1 Samuel 2:1-11
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Hannah’s Prayer
2 Hannah prayed and said,
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my strength is exalted in my God.[a]
My mouth derides my enemies
because I rejoice in your victory.(A)
2 There is no Holy One like the Lord,
no one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.(B)
3 Talk no more so very proudly;
let not arrogance come from your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.(C)
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the feeble gird on strength.(D)
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are fat with spoil.
The barren has borne seven,
but she who has many children is forlorn.(E)
6 The Lord kills and brings to life;
he brings down to Sheol and raises up.(F)
7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
he brings low; he also exalts.(G)
8 He raises up the poor from the dust;
he lifts the needy from the ash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s,
and on them he has set the world.(H)
9 He will guard the feet of his faithful ones,
but the wicked will perish in darkness,
for not by might does one prevail.(I)
10 The Lord! His adversaries will be shattered;
the Most High[b] will thunder in heaven.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth;
he will give strength to his king
and exalt the power of his anointed.”(J)
Eli’s Wicked Sons
11 Then they left him there before the Lord and went[c] home to Ramah, while the boy remained to minister to the Lord in the presence of the priest Eli.(K)
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1 Samuel 2:1-11
International Standard Version
Hannah’s Thanksgiving Psalm
2 Then Hannah prayed:
“My heart exults in the Lord;
my strength[a] is increased by the Lord.
I will open my mouth to speak[b] against my enemies,
because I rejoice in your deliverance.
2 Indeed,[c] there is no one holy like the Lord,
indeed, there is no one besides you,
there is no rock like our God.
3 Don’t continue to talk proudly,
and don’t speak arrogantly,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of warriors are shattered,[d]
but those who stumble are equipped with[e] strength.
5 Those who had an abundance of bread
now hire themselves out,
and those who were hungry
hunger no more.[f]
While the barren woman gives birth to seven children,[g]
she who had many children languishes.
6 The Lord kills and gives life,
he brings people down to where the dead are[h]
and he raises them up.
7 The Lord makes people poor
and he makes people rich,
he brings them low,
and he also exalts them.
8 He raises the poor up from the dust,
he lifts up the needy from the trash heap
to make them sit with princes
and inherit a seat of honor.
Indeed the pillars of the earth belong to the Lord,
and he has set the world on them.
9 He guards the steps[i] of his faithful ones,
while the wicked are made silent[j] in darkness.
He grants the request of the one who prays.[k]
He blesses the year of the righteous.[l]
Indeed it’s not by strength that a person prevails.
10 The Lord will shatter his enemies[m]
—those who contend against him.
Who is holy?[n]
The one who will thunder[o] against them in the heavens.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth,
he will give strength to his king,
and he will increase the strength of His anointed one.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah, while the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 1 Samuel 2:1 Lit. horn; i.e. a symbol of strength and well-being
- 1 Samuel 2:1 The Heb. lacks to speak
- 1 Samuel 2:2 So 4QSama LXX; MT lacks Indeed
- 1 Samuel 2:4 Lit. are shattering; 4QSama reads warriors shatter
- 1 Samuel 2:4 Lit. stumble gird on
- 1 Samuel 2:5 Lit. cease
- 1 Samuel 2:5 The Heb. lacks children
- 1 Samuel 2:6 Lit. Sheol; i.e. the realm of the dead
- 1 Samuel 2:9 Lit. feet; cf. 4QSama
- 1 Samuel 2:9 Or are destroyed
- 1 Samuel 2:9 So 4QSama LXX; MT lacks this line
- 1 Samuel 2:9 So 4QSama LXX; MT lacks this line
- 1 Samuel 2:10 So 4QSama LXX; MT lacks his enemies
- 1 Samuel 2:10 So 4QSama; MT lacks this line; LXX reads The Lord is holy
- 1 Samuel 2:10 So MT; or He thundered; 4QSama reads And he thundered
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