Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ O LORD, thou hast searched me and known me.

² Thou knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou dost understand my thoughts from afar.

³ Thou hast girded my walk and my rest, and hast prepared all my ways.

⁴ For the word is not even upon my tongue, and, behold, O LORD, thou dost know it altogether.

⁵ Thou hast formed my face and my insides and laid thine hand upon me.

⁶ Thy knowledge is wonderful beyond my ability to comprehend; it is high, I cannot understand it.

¹³ For thou hast possessed my kidneys: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are thy works, and that, my soul knows right well.

¹⁵ My body was not hid from thee, even though I was made in secret and brought together in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which were then formed, without lacking one of them.

¹⁷ ¶ Therefore, how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with thee.

1 ¶ Now there was a certain man of Ramath of Zophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephrathite.

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 yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of the hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.

⁴ And when the day would come, Elkanah would sacrifice, and he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters.

⁵ But unto Hannah he would give a worthy portion; for he loved Hannah, even though the LORD had shut up her womb.

⁶ And her rival provoked her to anger and sorrow because the LORD had shut up her womb.

⁷ And this would happen year by year when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she would provoke her; therefore, she would weep and not eat.

⁸ Then Elkanah, her husband, said to her, Hannah, why dost thou weep? And why dost thou not eat? And why is thy heart grieved? Am I not 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 sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.

¹⁰ And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed unto the LORD and wept sore;

¹¹ and she vowed a vow and said, O LORD of the 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 man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head.

¹² And it came to pass as she continued praying before the LORD that Eli was observing her mouth.

¹³ Now Hannah spoke in her heart and only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard; therefore, Eli thought she was drunk.

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 have poured out my soul before the LORD.

¹⁶ Do not count thy handmaid for a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief I have waited until now to speak.

¹⁷ Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.

¹⁸ And she said, Let thy handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and ate, and her countenance was no longer sad.

25 ¶ Now when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

² Then the prince of the priests and the principals of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him,

³ asking for grace against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, they placing an ambush in the way to kill him.

⁴ But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea and that he himself would depart shortly there.

⁵ Let them, therefore, said he, who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there is anything in him.

⁶ And when he had tarried among them no more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea and the next day, sitting on the judgment seat, commanded Paul to be brought.

⁷ And when he was come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove.

⁸ While he answered for himself, Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I sinned in anything at all.

⁹ But Festus, willing to ingratiate himself with 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 am an offender or have committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die; but if there are none of these things of which these accuse me, no one may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar.

¹² Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? unto Caesar shalt thou go.