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 have rejoiced in thy saving health.

² There is none holy as the LORD, for there is none beside thee; neither is there any strong One like our God.

³ Do not multiply thyself speaking great and lofty things; let arrogant words cease from your mouth, for the LORD is the all-knowing God, and the magnificent works are his.

⁴ The bows of the mighty men have been broken, and the weak are girded with strength.

⁵ Those that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and those that were hungry ceased so that the barren has given birth to seven, and she that has many children is waxed feeble.

⁶ The LORD kills, and he gives life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

⁷ The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and lifts up.

⁸ He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he has set the world upon them.

⁹ He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked perish in darkness, for no man shall prevail by their own strength.

¹⁰ LORD, thine adversaries shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven he shall thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give strength unto his king and exalt the horn of his anointed. {Heb. Messiah}

3 ¶ And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

² And it came to pass one day when Eli was lain down in his place, his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;

³ and before the lamp of God was put out, Samuel was sleeping in the temple of the LORD, where the ark of God was;

⁴ and the LORD called Samuel, and he answered, Here am I.

⁵ And he ran unto Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he said, I did not call; lie down again. And he went and lay down.

⁶ And the LORD called Samuel yet again. And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. And he answered, I did not call, my son; lie down again.

⁷ Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither had the word of the LORD yet been revealed unto him.

⁸ And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, Here am I, for thou didst call me. Then Eli perceived that the LORD was calling the child.

⁹ Therefore, Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down, and it shall be if he calls thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD, for thy slave hears. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰ And the LORD came and stood and called as at the other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy slave hears.

¹¹ ¶ And the LORD said unto Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of each one that hears it shall tingle.

¹² In that day I will perform against Eli all the things which I have spoken concerning his house; when I begin, I will also make an end.

¹³ For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knows of (because his sons made themselves vile, and he did not restrain them).

¹⁴ And therefore, I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house shall not be reconciled, not with sacrifices nor with presents for ever.

¹⁵ And Samuel lay until the morning and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

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

¹⁷ And he said, What is the word that the LORD has spoken unto thee? I pray thee do not hide it from me. God do so to thee and more also, if thou hide any thing from me of all the word that he spoke unto thee.

¹⁸ And Samuel declared all of it to him without hiding any thing. Then he said, It is the LORD; let him do what seems good unto him.

12 ¶ And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard and set a hedge about it and dug a place for the winefat {Place where grapes are tread} and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went far away.

² And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a slave that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

³ And taking him, they beat him and sent him away empty.

⁴ And again he sent unto them another slave, and casting stones at him, they wounded him in the 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 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.

⁷ But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the place shall be ours.

⁸ And taking hold of him, they killed him and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹ What, therefore, shall the lord of the vineyard do? He shall come and destroy those husbandmen and shall give his vineyard unto others.

¹⁰ And have ye not read this scripture: The stone which the builders rejected is placed as the head of the corner;

¹¹ This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?

¹² And they sought to lay hold on him but feared the multitude, for they understood that he had spoken the parable against them, and leaving him, they went away.