Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Hannah’s Thanksgiving Psalm
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my strength[a] is increased by the Lord.
I will open my mouth to speak[b] against my enemies,
because I rejoice in your deliverance.
2 Indeed,[c] there is no one holy like the Lord,
indeed, there is no one besides you,
there is no rock like our God.
3 Don’t continue to talk proudly,
and don’t speak arrogantly,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of warriors are shattered,[d]
but those who stumble are equipped with[e] strength.
5 Those who had an abundance of bread
now hire themselves out,
and those who were hungry
hunger no more.[f]
While the barren woman gives birth to seven children,[g]
she who had many children languishes.
6 The Lord kills and gives life,
he brings people down to where the dead are[h]
and he raises them up.
7 The Lord makes people poor
and he makes people rich,
he brings them low,
and he also exalts them.
8 He raises the poor up from the dust,
he lifts up the needy from the trash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
Indeed the pillars of the earth belong to the Lord,
and he has set the world on them.
9 He guards the steps[i] of his faithful ones,
while the wicked are made silent[j] in darkness.
He grants the request of the one who prays.[k]
He blesses the year of the righteous.[l]
Indeed it’s not by strength that a person prevails.
Samuel at Shiloh
18 Now Samuel was ministering in the Lord’s presence, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.[a] 19 His mother would make a small robe for him, and she would bring it each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say,[b] “May the Lord give[c] you descendants[d] from this woman in place of the one she dedicated[e] to the Lord.” Then they would return to their[f] home.[g]
21 The Lord took note of Hannah,[h] and she became pregnant and gave birth to[i] three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel continued to grow,[j] and the Lord was constantly[k] with him.
Fullness of Life
6 So then, just as you have received the Messiah[a] Jesus the Lord, continue to live dependent on him. 7 For you have been rooted in him and are being built up and strengthened in the faith, just as you were taught, while you continue to be thankful. 8 See to it that no one enslaves you through philosophy and empty deceit according to human tradition, according to the basic principles of the world,[b] and not according to the Messiah,[c] 9 because all the essence[d] of deity inhabits him in bodily form. 10 And you have been filled by him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. 11 In union with him you were also circumcised with a circumcision performed without human[e] hands by stripping off the corrupt nature by the circumcision performed by the Messiah.[f] 12 When you were buried with the Messiah[g] in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 Even when you were dead because of your offenses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God[h] made you alive with him when he forgave us all of our offenses, 14 having erased the charges that were brought against us, along with their obligations that were hostile to us. He took those charges away when he nailed them to the cross. 15 And when he had disarmed the rulers and the authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross.[i]
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