Daily Readings - 19/12/2025

^70:1 Oh come and rescue me, God, Yahweh come quickly and help me!

^70:2 Shame and dishonour on those who are out to kill me! Down with them! Disgrace on those who enjoy my misfortune!

^70:3 May they be aghast with shame, those who say to me, ‘Aha! Aha!’

^70:4 But joy and gladness for all who seek you! To all who love your saving power give constant cause to say, ‘God is great!’

^70:5 To me, poor wretch, come quickly, God! My helper, my saviour, Yahweh, come without delay.!

^1:5 In the days of King Herod of Judaea there lived a priest called Zechariah who belonged to the Abijah section of the priesthood, and he had a wife, Elizabeth by name, who was a descendant of Aaron.

^1:6 Both were worthy in the sight of God, and scrupulously observed all the commandments and observances of the Lord.

^1:7 But they were childless: Elizabeth was barren and they were both getting on in years.

^1:8 Now it was the turn of Zechariah’s section[*a] to serve, and he was exercising his priestly office before God

^1:9 when it fell to him by lot, as the ritual custom was, to enter the Lord’s sanctuary and burn incense there.[*b]

^1:10 And at the hour of incense the whole congregation was outside, praying.

^1:11 Then there appeared to him the angel of the Lord, standing on the right of the altar of incense.

^1:12 The sight disturbed Zechariah and he was overcome with fear.

^1:13 But the angel said to him, ‘Zechariah, do not be afraid, your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth is to bear you a son and you must name him John.

^1:14 He will be your joy and delight and many will rejoice at his birth,

^1:15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord; he must drink no wine, no strong drink.[*d] Even from his mother’s womb he will be filled with the Holy Spirit,

^1:16 and he will bring back many of the sons of Israel to the Lord their God.

^1:17 With the spirit and power of Elijah, he will go before him to turn the hearts of fathers towards their children[*e] and the disobedient back to the wisdom that the virtuous have, preparing for the Lord a people fit for him.

^1:18 Zechariah said to the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is getting on in years.’

^1:19 The angel replied, ‘I am Gabriel who stand in God’s presence, and I have been sent to speak to you and bring you this good news.

^1:20 Listen! Since you have not believed my words, which will come true at their appointed time, you will be silenced and have no power of speech until this has happened.’

^1:21 Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariah and were surprised that he stayed in the sanctuary so long.

^1:22 When he came out he could not speak to them, and they realised that he had received a vision in the sanctuary. But he could only make signs to them, and remained dumb.

^1:23 When his time of service came to an end he returned home.

^1:24 Some time later his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept to herself.

^1:25 ‘The Lord has done this for me’ she said ‘now that it has pleased him to take away the humiliation I suffered among men.’ The annunciation