Christ Church of Berkeley

Luke 2:22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said,

29 “Lord, now you are letting your servant [1] depart in peace,
according to your word;
30 for my eyes have seen your salvation
31 that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,
32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
and for glory to your people Israel.”

33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.”

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four. [2] She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.
The Return to Nazareth

39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

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 [1] 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, [2] 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.
The Shepherds and the Angels

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 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!” [3]

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.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

14 Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion;
shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart,
O daughter of Jerusalem!
15 The Lord has taken away the judgments against you;
he has cleared away your enemies.
The King of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst;
you shall never again fear evil.
16 On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
“Fear not, O Zion;
let not your hands grow weak.
17 The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
he will rejoice over you with gladness;
he will quiet you by his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing.
18 I will gather those of you who mourn for the festival,
so that you will no longer suffer reproach. [1]
19 Behold, at that time I will deal
with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame
and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise
and renown in all the earth.
20 At that time I will bring you in,
at the time when I gather you together;
for I will make you renowned and praised
among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes
before your eyes,” says the Lord.

3:1 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord, [1]
make his paths straight.
5 Every valley shall be filled,
and every mountain and hill shall be made low,
and the crooked shall become straight,
and the rough places shall become level ways,
6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

14 “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

5:1 My son, be attentive to my wisdom;
incline your ear to my understanding,
2 that you may keep discretion,
and your lips may guard knowledge.
3 For the lips of a forbidden [1] woman drip honey,
and her speech [2] is smoother than oil,
4 but in the end she is bitter as wormwood,
sharp as a two-edged sword.
5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps follow the path to [3] Sheol;
6 she does not ponder the path of life;
her ways wander, and she does not know it.

7 And now, O sons, listen to me,
and do not depart from the words of my mouth.
8 Keep your way far from her,
and do not go near the door of her house,
9 lest you give your honor to others
and your years to the merciless,
10 lest strangers take their fill of your strength,
and your labors go to the house of a foreigner,
11 and at the end of your life you groan,
when your flesh and body are consumed,
12 and you say, “How I hated discipline,
and my heart despised reproof!
13 I did not listen to the voice of my teachers
or incline my ear to my instructors.
14 I am at the brink of utter ruin
in the assembled congregation.”

15 Drink water from your own cistern,
flowing water from your own well.
16 Should your springs be scattered abroad,
streams of water in the streets?
17 Let them be for yourself alone,
and not for strangers with you.
18 Let your fountain be blessed,
and rejoice in the wife of your youth,
19 a lovely deer, a graceful doe.
Let her breasts fill you at all times with delight;
be intoxicated [4] always in her love.
20 Why should you be intoxicated, my son, with a forbidden woman
and embrace the bosom of an adulteress? [5]
21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the Lord,
and he ponders [6] all his paths.
22 The iniquities of the wicked ensnare him,
and he is held fast in the cords of his sin.
23 He dies for lack of discipline,
and because of his great folly he is led astray.

Pr 5:1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words of insight,

Pr 5:2 that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.

Pr 5:3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;

Pr 5:4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.

Pr 5:5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.

Pr 5:6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.

Pr 5:7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.

Pr 5:8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,

Pr 5:9 lest you lose your honor to others
and your dignity to one who is cruel,

Pr 5:10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich the house of another.

Pr 5:11 At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent.

Pr 5:12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!

Pr 5:13 I would not obey my teachers
or turn my ear to my instructors.

Pr 5:14 And I was soon in serious trouble
in the assembly of God’s people.”

Pr 5:15 Drink water from your own cistern,
running water from your own well.

Pr 5:16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?

Pr 5:17 Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.

Pr 5:18 May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Pr 5:19 A loving doe, a graceful deer—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

Pr 5:20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

Pr 5:21 For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
and he examines all your paths.

Pr 5:22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
the cords of their sins hold them fast.

Pr 5:23 For lack of discipline they will die,
led astray by their own great folly.

Pr 5:1 My son, pay attention to my wisdom,
turn your ear to my words of insight,

Pr 5:2 that you may maintain discretion
and your lips may preserve knowledge.

Pr 5:3 For the lips of the adulterous woman drip honey,
and her speech is smoother than oil;

Pr 5:4 but in the end she is bitter as gall,
sharp as a double-edged sword.

Pr 5:5 Her feet go down to death;
her steps lead straight to the grave.

Pr 5:6 She gives no thought to the way of life;
her paths wander aimlessly, but she does not know it.

Pr 5:7 Now then, my sons, listen to me;
do not turn aside from what I say.

Pr 5:8 Keep to a path far from her,
do not go near the door of her house,

Pr 5:9 lest you lose your honor to others
and your dignity to one who is cruel,

Pr 5:10 lest strangers feast on your wealth
and your toil enrich the house of another.

Pr 5:11 At the end of your life you will groan,
when your flesh and body are spent.

Pr 5:12 You will say, “How I hated discipline!
How my heart spurned correction!

Pr 5:13 I would not obey my teachers
or turn my ear to my instructors.

Pr 5:14 And I was soon in serious trouble
in the assembly of God’s people.”

Pr 5:15 Drink water from your own cistern,
running water from your own well.

Pr 5:16 Should your springs overflow in the streets,
your streams of water in the public squares?

Pr 5:17 Let them be yours alone,
never to be shared with strangers.

Pr 5:18 May your fountain be blessed,
and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.

Pr 5:19 A loving doe, a graceful deer—
may her breasts satisfy you always,
may you ever be intoxicated with her love.

Pr 5:20 Why, my son, be intoxicated with another man’s wife?
Why embrace the bosom of a wayward woman?

Pr 5:21 For your ways are in full view of the Lord,
and he examines all your paths.

Pr 5:22 The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare them;
the cords of their sins hold them fast.

Pr 5:23 For lack of discipline they will die,
led astray by their own great folly.

Pr 1:1 The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel:

Pr 1:7 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge,
but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

* * *
Pr 3:1 My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,

Pr 3:2 for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you peace and prosperity.

Pr 3:3 Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart.

Pr 3:4 Then you will win favor and a good name
in the sight of God and humankind.

Pr 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

Pr 3:6 in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths straight.

Pr 3:7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord and shun evil.

Pr 3:8 This will bring health to your body
and nourishment to your bones.

Pr 3:9 Honor the Lord with your wealth,
with the firstfruits of all your crops;

Pr 3:10 then your barns will be filled to overflowing,
and your vats will brim over with new wine.

Pr 3:11 My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
and do not resent his rebuke,

Pr 3:12 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
as a father the son he delights in.

Pr 13:7 One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing;
another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.
Pr 13:11 Dishonest money dwindles away,
but whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.

Pr 13:22 Good people leave an inheritance for their children’s children,
but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous.

  *        *        *
Pr 15:16 Better a little with the fear of the Lord
than great wealth with turmoil.

  *        *        *

Pr 11:24 One person gives freely, yet gains even more;
another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.

Pr 11:25 A generous person will prosper;
whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

Pr 11:26 People curse those who hoard grain,
but they pray God’s blessing on those who are willing to sell.

Pr 11:27 Whoever seeks good finds favor,
but evil comes to those who search for it.

Pr 11:28 Those who trust in their riches will fall,
but the righteous will thrive like a green leaf.