Psalm 96^(A)

The Birth of Samuel

1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim,^(A) a Zuphite^[a](B) from the hill country^(C) of Ephraim,^(D) whose name was Elkanah^(E) son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. ² He had two wives;^(F) one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

⁷ This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat.^{(A) 8} Her husband Elkanah would say to her, “Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don’t you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don’t I mean more to you than ten sons?^(B)”

⁹ Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the Lord’s house.^{(C) 10} In her deep anguish^(D) Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. ¹¹ And she made a vow,^(E) saying, “Lord Almighty^(F), if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember^(G) me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life,^(H) and no razor^(I) will ever be used on his head.”

¹² As she kept on praying to the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk ¹⁴ and said to her, “How long are you going to stay drunk? Put away your wine.”

¹⁵ “Not so, my lord,” Hannah replied, “I am a woman who is deeply troubled.^(J) I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring^(K) out my soul to the Lord. ¹⁶ Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief.”^(L)

¹⁷ Eli answered, “Go in peace,^(M) and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.^(N)”

¹⁸ She said, “May your servant find favor in your eyes.^(O)” Then she went her way and ate something, and her face was no longer downcast.^(P)

¹⁹ Early the next morning they arose and worshiped before the Lord and then went back to their home at Ramah.^(Q) Elkanah made love to his wife Hannah, and the Lord remembered^(R) her. ²⁰ So in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son.^(S) She named^(T) him Samuel,^[a](U) saying, “Because I asked the Lord for him.”

Hannah Dedicates Samuel

²¹ When her husband Elkanah went up with all his family to offer the annual^(V) sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow,^{(W) 22} Hannah did not go. She said to her husband, “After the boy is weaned, I will take him and present^(X) him before the Lord, and he will live there always.”^[b]

²³ “Do what seems best to you,” her husband Elkanah told her. “Stay here until you have weaned him; only may the Lord make good^(Y) his^[c] word.” So the woman stayed at home and nursed her son until she had weaned^(Z) him.

²⁴ After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year-old bull,^[d](AA) an ephah^[e] of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. ²⁵ When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, ²⁶ and she said to him, “Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the Lord. ²⁷ I prayed^(AB) for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. ²⁸ So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life^(AC) he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

⁹ For this reason, since the day we heard about you,^(A) we have not stopped praying for you.^(B) We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will^(C) through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,^{[a](D) 10} so that you may live a life worthy^(E) of the Lord and please him^(F) in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,^{(G) 11} being strengthened with all power^(H) according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience,^{(I) 12} and giving joyful thanks to the Father,^(J) who has qualified you^[b] to share in the inheritance^(K) of his holy people in the kingdom of light.^{(L) 13} For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness^(M) and brought us into the kingdom^(N) of the Son he loves,^{(O) 14} in whom we have redemption,^(P) the forgiveness of sins.^(Q)

The Supremacy of the Son of God

¹⁵ The Son is the image^(R) of the invisible God,^(S) the firstborn^(T) over all creation. ¹⁶ For in him all things were created:^(U) things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;^(V) all things have been created through him and for him.^{(W) 17} He is before all things,^(X) and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸ And he is the head^(Y) of the body, the church;^(Z) he is the beginning and the firstborn^(AA) from among the dead,^(AB) so that in everything he might have the supremacy. ¹⁹ For God was pleased^(AC) to have all his fullness^(AD) dwell in him, ²⁰ and through him to reconcile^(AE) to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,^(AF) by making peace^(AG) through his blood,^(AH) shed on the cross.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

²² When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses,^(A) Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord ²³ (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”^[a]),^{(B) 24} and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”^[b](C)

²⁵ Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout.^(D) He was waiting for the consolation of Israel,^(E) and the Holy Spirit was on him. ²⁶ It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. ²⁷ Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required,^{(F) 28} Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

³³ The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. ³⁴ Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother:^(K) “This child is destined to cause the falling^(L) and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, ³⁵ so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

³⁶ There was also a prophet,^(M) Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, ³⁷ and then was a widow until she was eighty-four.^[d](N) She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.^{(O) 38} Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.^(P)

³⁹ When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.^{(Q) 40} And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.^(R)