After he was weaned, she took the boy with her, young as he was, along with a three-year old bull, an ephah of flour and a skin of wine, and brought him to the house of the LORD at Shiloh. When the bull had been sacrificed, they brought the boy to Eli, and she said to him, "Pardon me, my lord. As surely as you live, I am the woman who stood here beside you praying to the LORD. I prayed for this ch...  Read More

Once when they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh, Hannah stood up.  Now Eli the priest was sitting on his chair by the doorpost of the LORD's house. In her deep anguish, Hannah prayed to the LORD, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, "LORD Almighty, if you will only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him...  Read More

There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah . . .  He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.Year after year this man went up from his town to worship and sacrifice to the LORD Almighty at Shiloh . . . Because the LORD had closed Hannah's womb, her rival kept provoking he...  Read More

So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When he made love to her, the Lord enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a guardian-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to yo...  Read More

Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.And Mary said: My soul magnifies the Lord,And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Saviour.For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed.For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And Holy is His Name.. . . He has s...  Read More

In the six month of Elizabeth's pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin . . . The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found fa...  Read More