by his mighty arm:
  “I will not again give your grain
    to be food for your enemies,
  and foreigners shall not drink your wine
    for which you have labored;
9   but those who garner it shall eat it
    and praise the LORD,
  and those who gather it shall drink it
    in the courts of my sanctuary.”
10   Go through, go through the gates;
    prepare the way for the people;
  build up, build up the highway;
    clear it of stones;
    lift up a signal over the peoples.
11   Behold, the LORD has proclaimed
    to the end of the earth:
  Say to the daughter of Zion,
    “Behold, your salvation comes;
  behold, his reward is with him,
    and his recompense before him.”
12   And they shall be called The Holy People,
    The Redeemed of the LORD;
  and you shall be called Sought Out,
    A City Not Forsaken.

Psalm 97

1 The LORD is King; let the earth be glad.*
  Indeed, let the multitude of the isles be glad.

2 Clouds and darkness are round about him;*
  righteousness and judgment are the foundation of his throne.

3 There goes a fire before him*
  and burns up his enemies on every side.

4 His lightnings gave light to the world;*
  the earth saw it and was afraid.

5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD,*
  at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

6 The heavens have declared his righteousness,*
  and all the people have seen his glory.

7 Confounded be all those who worship carved images, and who delight in false gods;*
  worship him, all you gods.

8 Zion heard of it and rejoiced,*
  and the daughters of Judah were glad, because of your judgments, O LORD.

9 For you, LORD, are most high over all the earth;*
  you are exalted far above all gods.

10 O you who love the LORD, see that you hate the thing which is evil;*
  the LORD preserves the souls of his saints; he shall deliver them from the hand of the ungodly.

11 A light has sprung up for the righteous,*
  and joyful gladness for those who are truehearted.

12 Rejoice in the LORD, you righteous,*
  and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

Titus 3:4-7

4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Luke 2:(1-14), 15-20

2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14   “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.