Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
2 And Hannah prayed, and said, “My heart rejoices in the LORD. My horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “There is none as Holy as the LORD. Yea, there is none besides You; and there is no god like our God.
3 “No longer speak so exceedingly proudly. Do let not arrogancy come out of your mouth. For the LORD is a God of knowledge; and by Him enterprises are established.
4 “The bow and the mighty men are broken; and the weak have girded themselves with strength.
5 “Those who were full are now hired for bread, yet the hungry are no more. Even the barren has borne seven; and she who had many children is now feeble.
6 “The LORD kills and makes alive, brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 “The LORD makes poor and makes rich, brings low and exalts.
8 “He raises up the poor from the dust and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, to set among princes and to make them inherit the seat of glory. For the pillars of the Earth are the LORD’s, and he has set the world upon them.
9 “He will keep the feet of His saints; and the wicked shall keep silence in darkness. For in might shall no man be strong.
10 “The LORD’s adversaries shall be destroyed, and out of Heaven shall He thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the world, and shall give power to His King, and exalt the horn of His Anointed.”
21 Now the LORD visited Sarah, as he had said, and did to her according to His promise.
2 For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the same season that God told him.
3 And Abraham called his son’s name who was born to him, Isaac (which Sarah bore him).
4 Then Abraham circumcised Isaac, his son, when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
5 So Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
6 Then Sarah said, “God has made me rejoice! All who hear will rejoice with me!”
7 Again she said, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would have given children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age.”
8 Then the child grew and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.
9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar, the Egyptian (whom she had borne to Abraham) mocking.
10 Therefore, she said to Abraham, “Cast out this bondwoman and her son! For the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son Isaac.”
11 And this thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight, because of his son.
12 But God said to Abraham, “Do not let it be grievous in your sight because of the child, or because of your bondwoman. In all that Sarah shall say to you, hear her voice. For in Isaac shall your seed be called.
13 As for the son of the bondwoman, I will make him a nation also; because he is your seed.
14 So Abraham arose up early in the morning and took bread and a bottle of water and gave it to Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and sent her and the child away. They departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.
15 And when the water of the bottle was spent, she cast the child under a certain tree.
16 Then she went and sat opposite him at a distance of about a bow shoot. For she said, “I will not see the death of the child.” And she sat down opposite him and lifted up her voice and wept.
17 Then God heard the voice of the child. And the Angel of God called to Hagar from Heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Do not fear. For God has heard the voice of the child where he is.
18 “Arise, take up the child and hold him in your hand. For I will make him a great people.”
19 And God opened her eyes; and she saw a well of water. So, she went and filled the bottle with water and gave the boy drink.
20 So God was with the child. And he grew and dwelt in the wilderness and was an archer.
21 And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran; and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.
21 Tell me, you who would be under the Law, do you not hear the Law?
22 For it is written that Abraham had two sons: one by a servant and one by a free woman.
23 But he who was by the servant was born after the flesh. And he who was by the free woman was born by promise.
24 These things are allegorical. For these mothers are the two Testaments. The one called Hagar begat those of mount Sinai, who are enslaved.
25 For Hagar (or Sinai) is a mountain in Arabia, and it is now presently Jerusalem. And she is enslaved with her children.
26 But the Jerusalem above is free and is the mother of us all.
27 For it is written, “Rejoice, you barren who bear no children! Break forth, and cry, you who do not travail! For the desolate has many more children than she who has a husband.”
28 Therefore, brothers, we are like Isaac: children of the promise.
29 But just as at that time the one who was born after the flesh persecuted the one who was born after the Spirit, so also it is now.
30 But what says the Scripture? ‘Put out the servant and her son. For the son of the servant shall not be heir with the son of the free woman.’
31 Then, brothers, we are not children of the servant, but of the free woman.
5 Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty whereby Christ has made us free. And be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
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