The Benedictus
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, *
     for he hath visited and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us *
     in the house of his servant David,
As he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, *
     which have been since the world began:
That we should be saved from our enemies, *
     and from the hand of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, *
     and to remember his holy covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, *
     that he would give us,
That we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies *
     might serve him without fear,
In holiness and righteousness before him, *
     all the days of our life.

And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, *
     for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord
                         to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people *
     for the remission of their sins,
Through the tender mercy of our God, *
     whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, *
     and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
     as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. 		 

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
     he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
     born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old,
that he would save us from our enemies, *
     from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers *
     and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *
     to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, *
     holy and righteous in his sight
     all the days of our life.

You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *
     for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation *
     by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
     the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the
                    shadow of death,*
     and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: *
     as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.

For more information see the liturgical glossary