Book Five

Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

107 (A)Oh give thanks to the Lord, (B)for he is good,
    for his steadfast love endures forever!
Let (C)the redeemed of the Lord say so,
    whom he has (D)redeemed from trouble[a]
and (E)gathered in from the lands,
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.

Some (F)wandered in desert wastes,
    finding no way (G)to a city to dwell in;
hungry and thirsty,
    their soul (H)fainted within them.
Then they (I)cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
He led them by (J)a straight way
    till they reached (K)a city to dwell in.
(L)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
For he (M)satisfies the longing soul,
    (N)and the hungry soul he fills with good things.

10 (O)Some sat in darkness and in (P)the shadow of death,
    prisoners in (Q)affliction and in irons,
11 for they (R)had rebelled against the words of God,
    and (S)spurned the counsel of the Most High.
12 So he bowed their hearts down with hard labor;
    they fell down, (T)with none to help.
13 (U)Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
14 He brought them out of (V)darkness and the shadow of death,
    and (W)burst their bonds apart.
15 (X)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
16 For he (Y)shatters the doors of bronze
    and cuts in two the bars of iron.

17 Some were (Z)fools through their sinful ways,
    and because of their iniquities suffered affliction;
18 (AA)they loathed any kind of food,
    and they (AB)drew near to (AC)the gates of death.
19 (AD)Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
20 He (AE)sent out his word and (AF)healed them,
    and (AG)delivered them from their destruction.
21 (AH)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
22 And let them (AI)offer sacrifices of thanksgiving,
    and (AJ)tell of his deeds in (AK)songs of joy!

23 Some (AL)went down to the sea in ships,
    doing business on the great waters;
24 they saw the deeds of the Lord,
    his wondrous works in the deep.
25 For he (AM)commanded and (AN)raised the stormy wind,
    which lifted up the waves of the sea.
26 They mounted up to heaven; they went down to the depths;
    their courage (AO)melted away in their evil plight;
27 they reeled and (AP)staggered like drunken men
    and (AQ)were at their wits' end.[b]
28 (AR)Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
    and he delivered them from their distress.
29 He (AS)made the storm be still,
    and the waves of the sea were hushed.
30 Then they were glad that the waters[c] were quiet,
    and he brought them to their desired haven.
31 (AT)Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
    for his wondrous works to the children of man!
32 Let them (AU)extol him in (AV)the congregation of the people,
    and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

33 He (AW)turns rivers into a desert,
    springs of water into thirsty ground,
34 (AX)a fruitful land into a salty waste,
    because of the evil of its inhabitants.
35 He (AY)turns a desert into pools of water,
    (AZ)a parched land into springs of water.
36 And there he lets the hungry dwell,
    and they establish (BA)a city to live in;
37 they sow fields and plant vineyards
    and get a fruitful yield.
38 (BB)By his blessing they multiply greatly,
    and he does not let their livestock diminish.

39 When they are diminished and brought low
    through oppression, evil, and sorrow,
40 (BC)he pours contempt on princes
    and (BD)makes them wander (BE)in trackless wastes;
41 but (BF)he raises up the needy out of affliction
    and (BG)makes their families like flocks.
42 (BH)The upright see it and are glad,
    and (BI)all wickedness shuts its mouth.

43 (BJ)Whoever is wise, let him attend to these things;
    let them consider the steadfast love of the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 107:2 Or from the hand of the foe
  2. Psalm 107:27 Hebrew and all their wisdom was swallowed up
  3. Psalm 107:30 Hebrew they

The Birth of Samuel

There was a certain man of (A)Ramathaim-zophim of (B)the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, (C)an Ephrathite. He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

Now this man used to go up (D)year by year from his city (E)to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts (F)at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, (G)he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.[a] And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? (H)Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of (I)the temple of the Lord. 10 She was (J)deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she (K)vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed (L)look on the affliction of your servant and (M)remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, (N)and no razor shall touch his head.”

12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but (O)I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as (P)a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, (Q)“Go in peace, and the God of Israel (R)grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, (S)“Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman (T)went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at (U)Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord (V)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.”[b]

Samuel Given to the Lord

21 The man Elkanah and all his house (W)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 (X)and dwell there forever.” 23 (Y)Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; (Z)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, (AA)she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull,[c] an ephah[d] of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to (AB)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! (AC)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, (AD)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.”

(AE)And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah's Prayer

And Hannah prayed and said,

(AF)“My heart exults in the Lord;
    (AG)my horn is exalted in the Lord.
My mouth derides my enemies,
    because (AH)I rejoice in your salvation.

(AI)“There is none holy like the Lord:
    for there is none besides you;
    there is (AJ)no rock like our God.
Talk no more so very proudly,
    let not arrogance come from your mouth;
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
    and by him actions are weighed.
(AK)The bows of the mighty are broken,
    but the feeble bind on strength.
Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
    but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger.
(AL)The barren has borne seven,
    (AM)but she who has many children is forlorn.
(AN)The Lord kills and brings to life;
    he brings down to Sheol and raises up.
(AO)The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    (AP)he brings low and he exalts.
(AQ)He raises up the poor from the dust;
    he lifts the needy from the ash heap
(AR)to make them sit with princes
    and inherit a seat of honor.
(AS)For the pillars of the earth are the Lord's,
    and on them he has set the world.

(AT)“He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
    but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness,
    for not by might shall a man prevail.
10 (AU)The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces;
    (AV)against them he will thunder in heaven.
(AW)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
    he will give strength to his king
    (AX)and exalt the horn of his anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went home (AY)to Ramah. (AZ)And the boy[e] was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 1:5 Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain. Septuagint And, although he loved Hannah, he would give Hannah only one portion, because the Lord had closed her womb
  2. 1 Samuel 1:20 Samuel sounds like the Hebrew for heard of God
  3. 1 Samuel 1:24 Dead Sea Scroll, Septuagint, Syriac; Masoretic Text three bulls
  4. 1 Samuel 1:24 An ephah was about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters
  5. 1 Samuel 2:11 Hebrew na‘ar can be rendered boy (2:11, 18, 21, 26; 3:1, 8), servant (2:13, 15), or young man (2:17), depending on the context

Proclaiming Christ Crucified

And I, when I came to you, brothers,[a] (A)did not come proclaiming to you (B)the testimony[b] of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except (C)Jesus Christ and him crucified. And (D)I was with you (E)in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of (F)the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men[c] but (G)in the power of God.

Wisdom from the Spirit

Yet among (H)the mature we do impart wisdom, although it is not (I)a wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, (J)who are doomed to pass away. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, (K)which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of (L)the rulers of this age understood this, for (M)if they had, they would not have crucified (N)the Lord of glory. But, as it is written,

(O)“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
    nor the heart of man imagined,
what God has (P)prepared (Q)for those who love him”—

10 these things (R)God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even (S)the depths of God. 11 For who knows a person's thoughts (T)except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now (U)we have received not (V)the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. 13 And we impart this (W)in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, (X)interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual.[d]

14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are (Y)folly to him, and (Z)he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. 15 The (AA)spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one. 16 (AB)“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But (AC)we have the mind of Christ.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Or brothers and sisters
  2. 1 Corinthians 2:1 Some manuscripts mystery (or secret)
  3. 1 Corinthians 2:5 The Greek word anthropoi can refer to both men and women
  4. 1 Corinthians 2:13 Or interpreting spiritual truths in spiritual language, or comparing spiritual things with spiritual

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