Sunday Lectionary Readings

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The Collect

First Sunday after the Epiphany: The Baptism of our Lord
Father in heaven, who at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan proclaimed him your beloved Son and anointed him with the Holy Spirit: Grant that all who are baptized into his Name may keep the covenant they have made, and boldly confess him as Lord and Savior; who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen
Preface of the Epiphany

Old Testament Reading

Isaiah 42:1-9
¹"Behold! My Servant whom I uphold, My Elect One in whom My soul delights! I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. ²He will not cry out, nor raise His voice, Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street. ³A bruised reed He will not break, And smoking flax He will not quench; He will bring forth justice for truth. ⁴He will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth; And the coastlands shall wait for His law." ⁵Thus says God the LORD, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, Who gives breath to the people on it, And spirit to those who walk on it: ⁶" I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness, And will hold Your hand; I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the Gentiles, ⁷To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house. ⁸I am the LORD, that is My name; And My glory I will not give to another, Nor My praise to carved images. ⁹Behold, the former things have come to pass, And new things I declare; Before they spring forth I tell you of them." -- NKJV

Psalm

Psalm 89:1-29
¹I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever;
With my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

²For I have said, "Mercy shall be built up forever;
Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens."

³"I have made a covenant with My chosen,
I have sworn to My servant David:

⁴'Your seed I will establish forever,
And build up your throne to all generations.'" Selah

⁵And the heavens will praise Your wonders, O LORD;
Your faithfulness also in the assembly of the saints.

⁶For who in the heavens can be compared to the LORD?
Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened to the LORD?

⁷God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints,
And to be held in reverence by all those around Him.

⁸O LORD God of hosts,
Who is mighty like You, O LORD?
Your faithfulness also surrounds You.

⁹You rule the raging of the sea;
When its waves rise, You still them.

¹⁰You have broken Rahab in pieces, as one who is slain;
You have scattered Your enemies with Your mighty arm.

¹¹The heavens are Yours, the earth also is Yours;
The world and all its fullness, You have founded them.

¹²The north and the south, You have created them;
Tabor and Hermon rejoice in Your name.

¹³You have a mighty arm;
Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand.

¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne;
Mercy and truth go before Your face.

¹⁵Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!
They walk, O LORD, in the light of Your countenance.

¹⁶In Your name they rejoice all day long,
And in Your righteousness they are exalted.

¹⁷For You are the glory of their strength,
And in Your favor our horn is exalted.

¹⁸For our shield belongs to the LORD,
And our king to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹Then You spoke in a vision to Your holy one,
And said: "I have given help to one who is mighty;
I have exalted one chosen from the people.

²⁰I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,

²¹With whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.

²²The enemy shall not outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

²³I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.

²⁴"But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.

²⁵Also I will set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.

²⁶He shall cry to Me, 'You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.'

²⁷Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.

²⁸My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.

²⁹His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.

-- NKJV

- OR -

Psalm 89:20-29
²⁰I have found My servant David;
With My holy oil I have anointed him,

²¹With whom My hand shall be established;
Also My arm shall strengthen him.

²²The enemy shall not outwit him,
Nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

²³I will beat down his foes before his face,
And plague those who hate him.

²⁴"But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him,
And in My name his horn shall be exalted.

²⁵Also I will set his hand over the sea,
And his right hand over the rivers.

²⁶He shall cry to Me, 'You are my Father,
My God, and the rock of my salvation.'

²⁷Also I will make him My firstborn,
The highest of the kings of the earth.

²⁸My mercy I will keep for him forever,
And My covenant shall stand firm with him.

²⁹His seed also I will make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven.

-- NKJV

New Testament Reading

Acts 10:34-38
³⁴Then Peter opened his mouth and said: "In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. ³⁵But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. ³⁶The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ-He is Lord of all- ³⁷that word you know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached: ³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. -- NKJV

Gospel Reading

Luke 3:15-16,21-22
¹⁵Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, ¹⁶John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ²¹When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. ²²And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased." -- NKJV

The Preface

Preface of Epiphany
To be used on Sundays and weekdays alike, except as otherwise appointed for Holy Days and Various Occasions
Because in the mystery of the Word made flesh, you have caused a new light to shine in our hearts, to give the knowledge of your glory in the face of your son Jesus Christ our Lord.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.
(Unless otherwise noted.)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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