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}

¹⁵ ¶ And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

¹⁶ And I will bless her and give thee a son also of her; yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of Gentiles; kings of peoples shall be of her.

¹⁷ Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him who is one hundred years old? and shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?

¹⁸ And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!

¹⁹ And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac (laughter); and I will confirm my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him.

²⁰ And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I shall bless him and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly; he shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation.

²¹ But I will establish my covenant with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.

²² And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

⁸ ¶ However then, when ye did not know God, ye did service unto those who by nature are not gods.

⁹ But now, having known God, or rather being known of God, how do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly elements, in which ye desire again to be in slavery?

¹⁰ Ye observe days and months and times and years.

¹¹ I am afraid for you, lest I have bestowed labour upon you in vain.

¹² ¶ Brethren, I beseech you, be as I am; for I am as ye are; ye have not injured me at all.

¹³ Ye know how through weakness of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

¹⁴ And my affliction which was in my flesh ye did not despise, nor reject but ye received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

¹⁵ Where is then the blessedness ye spoke of? for I bear you record that if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me.

¹⁶ Am I, therefore, become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

¹⁷ ¶ They are zealous after you, but not for good; they would exclude you from us, that ye might be zealous after them.

¹⁸ It is good to be always zealous to do good, and not only when I am present with you.

¹⁹ ¶ My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ is formed in you,

²⁰ I desire to be present with you now and to change my voice, for I stand in doubt of you.