Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
The Knowledge of God
For the music director. Of David. A psalm.[a]
139 O Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up.
You understand my thought from afar.
3 You search out[b] my wandering and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word yet on my tongue,
but behold, O Yahweh, you know it completely.
5 You barricade me behind and in front,
and set your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
It is set high; I cannot prevail against it.
13 Indeed you created my inward parts;[a]
you wove me in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you, because I am fearfully
and wonderfully made.[b]
Wonderful are your works,
and my soul knows it well.
15 My frame[c] was not hidden from you,
when I was created secretly,[d]
and intricately woven
in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my embryo,[e]
and in your book they all were written—
days fashioned for me when there was not one of them.
17 And to me, how precious[f] are your thoughts, O God;
how vast is their sum.
18 If I should count them,
they would outnumber the sand.
I awaken, and I am still with you.
The Family of Elkanah
1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim Zophim, from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.[a] 2 He had two wives; the name of the first was Hannah, and the name of the second was Peninnah. Now Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 Now this man used to go up from his town year by year[b] to worship and to sacrifice to Yahweh of hosts in Shiloh, where[c] the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to Yahweh. 4 On[d] the day Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to his wife Peninnah and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he would give a double portion,[e] because he loved Hannah, though Yahweh had closed her womb. 6 (Now her rival wife would provoke her severely in order to upset her because Yahweh had closed her womb.) 7 And so he used to do[f] year after year; whenever[g] she went up to the house of Yahweh, she[h] would provoke her so that she[i] would weep and would not eat. 8 So Elkanah her husband would say to her: “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat? And why are you heartsick?[j] Am I not better to you than ten sons?” 9 Then Hannah got up after eating and drinking at Shiloh. (Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the temple[k] of Yahweh.) 10 She was deeply troubled,[l] so she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly. 11 She made a vow[m] and said: “O Yahweh of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the misery of your female servant, and will remember me, and not forget your female servant, and will give to your female servant a male child[n] then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and a razor will never pass over his head.”[o] 12 While[p] she continued to pray before Yahweh, Eli was observing her mouth. 13 Now Hannah had been speaking in her heart; her lips were moving, but her voice could not be heard, so Eli considered her to be drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you behave like someone who is drunk? Put away your wine!” 15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord. I am a woman deeply distressed,[q] but I have not drunk wine or strong drink. Rather, I have poured out my soul before Yahweh. 16 Do not regard your female servant as worthless,[r] but because of the extent of my worries and my provocation I have spoken all of this.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of him.” 18 And she said, “May your female slave find favor in your sight.” Then the woman went on her way and ate something, and her face did not look sad any longer.[s]
Paul Appeals to Caesar
25 Now when[a] Festus set foot in the province, after three days he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea. 2 And the chief priests and the most prominent men of the Jews brought charges against Paul to him, and were urging him, 3 asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, because they[b] were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way. 4 Then Festus replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, and he himself was about to go there[c] in a short time. 5 So he said, “Let those among you who are prominent go down with me,[d] and[e] if there is any wrong in the man, let them bring charges against him.”
6 And after he[f] had stayed among them not more than eight or ten days, he went down to Caesarea. On the next day he sat down on the judgment seat and[g] gave orders for Paul to be brought. 7 And when[h] he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many and serious charges that they were not able to prove, 8 while[i] Paul said in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews nor against the temple nor against Caesar have I sinned with reference to anything!” 9 But Festus, because he[j] wanted to do a favor for the Jews, answered and[k] said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there concerning these things?” 10 But Paul said, “I am standing before the judgment seat of Caesar, where it is necessary for me to be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you also know very well. 11 If then I am doing wrong[l] and have done anything deserving death, I am not trying to avoid[m] dying. But if there is nothing true of the things which these people are accusing me, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12 Then Festus, after[n] discussing this[o] with his[p] council, replied, “You have appealed to Caesar—to Caesar you will go!”
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software