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Elkanah and His Wives
1 Now there was a certain man from (A)Ramathaim-zophim from the (B)hill country of Ephraim, and his name was (C)Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had (D)two wives: the name of one was (E)Hannah and the name of the other Peninnah; and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.
3 Now this man would go up from his city (F)yearly (G)to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts in (H)Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests to the Lord there. 4 When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he (I)would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters; 5 but to Hannah he would give a double portion, for he loved Hannah, (J)but the Lord had closed her womb. 6 Her rival, however, (K)would provoke her bitterly to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 It happened year after year, as often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she would provoke her; so she wept and would not eat. 8 Then Elkanah her husband said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep and why do you not eat and why is your heart sad? (L)Am I not better to you than ten sons?”
9 Then Hannah rose after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of (M)the temple of the Lord. 10 She, [a]greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 She (N)made a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed (O)look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a [b]son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and (P)a razor shall never come on his head.”
12 Now it came about, as she [c]continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, (Q)she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were moving, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “(R)How long will you make yourself drunk? Put away your wine from you.” 15 But Hannah replied, “No, my lord, I am a woman [d]oppressed in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I (S)have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not [e]consider your maidservant as a worthless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and [f]provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “(T)Go in peace; and may the God of Israel (U)grant your petition that you have asked of Him.” 18 She said, “(V)Let your maidservant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went her way and ate, and (W)her face was no longer sad.
Samuel Is Born to Hannah
19 Then they arose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in (X)Ramah. And Elkanah [g]had relations with Hannah his wife, and (Y)the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about [h]in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “(Z)Because I have asked him of the Lord.”
21 Then the man Elkanah (AA)went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go up until the child is weaned; then I will (AB)bring him, that he may appear before the Lord and (AC)stay there forever.” 23 (AD)Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best [i]to you. Remain until you have weaned him; only (AE)may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, (AF)she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull and one ephah of flour and a jug of wine, and brought him to (AG)the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25 Then (AH)they slaughtered the bull, and (AI)brought the boy to Eli. 26 She said, “Oh, my lord! (AJ)As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 (AK)For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. 28 (AL)So I have also [j]dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is [k]dedicated to the Lord.” And (AM)he worshiped the Lord there.
Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving
2 Then Hannah (AN)prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
(AO)My [l]horn is exalted in the Lord,
My mouth [m]speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because (AP)I rejoice in Your salvation.
2 “(AQ)There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, (AR)there is no one besides You,
(AS)Nor is there any rock like our God.
3 “[n]Boast no more so very proudly,
(AT)Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth;
(AU)For the Lord is a God of knowledge,
(AV)And with Him actions are weighed.
4 “(AW)The bows of the mighty are shattered,
(AX)But the feeble gird on strength.
5 “Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,
But those who were hungry cease to hunger.
(AY)Even the barren gives birth to seven,
But (AZ)she who has many children languishes.
6 “(BA)The Lord kills and makes alive;
(BB)He brings down to [o]Sheol and raises up.
7 “(BC)The Lord makes poor and rich;
(BD)He brings low, He also exalts.
8 “(BE)He raises the poor from the dust,
(BF)He lifts the needy from the ash heap
(BG)To make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of honor;
(BH)For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
And He set the world on them.
9 “(BI)He keeps the feet of His godly ones,
(BJ)But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness;
(BK)For not by might shall a man prevail.
10 “(BL)Those who contend with the Lord will be shattered;
(BM)Against them He will thunder in the heavens,
(BN)The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
(BO)And He will give strength to His king,
(BP)And will exalt the [p]horn of His anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his home at (BQ)Ramah. (BR)But the boy ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest.
The Sin of Eli’s Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were [q](BS)worthless men; they did not know the Lord 13 (BT)and the custom of the priests with the people. When any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before (BU)they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting, as he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16 If the man said to him, “They must surely [r]burn the fat [s]first, and then take as much as [t]you desire,” then he would say, “No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for the men (BV)despised the offering of the Lord.
Samuel before the Lord as a Boy
18 Now (BW)Samuel was ministering before the Lord, as a boy [u](BX)wearing a linen ephod. 19 And his mother would make him a little (BY)robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer (BZ)the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would (CA)bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May the Lord give you [v]children from this woman in place of [w]the one she (CB)dedicated to the Lord.” And they went to their own [x]home.
21 (CC)The Lord visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And (CD)the boy Samuel grew before the Lord.
The Healing at Bethesda
5 After these things there was (A)a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
2 Now there is in Jerusalem by (B)the sheep gate a pool, which is called (C)in [a]Hebrew [b]Bethesda, having five porticoes. 3 In these lay a multitude of those who were sick, blind, lame, and withered, [[c]waiting for the moving of the waters; 4 for an angel of the Lord went down at certain seasons into the pool and stirred up the water; whoever then first, after the stirring up of the water, stepped in was made well from whatever disease with which he was afflicted.] 5 A man was there who had been [d]ill for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had already been a long time in that condition, He *said to him, “Do you wish to get well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when (D)the water is stirred up, but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus *said to him, “(E)Get up, pick up your pallet and walk.” 9 Immediately the man became well, and picked up his pallet and began to walk.
(F)Now it was the Sabbath on that day. 10 So (G)the Jews were saying to the man who was cured, “It is the Sabbath, and (H)it is not permissible for you to carry your pallet.” 11 But he answered them, “He who made me well was the one who said to me, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk.’” 12 They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Pick up your pallet and walk’?” 13 But the man who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had slipped away while there was a crowd in that place. 14 Afterward Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, “Behold, you have become well; do not (I)sin anymore, (J)so that nothing worse happens to you.” 15 The man went away, and told (K)the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. 16 For this reason (L)the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. 17 But He answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I Myself am working.”
Jesus’ Equality with God
18 For this reason therefore (M)the Jews (N)were seeking all the more to kill Him, because He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, (O)making Himself equal with God.
19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, (P)the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever [e]the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 (Q)For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him (R)greater works than these, so that you will marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and (S)gives them life, even so (T)the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but (U)He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. (V)He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.
37 Then He brought them out with (A)silver and gold,
And among His tribes there was not one who stumbled.
38 Egypt was (B)glad when they departed,
For the (C)dread of them had fallen upon them.
39 He spread a (D)cloud for a [a]covering,
And (E)fire to illumine by night.
40 [b]They (F)asked, and He brought (G)quail,
And satisfied them with the [c](H)bread of heaven.
41 He opened the [d]rock and (I)water flowed out;
[e]It ran in the dry places like a river.
42 For He (J)remembered His holy word
With Abraham His servant;
43 And He brought forth His people with joy,
His chosen ones with a joyful (K)shout.
44 He (L)gave them also the lands of the [f]nations,
That they (M)might take possession of the fruit of the peoples’ labor,
45 So that they might (N)keep His statutes
And observe His laws,
[g]Praise [h]the Lord!
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.