Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

⁴⁶ And Mary said,

1 Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the hill-country of 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 from year to year to worship and to sacrifice unto Jehovah of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, priests unto Jehovah, were there. ⁴ And when the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, 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 Jehovah had shut up her womb. ⁶ And her rival provoked her sore, to make her fret, because Jehovah had shut up her womb. ⁷ And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of Jehovah, so she provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat. ⁸ And Elkanah her husband said unto 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 was sitting upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of Jehovah. ¹⁰ And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto Jehovah, and wept sore. ¹¹ And she vowed a vow, and said, O Jehovah of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, but wilt give unto thy handmaid a ^[a]man-child, then I will give him unto Jehovah 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 Jehovah, that Eli marked her mouth. ¹³ Now Hannah, she spake 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 I poured out my soul before Jehovah. ¹⁶ Count not thy handmaid for a wicked woman; for out of the abundance of my complaint and my provocation have I spoken hitherto. ¹⁷ Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thy petition that thou hast asked of him. ¹⁸ And she said, Let thy handmaid find favor in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat; and her countenance was no more sad.

9 Now even the first covenant had ordinances of divine service, and its sanctuary, a sanctuary of this world. ² For there was a tabernacle prepared, the first, wherein ^[a]were the candlestick, and the table, and ^[b]the showbread; which is called the Holy place. ³ And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holy of holies; ⁴ having a golden ^[c]altar of incense, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein ^[d]was a golden pot holding the manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; ⁵ and above it cherubim of glory overshadowing ^[e]the mercy-seat; of which things we cannot now speak severally. ⁶ Now these things having been thus prepared, the priests go in continually into the first tabernacle, accomplishing the services; ⁷ but into the second the high priest alone, once in the year, not without blood, which he offereth for himself, and for the ^[f]errors of the people: ⁸ the Holy Spirit this signifying, that the way into the holy place hath not yet been made manifest, while the first tabernacle is yet standing; ⁹ which is a figure for the time present; according to which are offered both gifts and sacrifices that cannot, as touching the conscience, make the worshipper perfect, ¹⁰ being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.

¹¹ But Christ having come a high priest of ^[g]the good things to come, through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation, ¹² nor yet through the blood of goats and calves, but through his own blood, entered in once for all into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption. ¹³ For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling them that have been defiled, sanctify unto the cleanness of the flesh: ¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through ^[h]the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish unto God, cleanse ^[i]your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?