Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

The Magnificat

⁴⁶ And Mary said,

Elkanah and His Wives

1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim, of the ^[a]hill country of Ephraim, named Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an ^[b]Ephraimite. ² He had two wives, one named Hannah and the other named Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

³ This man went up from his city ^[c]each year to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh. Hophni and Phinehas, the two sons of Eli, were priests to the Lord there. ⁴ When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions [of the sacrificial meat] to Peninnah his wife and all her sons and daughters. ⁵ But to Hannah he would give a double portion, because he loved Hannah, but the Lord had ^[d]given her no children. ⁶ Hannah’s rival provoked her bitterly, to irritate and embarrass her, because the Lord had ^[e]left her childless. ⁷ So it happened year after year, whenever she went up to the house of the Lord, Peninnah provoked her; so she wept and would not eat. ⁸ Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you cry and why do you not eat? Why are you so sad and discontent? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

⁹ So Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on his seat beside the doorpost of the temple (tabernacle) of the Lord. ¹⁰ Hannah was ^[f]greatly distressed, and she prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. ¹¹ She made a vow, saying, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction (suffering) of Your maidservant and remember, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life; a ^[g]razor shall never touch his head.”

¹² Now it happened as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. ¹³ Hannah was speaking in her heart (mind); only her lips were moving, and her voice was not heard, so Eli ^[h]thought she was drunk. ¹⁴ Eli said to her, “How long will you make yourself drunk? Get rid of your wine.” ¹⁵ But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman with a despairing spirit. I have not been drinking wine or any intoxicating drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord.^{(A) 16} Do not regard your maidservant as a wicked and worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and [bitter] provocation.” ¹⁷ Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” ¹⁸ Hannah said, “Let your maidservant find grace and favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad.

The Old and the New

9 Now even the first covenant had regulations for divine worship and for the earthly sanctuary.^{(A) 2} A tabernacle (sacred tent) was put up, the outer one or first section, in which were the lampstand and the table with [its loaves of] the sacred showbread; this is called the Holy Place.^{(B) 3} Behind the second veil there was another tabernacle [the inner one or second section] known as the Holy of Holies,^{(C) 4 [a]}having the golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant covered entirely with gold. This contained a golden jar which held the manna, and the rod of Aaron that sprouted, and the [two stone] tablets of the covenant [inscribed with the Ten Commandments];^{(D) 5} and above the ark were the [golden] cherubim of glory overshadowing ^[b]the mercy seat; but we cannot now go into detail about these things.

⁶ Now when these things have been prepared in this way, the priests continually enter the outer [or first section of the] tabernacle [that is, the Holy Place] performing [their ritual acts of] the divine worship, ⁷ but into the second [inner tabernacle, the Holy of Holies], only the high priest enters [and then only] once a year, and never without [bringing a sacrifice of] blood, which he offers [as a substitutionary atonement] for himself and for the sins of the people committed in ignorance.^{(E) 8} By this the Holy Spirit signifies that the way into the Holy Place [the true Holy of Holies and the presence of God] has not yet been disclosed as long as the ^[c]first or outer tabernacle is still standing [that is, as long as the Levitical system of worship remains a recognized institution], ⁹ for this [first or outer tabernacle] is a symbol [that is, an archetype or paradigm] for the present time. Accordingly both gifts and sacrifices are offered which are incapable of perfecting the conscience and renewing the [inner self of the] worshiper. ¹⁰ For they [the gifts, sacrifices, and ceremonies] deal only with [clean and unclean] food and drink and various ritual washings, [mere] external regulations for the body imposed [to help the worshipers] until the time of reformation [that is, the time of the new order when Christ will establish the reality of what these things foreshadow—a better covenant].

¹¹ But when Christ appeared as a High Priest of the good things to come [that is, true spiritual worship], He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not a part of this [material] creation. ¹² He went once for all into the Holy Place [the Holy of Holies of heaven, into the presence of God], and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, having obtained and secured eternal redemption [that is, the salvation of all who personally believe in Him as Savior]. ¹³ For if the sprinkling of [ceremonially] defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a [burnt] heifer is sufficient for the cleansing of the body,^{(F) 14} how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal [Holy] Spirit willingly offered Himself unblemished [that is, without moral or spiritual imperfection as a sacrifice] to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works and lifeless observances to serve the ever living God?