Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

2 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart exulteth in Jehovah, my horn is lifted up in Jehovah; my mouth is opened wide over mine enemies; for I rejoice in thy salvation.

² There is none holy as Jehovah, for there is none beside thee, neither is there any rock like our God.

³ Do not multiply your words of pride, let not vain-glory come out of your mouth; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

⁴ The bow of the mighty is broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

⁵ They that were full have hired themselves out for bread; and the hungry are [so] no more: Even the barren beareth seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

⁶ Jehovah killeth, and maketh alive; he bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up.

⁷ Jehovah maketh poor, and maketh rich, he bringeth low, also he lifteth up:

⁸ He raiseth up the poor out of the dust; from the dung-hill he lifteth up the needy, To set [him] among nobles; and he maketh them inherit a throne of glory; For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's, and he hath set the world upon them.

⁹ He keepeth the feet of his saints, but the wicked are silenced in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

¹⁰ They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; in the heavens will he thunder upon them. Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth; and he will give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

21 And Jehovah visited Sarah as he had said, and Jehovah did to Sarah as he had spoken.

² And Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the appointed time of which God had spoken to him.

³ And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.

⁴ And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

⁵ And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

⁶ And Sarah said, God has made me laugh: all that hear will laugh with me.

⁷ And she said, Who would have said to Abraham, Sarah will suckle children? For I have borne [him] a son in his old age.

⁸ And the child grew, and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned.

⁹ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking.

¹⁰ And she said to Abraham, Cast out this handmaid and her son; for the son of this handmaid shall not inherit with my son—with Isaac.

¹¹ And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

¹² And God said to Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad and because of thy handmaid: [in] all that Sarah hath said to thee hearken to her voice, for in Isaac shall a seed be called to thee.

¹³ But also the son of the handmaid will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.

¹⁴ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a flask of water, and gave [it] to Hagar, putting [it] on her shoulder—and the child, and sent her away. And she departed, and wandered about in the wilderness of Beer-sheba.

¹⁵ And the water was exhausted from the flask; and she cast the child under one of the shrubs,

¹⁶ and she went and sat down over against [him], a bow-shot off; for she said, Let me not behold the death of the child. And she sat over against [him], and lifted up her voice and wept.

¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad. And the Angel of God called to Hagar from the heavens, and said to her, What [aileth] thee, Hagar? Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad there, where he is.

¹⁸ Arise, take the lad, and hold him in thy hand; for I will make of him a great nation.

¹⁹ And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the flask with water, and gave the lad drink.

²⁰ And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

²¹ And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran. And his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

²¹ Tell me, ye who are desirous of being under law, do ye not listen to the law?

²² For it is written that Abraham had two sons; one of the maid servant, and one of the free woman.

²³ But he [that was] of the maid servant was born according to flesh, and he [that was] of the free woman through the promise.

²⁴ Which things have an allegorical sense; for these are two covenants: one from mount Sinai, gendering to bondage, which is Hagar.

²⁵ For Hagar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and corresponds to Jerusalem which [is] now, for she is in bondage with her children;

²⁶ but the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother.

²⁷ For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break out and cry, thou that travailest not; because the children of the desolate are more numerous than [those] of her that has a husband.

²⁸ But *ye*, brethren, after the pattern of Isaac, are children of promise.

²⁹ But as then he that was born according to flesh persecuted him [that was born] according to Spirit, so also [it is] now.

³⁰ But what says the scripture? Cast out the maid servant and her son; for the son of the maid servant shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.

³¹ So then, brethren, we are not maid servant's children, but [children] of the free woman.

5 Christ has set us free in freedom; stand fast therefore, and be not held again in a yoke of bondage.