Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving
2 Then Hannah (A)prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
(B)My [a]horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth [b]speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because (C)I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “(D)There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, (E)there is no one besides You,
(F)Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “[c]Boast no more so very proudly,
(G)Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
(H)For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
(I)And with Him actions are weighed.
4 “(J)The bows of the mighty are shattered,
(K)But the feeble gird on strength.
5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
(L)Even the barren gives birth to seven,
But (M)she who has many children languishes.
6 “(N)The Lord kills and makes alive;
(O)He brings down to [d]Sheol and raises up.
7 “(P)The Lord makes poor and rich;
(Q)He brings low, He also exalts.
8 “(R)He raises the poor from the dust,
(S)He lifts the needy from the ash heap
(T)To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of honor;
(U)For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the world on them.
9 “(V)He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
(W)But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
(X)For not by might shall a man prevail.
10 “(Y)Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered;
(Z)Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
(AA)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
(AB)And He will give strength to His king,
(AC)And will exalt the [e]horn of His anointed.”
Samuel before the Lord as a Boy
18 Now (A)Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy [a](B)wearing a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make him a little (C)robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer (D)the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would (E)bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you [b]children from this woman in place of [c]the one she (F)dedicated to the Lord.” And they went to their own [d]home.
21 (G)The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And (H)the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.
6 Therefore as you have received (A)Christ Jesus the Lord, so [a](B)walk in Him, 7 having been firmly (C)rooted and now being (D)built up in Him and (E)established [b]in your faith, just as you (F)were instructed, and overflowing [c]with gratitude.
8 (G)See to it that no one takes you captive through (H)philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the (I)elementary principles of the world, [d]rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the (J)fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been (K)made [e]complete, and (L)He is the head [f]over all (M)rule and authority; 11 and in Him (N)you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of (O)the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been (P)buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also (Q)raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who (R)raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were (S)dead [g]in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He (T)made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out (U)the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and (V)He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had [h](W)disarmed the (X)rulers and authorities, He (Y)made a public display of them, having (Z)triumphed over them through [i]Him.
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