Psalm 72
1 Give the king your judgements, O God, ♦
and your righteousness to the son of a king.
2 Then shall he judge your people righteously ♦
and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains bring forth peace, ♦
and the little hills righteousness for the people.
4 May he defend the poor among the people, ♦
deliver the children of the needy and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live as long as the sun and moon endure, ♦
from one generation to another.
6 May he come down like rain upon the mown grass, ♦
like the showers that water the earth.
7 In his time shall righteousness flourish, ♦
and abundance of peace
till the moon shall be no more.
18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, ♦
who alone does wonderful things.
19 And blessed be his glorious name for ever. ♦
May all the earth be filled with his glory.
Amen. Amen.
Matthew 3:1-12
3In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea,
2And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
3For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.
4And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.
5Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,
6And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:
9And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
10And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
11I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:
12Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
