Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

¹⁹ They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at ^(A)Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord ^(B)remembered her. ²⁰ And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”^[a]

Samuel Given to the Lord

²¹ The man Elkanah and all his house ^(C)went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. ²² But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord ^(D)and dwell there forever.” ^23 (E)Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; ^(F)only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. ²⁴ And when she had weaned him, ^(G)she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,^[b] an ephah^[c] of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to ^(H)the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. ²⁵ Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. ²⁶ And she said, “Oh, my lord! ^(I)As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. ²⁷ For this child I prayed, ^(J)and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. ²⁸ Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”

^(K)And he worshiped the Lord there.

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is ^(A)in Christ, he is ^(B)a new creation.^{[a] (C)}The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. ¹⁸ All this is from God, ^(D)who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us ^(E)the ministry of reconciliation; ¹⁹ that is, in Christ God was reconciling^[b] the world to himself, ^(F)not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us ^(G)the message of reconciliation.

^13 (A)Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴ But seeing the man who was healed ^(B)standing beside them, ^(C)they had nothing to say in opposition. ¹⁵ But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, ¹⁶ saying, ^(D)“What shall we do with these men? For that ^(E)a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them ^(F)to speak no more to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ But Peter and John answered them, ^(G)“Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, ²⁰ for ^(H)we cannot but speak of what ^(I)we have seen and heard.” ²¹ And when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way to punish them, ^(J)because of the people, for all were praising God ^(K)for what had happened. ²² For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed was more than forty years old.

The Believers Pray for Boldness

²³ When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ And when they heard it, they lifted their voices ^(L)together to God and said, “Sovereign Lord, ^(M)who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, ²⁵ who through the mouth of our father David, your servant,^[a] said by the Holy Spirit,

²⁷ for truly in this city there were gathered together against your ^(Q)holy servant Jesus, ^(R)whom you anointed, both ^(S)Herod and ^(T)Pontius Pilate, along ^(U)with the Gentiles and ^(V)the peoples of Israel, ^28 (W)to do whatever your hand and ^(X)your plan had predestined to take place. ²⁹ And now, Lord, ^(Y)look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all ^(Z)boldness, ³⁰ while ^(AA)you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed ^(AB)through the name of your ^(AC)holy servant Jesus.” ³¹ And when they had prayed, ^(AD)the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and ^(AE)they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and ^(AF)continued to speak the word of God with boldness.