1. I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.
2. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.
3. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow.
4. Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, save me!"
5. The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion.
6. The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me.
7. Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
8. For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling,
9. that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10. I believed; therefore I said, "I am greatly afflicted."
11. And in my dismay I said, "All men are liars."
15. Eliud the father of Eleazar, Eleazar the father of Matthan, Matthan the father of Jacob,
16. and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
17. Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.
18. This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
19. Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20. But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.
21. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."
22. All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:
23. "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" --which means, "God with us."
24. When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.
25. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.