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.”

3 Now the child, Samuel, ministered to the LORD before Eli. And the Word of the LORD was precious in those days; for there was no manifest vision.

² And at that time, as Eli lay in his place, his eyes began to grow dim, so that he could not see.

³ And before the Light of God went out, Samuel slept in the Temple of the LORD, where the Ark of God was.

⁴ Then, the LORD called Samuel. And he said, “Here I am.”

⁵ And he ran to Eli, and said, “Here I am! For you called me!” But he said, “I did not call you. Go back. Sleep.” And he went and slept.

⁶ And the LORD called Samuel once again. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “I am here! For you called me!” And he answered, “I did not call you, my son. Go back. Sleep.”

⁷ Thus did Samuel, before he knew the LORD and before the Word of the LORD was revealed to him.

⁸ And the LORD called Samuel again, a third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, “I am here! For you have called me.” Then Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

⁹ Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go. Sleep. And if He calls you, then say, “Speak LORD, for Your servant hears.” So, Samuel went and slept in his place.

¹⁰ And the LORD came and stood and called, as at other times, “Samuel, Samuel.” Then Samuel answered, “Speak. For Your servant hears.”

¹¹ Then the LORD said to Samuel, “Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, of which whoever shall hear, his two ears shall tingle.

¹² “On that day, I will raise up against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his House. What I begin, I will also finish.

¹³ “And I have told him that I will judge his House forever, for the iniquity which he knows, because his sons despised themselves, and he did not rebuke them.

¹⁴ “Now, therefore, I have sworn to the House of Eli that the wickedness of Eli’s House shall not ever be purged with Sacrifice or Offering.”

¹⁵ Afterward, Samuel slept until the morning, and opened the doors of the House of the LORD. And Samuel was afraid to show Eli the vision.

¹⁶ Then Eli called Samuel, and said, “Samuel, my son.” And he answered, “Here I am.”

¹⁷ Then he said, “What is it that the LORD said to you? Please do not hide it from me. God do so to you, and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that He said to you.”

¹⁸ So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, “It is the LORD. Let Him do what seems good to Him.”

12 And He began to speak to them in parables, “A certain man planted a vineyard, and surrounded it with a hedge, and dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower on it, and leased it to farmers, and went into a strange country.

² “And at the right time, he sent a servant to them, so that he might receive word about the fruit of the vineyard.

³ “But they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

⁴ “And again he sent another servant to them. And they cast stones at him, and struck his head, and sent him away shamefully-handled.

⁵ “And again he sent another. And him they killed - and many others - beating some and killing some.

⁶ “He still had one son, his dear beloved. Lastly, he also sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ “But the farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him. And the inheritance shall be ours.’

⁸ “So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹ “What shall then the Lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy these farmers and give the vineyard to others.

¹⁰ “Have you not read so much as this Scripture, ‘The stone which the builders refused, has become the cornerstone.

¹¹ “‘This was done by the Lord. And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

¹² Then they planned to take Him. But they feared the people. For they perceived that He spoke that parable against them. Therefore, they left Him alone and went their way.