Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Calling of Samuel
3 Now the boy Samuel was in the service of Adonai under Eli. In those days the word of Adonai was rare—there were no visions breaking through. 2 One day, Eli was lying down in his place—now his eyes had grown dim so that he could not see, 3 and the lamp of God had not yet gone out. Samuel was lying down in Adonai’s Temple, where the ark of God was. 4 Then Adonai called, “Samuel!” So he answered, “Here I am.” 5 Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”
But he replied, “I didn’t call—go back to sleep.” So he went back and lay down.
6 Then Adonai called Samuel yet again. So Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, “Here I am, for you called me.”
But he answered, “I didn’t call, my son—go back to sleep.” 7 Now Samuel had not experienced Adonai yet, since the word of Adonai had not yet been revealed to him.
8 Adonai called Samuel again for the third time. So he got up and went to Eli, and said “Here I am, for you called me.” Then Eli perceived that Adonai was calling the boy.
9 So Eli said to Samuel, “Go back to sleep, and if He calls you, say: ‘Speak, Adonai, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went back and lay down in his place. 10 Then Adonai came and stood and called as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.”
11 Then Adonai said to Samuel, “Behold, I am about to do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone that hears it will tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all that I have spoken concerning his house, from beginning to end. 13 For I have told him that I am about to judge his house forever for the iniquity that he knew about, because his sons brought a curse on themselves yet he did not rebuke them. 14 Therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.”
15 Then Samuel lay down until the morning, when he opened the doors of the House of Adonai. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision. 16 Then Eli called Samuel and said, “Samuel, my son.”
“Here I am,” he replied.
17 “What is the word that He has spoken to you?” he said. “Please don’t hide it from me. May God do so to you and even more if you hide anything at all from me that He spoke to you.” 18 So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing. Then Eli said, “He is Adonai. May He do what is good in His eyes.”
19 So Samuel grew up and Adonai was with him, and let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 Then all Israel from Dan to Beersheba knew that Samuel was entrusted as a prophet of Adonai.
How Precious Your Thoughts!
Psalm 139
1 For the music director: a psalm of David.
Adonai, You searched me and know me.
2 Whenever I sit down or stand up, You know it.
You discern my thinking from afar.
3 You observe my journeying and my resting
and You are familiar with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, Adonai, You know all about it.
5 You hemmed me in behind and before,
and laid Your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
13 For You have created my conscience.
You knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise You, for I am awesomely, wonderfully made!
Wonderful are Your works—
and my soul knows that very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw me when I was unformed,
and in Your book were written the days that were formed—
when not one of them had come to be.
17 How precious are Your thoughts, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand!
When I awake, I am still with You.
5 For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Messiah Yeshua as Lord—and ourselves as your slaves for Yeshua’s sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”[a] is the One who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Messiah.[b]
7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay,[c] so that the surpassing greatness of the power may be from God and not from ourselves. 8 We are hard pressed in every way, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not in despair; 9 persecuted, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Yeshua, so that the life of Yeshua may also be revealed in our mortal body. 11 For we who live are always being handed over to death for Yeshua’s sake, so that the life of Yeshua may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
Shabbat Restoration
23 Now it happened on Shabbat that Yeshua was going through the grain fields; and His disciples began to make their way, plucking the heads of grain. [a] 24 The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not permitted on Shabbat?”[b]
25 And He said to them, “Haven’t you ever read what David did when he was in need, and he and those with him became hungry? [c] 26 How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was kohen gadol and ate the showbread, which is permitted only for the kohanim to eat, and gave some even to those who were with him?”
27 Then He said to them, “Shabbat was made for man, and not man for Shabbat. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of Shabbat.”
A Mitzvah on Shabbat
3 Yeshua entered the synagogue again, and a man with a withered hand was there. 2 Now some were carefully watching Him, to see if He would heal him on Shabbat, so that they might accuse Him. 3 He said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up here in the center.” 4 Then He said to them, “Is it permitted on Shabbat to do good or to do evil, to save a life or to kill?”[d] But they kept silent.
5 After looking around at them with anger, grieved by their hardness of heart, He says to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out right away with the Herodians and began plotting against Him, how they might destroy Him.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.