Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
27 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.
3 Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, even in this will I be confident.
4 One thing have I desired of the Lord; that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in His temple.
5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret places of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me upon a rock.
6 And then shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; therefore I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the Lord.
1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
2 And 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.
3 And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the Lord, were there.
4 And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters, portions.
5 But unto Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah; but the Lord had shut up her womb.
6 And her adversary also provoked her sorely to make her fret, because the Lord had shut up her womb.
7 And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.
8 Then said Elkanah her husband to her, “Hannah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons?”
9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. (Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the Lord.)
10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord and wept sorely.
11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thine handmaid, and remember me and not forget Thine handmaid, but wilt give unto Thine handmaid a manchild, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.”
12 And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli observed her mouth.
13 Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.
14 And Eli said unto her, “How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee.”
15 And Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.
16 Count not thine handmaid as a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.”
17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him.”
18 And she said, “Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and her countenance was no more sad.
19 And they rose up in the morning early and worshiped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
20 Therefore it came to pass, when the time had come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son and called his name Samuel [that is, Asked of God], saying, “Because I have asked him of the Lord.”
11 But I certify to you, brethren, that the Gospel which was preached by me is not according to man;
12 for I neither received it from man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13 For ye have heard of my participation in times past in the Jews’ religion, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and wasted it.
14 I profited in the Jews’ religion beyond many of my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me by His grace,
16 to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen, I conferred not immediately with flesh and blood,
17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia and returned again unto Damascus.
18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19 But I saw none of the other apostles save James, the Lord’s brother.
20 (Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not.)
21 Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia,
22 and was unknown by face unto the churches of Judea which were in Christ;
23 but they had heard only that, “He who persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed.”
24 And they glorified God in me.
Copyright © 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.