Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

⁴⁶ Then Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord.

⁴⁷ “And my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.

⁴⁸ “For He has looked on the poor degree of His servant. For behold, from now on all ages shall call me blessed.

⁴⁹ “Because He Who is mighty has done great things for me, and Holy is His Name.

⁵⁰ “And His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear Him.

⁵¹ “He Who showed strength with His arm, He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

⁵² “He has put down the mighty from their seats and exalted those of low degree.

⁵³ “He has filled the hungry with good things and sent away the rich empty.

⁵⁴ “He has upheld Israel, His servant, to be mindful of His mercy,

⁵⁵ “(as He has spoken to our fathers – that is, to Abraham and his seed) forever.”

1 There was a man of one of the two 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 And this man went up out of his city every year to worship and to sacrifice to the LORD of Hosts in Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli were, 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 to Hannah he gave a worthy portion, for he loved Hannah and the LORD had made her barren.

⁶ And her adversary severely provoked her, trying to make her rage because the LORD had made her barren.

⁷ And so it was, as often as she went up to the House of the LORD, thus she provoked her, so that she wept and did not eat.

⁸ Then her husband, Elkanah, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart troubled? Am I not better to you than ten sons?”

⁹ So Hannah rose up after they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh. And Eli the Priest sat upon a stool by one of the posts of the Temple of the LORD.

¹⁰ And she was troubled in her mind and prayed to the LORD and wept bitterly.

¹¹ Also she vowed a vow, and said, “O LORD of Hosts, if You will, look on the trouble of Your handmaid and remember me. And do not forget Your handmaid but give to Your handmaid a male child. Then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life. And no razor shall come upon his head.”

¹² And as she continued praying before the LORD, Eli watched her mouth.

¹³ For Hannah spoke in her heart. Her lips only moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore, Eli thought she was drunk.

¹⁴ And Eli said to her, “How long will you be drunk? Put away your drunkenness from you.”

¹⁵ Then Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

¹⁶ “Do not count your handmaid as a wicked woman, for of the abundance of my complaint and my grief I have spoken as of now.”

¹⁷ Then Eli answered, and said, “Go in peace. And the God of Israel grant your petition that you have asked of Him.”

¹⁸ She said again, “Let your handmaid find grace in your sight.” So, the woman went her way and ate and no longer looked sad.

9 Then, indeed, the first Testament had ordinances of religion, and a worldly sanctuary.

² For the first Tabernacle was made - in which was the candlestick, and the table, and the showbread - which is called the Holy Place.

³ And after the second veil, the Tabernacle - which is called the Holiest of All -

⁴ which had the golden censer and the Ark of the Testament, overlaid all around with gold (in which was the golden pot which had manna and Aaron’s rod that had budded and the tables of the Testament).

⁵ And over the Ark were the glorious cherubims shadowing the mercy seat, of which we will not now speak particularly.

⁶ Now when these things were thus prepared, the priest always went into the first Tabernacle and completed the service.

⁷ But only the High Priest went into the second - once every year - and not without blood (which he offered for himself and for the people’s sins of ignorance).

⁸ By this, the Holy Ghost signified that the way into the Holiest of All was not yet revealed while the first tabernacle was still standing.

⁹ It was a symbol of that present time in which was offered gifts and sacrifices that could not make the worshiper holy concerning the conscience,

¹⁰ but consisted only of foods and drinks and diverse washings and carnal rituals imposed until the time of reformation.

¹¹ But Christ - being a High Priest of good things to come - came by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle (not made with hands - that is, not of this creation -

¹² nor by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood), entering in once to the Holy Place and obtaining eternal redemption.

¹³ For if the sprinkling of the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer, sanctifies those who are unclean (as touching the purifying of the flesh),

¹⁴ how much more shall the blood of Christ - Who, through the eternal Spirit, offered Himself without fault to God - purge your conscience from dead works, to serve the living God?