Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving
2 Then Hannah (A)prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
(B)My [a]horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth [b]speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because (C)I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “(D)There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, (E)there is no one besides You,
(F)Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “[c]Boast no more so very proudly,
(G)Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
(H)For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
(I)And with Him actions are weighed.
4 “(J)The bows of the mighty are shattered,
(K)But the feeble gird on strength.
5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
(L)Even the barren gives birth to seven,
But (M)she who has many children languishes.
6 “(N)The Lord kills and makes alive;
(O)He brings down to [d]Sheol and raises up.
7 “(P)The Lord makes poor and rich;
(Q)He brings low, He also exalts.
8 “(R)He raises the poor from the dust,
(S)He lifts the needy from the ash heap
(T)To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of honor;
(U)For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the world on them.
9 “(V)He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
(W)But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
(X)For not by might shall a man prevail.
10 “(Y)Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered;
(Z)Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
(AA)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
(AB)And He will give strength to His king,
(AC)And will exalt the [e]horn of His anointed.”
15 Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but [a]Sarah shall be her name. 16 I will bless her, and indeed I will give you (A)a son by her. Then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; (B)kings of peoples will [b]come from her.” 17 Then Abraham (C)fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And (D)will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” 18 And Abraham said to God, “Oh that Ishmael might live before You!” 19 But God said, “No, but Sarah your wife will bear you (E)a son, and you shall call his name [c]Isaac; and (F)I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant for his [d]descendants after him. 20 As for Ishmael, I have heard you; behold, I will bless him, and (G)will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. (H)He shall [e]become the father of twelve princes, and I will make him a (I)great nation. 21 But My covenant I will establish with (J)Isaac, whom (K)Sarah will bear to you at this season next year.” 22 When He finished talking with him, (L)God went up from Abraham.
8 However at that time, (A)when you did not know God, you were (B)slaves to (C)those which by nature are no gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be (D)known by God, (E)how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless [a](F)elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? 10 You (G)observe days and months and seasons and years. 11 I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored [b]over you in vain.
12 I beg of you, (H)brethren, (I)become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You have done me no wrong; 13 but you know that it was because of a [c]bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the [d]first time; 14 and that which was a [e]trial to you in my [f]bodily condition you did not despise or [g]loathe, but (J)you received me as an angel of God, as (K)Christ Jesus Himself. 15 Where then is [h]that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me. 16 So have I become your enemy (L)by [i]telling you the truth? 17 They eagerly seek you, not commendably, but they wish to shut you out so that you will seek them. 18 But it is good always to be eagerly sought in a commendable [j]manner, and (M)not only when I am present with you. 19 (N)My children, with whom (O)I am again in labor until (P)Christ is formed in you— 20 but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for (Q)I am perplexed about you.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.