Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
139 1 David cleanseth his heart from all hypocrisy, showeth that there is nothing so hid, which God seeth not. 13 Which he confirmeth by the creation of man. 14 After declaring his zeal and fear of God, he professeth to be enemy to all them that contemn God.
To him that excelleth. A Psalm of David.
1 O Lord, thou hast tried me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my [a]sitting and my rising: thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou [b]compassest my paths, and my lying down, and art accustomed to all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my [c]tongue, but lo, thou knowest it wholly, O Lord.
5 Thou holdest me strait behind and before, and layest thine [d]hand upon me.
6 Thy knowledge is too wonderful for me: it is so high that I cannot attain unto it.
13 For thou hast [a]possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise thee, for I am [b]fearfully and wondrously made: marvelous are thy works, and my soul knoweth it well.
15 My bones are not hid from thee, though I was made in a secret place, and fashioned [c]beneath in the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see me, when I was without form: [d]for in thy book were all things written, which in continuance were fashioned, when there was none of them before.
17 How [e]dear therefore are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more than the sand: when I awake, [f]I am still with thee.
The First Book of Samuel
1 1 The genealogy of Elkanah father of Samuel. 2 His two wives. 5 Hannah was barren, and prayed to the Lord. 15 Her answer to Eli. 20 Samuel is born. 24 She doth dedicate him to the Lord.
1 There was a man of one of the two [a]Ramathaim Zophim, of mount Ephraim, whose 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 one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 (A)And this man went up out of his city every year, to worship and to sacrifice unto the Lord of hosts in [b]Shiloh, where were the two sons of Eli, Hophni, and Phinehas, Priests of the Lord.
4 And on a day, when Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters portions,
5 But unto Hannah he gave a worthy [c]portion: for he loved Hannah, and the Lord had made her barren.
6 ¶ And her adversary vexed her sore, forasmuch as she upbraided her, because the Lord had made her barren.
7 (And so did he year by year) and as oft as she went up to the house of the Lord, thus she vexed her, that 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 thine heart troubled? am not I better to thee than ten [d]sons?
9 So Hannah rose up after that they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh (and Eli the Priest sat upon a stool by one of the posts of the [e]Temple of the Lord)
10 And she was troubled in her mind, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore:
11 Also she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt look on the trouble of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but give unto thine handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, (B)and there shall no razor come upon his head.
12 And as she continued praying before the Lord, Eli marked her mouth.
13 For Hannah spake in her heart: her lips did move only, 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 [f]drunkenness from thee.
15 Then Hannah answered and said, Nay my lord, but I am a woman [g]troubled in spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have (C)poured out my soul before the Lord.
16 Count not thine handmaid [h]for a wicked woman: for of the abundance of my complaint and my grief 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 She said again, Let thine handmaid find [i]grace in thy sight: so the woman went her way, and did eat, and looked no more sad.
25 1 Festus succeeding Felix, 6 commandeth Paul to be brought forth. 11 Paul appealeth unto Caesar. 14 Festus openeth Paul’s matter to king Agrippa, 23 and bringeth him before him, 27 that he may understand his cause.
1 When [a]Festus was then come into the province, after three days he went up from Caesarea unto Jerusalem.
2 Then the high Priest, and the chief of the Jews appeared before him against Paul: and they besought him,
3 And desired favor against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem: and they laid wait to kill him by the way.
4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would shortly depart thither.
5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, come down with us: and if there be any wickedness in the man, let them accuse him.
6 ¶ [b]Now when he had tarried among them no more than ten days, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day sat in the judgment seat, and commanded Paul to be brought.
7 And when he was come, the Jews which were come from Jerusalem, stood about him and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, whereof [c]they could make no plain proof,
8 Forasmuch as he answered, that he had neither offended anything against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor against Caesar.
9 [d]Yet Festus willing to get favor of the Jews, answered Paul and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me?
10 Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged: to the Jews I have done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.
11 For if I have done wrong, or committed anything worthy of death, I refuse not to die: but if there be none of these things, whereof they accuse me, no man, to pleasure them, can deliver me to them: I appeal unto Caesar.
12 Then when Festus had spoken with the Council, he answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.
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