Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

2 My heart hath rejoiced in the Lord, and my horn is exalted in my God: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies: because I have joyed in thy salvation.

² There is none holy as the Lord is: for there is no other beside thee, and there is none strong like our God.

³ Do not multiply to speak lofty things, boasting: let old matters depart from your mouth: for the Lord is a God of all knowledge, and to him are thoughts prepared.

⁴ The bow of the mighty is overcome, and the weak are girt with strength.

⁵ They that were full before have hired out themselves for bread: and the hungry are filled, so that the barren hath borne many: and she that had many children is weakened.

⁶ The Lord killeth and maketh alive, he bringeth down to hell and bringeth back again.

⁷ The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich, he humbleth and he exalteth.

⁸ He raiseth up the needy from the dust, and lifteth up the poor from the dunghill: that he may sit with princes, and hold the throne of glory. For the poles of the earth are the Lord's, and upon them he hath set the world.

⁹ He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness, because no man shall prevail by his own strength.

¹⁰ The adversaries of the Lord shall fear him: and upon them shall he thunder in the heavens. The Lord shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give empire to his king, and shall exalt the horn of his Christ.

²¹ And Elcana her husband went up, and all his house, to offer to the Lord the solemn sacrifice, and his vow.

²² But Anna went not up: for she said to her husband: I will not go till the child be weaned, and till I may carry him, that he may appear before the Lord, and may abide always there.

²³ And Elcana her husband said to her: Do what seemeth good to thee, and stay till thou wean him: and I pray that the Lord may fulfill his word. So the woman stayed at home, and gave her son suck, till she weaned him.

²⁴ And after she had weaned him, she carried him with her, with three calves, and three bushels of flour, and a bottle of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord in Silo. Now the child was as yet very young:

²⁵ And they immolated a calf, and offered the child to Heli.

²⁶ And Anna said: I beseech thee, my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord: I am that woman who stood before thee here praying to the Lord.

²⁷ For this child did I pray, and the Lord hath granted me my petition, which I asked of him.

²⁸ Therefore I also have lent him to the Lord all the days of his life, he shall be lent to the Lord. And they adored the Lord there. And Anna prayed, and said:

¹¹ But thou, O man of God, fly these things: and pursue justice, godliness, faith, charity, patience, mildness.

¹² Fight the good fight of faith: lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called, and hast confessed a good confession before many witnesses.

¹³ I charge thee before God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate, a good confession,

¹⁴ That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵ Which in his times he shall shew who is the Blessed and only Mighty, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

¹⁶ Who only hath immortality, and inhabiteth light inaccessible, whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and empire everlasting. Amen.

¹⁷ Charge the rich of this world not to be highminded, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, (who giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy,)

¹⁸ To do good, to be rich in good works, to give easily, to communicate to others,

¹⁹ To lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the true life.

²⁰ O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane novelties of words, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called.

²¹ Which some promising, have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.