1. Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;
2. O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy.
3. If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?
4. But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.
5. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope.
6. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
7. O Israel, put your hope in the LORD, for with the LORD is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.
8. He himself will redeem Israel from all their sins.
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.
8. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.
9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
10. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.
1. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.
2. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.