Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter,(A) and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”

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The Future Glory of Zion

54 “Sing, barren woman,(A)
    you who never bore a child;
burst into song, shout for joy,(B)
    you who were never in labor;(C)
because more are the children(D) of the desolate(E) woman
    than of her who has a husband,(F)
says the Lord.

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Our mouths were filled with laughter,(A)
    our tongues with songs of joy.(B)
Then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things(C) for them.”

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17 Abraham fell facedown;(A) he laughed(B) and said to himself, “Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old?(C) Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?”(D)

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58 Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown her great mercy, and they shared her joy.

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Mary’s Song(A)

46 And Mary said:

“My soul glorifies the Lord(B)
47     and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,(C)
48 for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.(D)
From now on all generations will call me blessed,(E)
49     for the Mighty One has done great things(F) for me—
    holy is his name.(G)
50 His mercy extends to those who fear him,
    from generation to generation.(H)
51 He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;(I)
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.(J)
52 He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble.(K)
53 He has filled the hungry with good things(L)
    but has sent the rich away empty.
54 He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful(M)
55 to Abraham and his descendants(N) forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors.”

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14 He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth,(A)

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21 Then you will say in your heart,
    ‘Who bore me these?(A)
I was bereaved(B) and barren;
    I was exiled and rejected.(C)
    Who brought these(D) up?
I was left(E) all alone,(F)
    but these—where have they come from?’”

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He settles the childless(A) woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

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27 For it is written:

“Be glad, barren woman,
    you who never bore a child;
shout for joy and cry aloud,
    you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman
    than of her who has a husband.”[a](A)

28 Now you, brothers and sisters, like Isaac, are children of promise.(B)

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Footnotes

  1. Galatians 4:27 Isaiah 54:1

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.(A)

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11 And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,(A) was enabled to bear children(B) because she[a] considered him faithful(C) who had made the promise.

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Footnotes

  1. Hebrews 11:11 Or By faith Abraham, even though he was too old to have children—and Sarah herself was not able to conceive—was enabled to become a father because he

21 A woman giving birth to a child has pain(A) because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. 22 So with you: Now is your time of grief,(B) but I will see you again(C) and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.(D)

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26 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. 27 I prayed(A) for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him. 28 So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life(B) he will be given over to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said:(C)

“My heart rejoices(D) in the Lord;
    in the Lord my horn[a](E) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts(F) over my enemies,(G)
    for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy(H) like(I) the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock(J) like our God.

“Do not keep talking so proudly
    or let your mouth speak such arrogance,(K)
for the Lord is a God who knows,(L)
    and by him deeds(M) are weighed.(N)

“The bows of the warriors are broken,(O)
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.(P)
Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry(Q) are hungry no more.
She who was barren(R) has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

“The Lord brings death and makes alive;(S)
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.(T)
The Lord sends poverty and wealth;(U)
    he humbles and he exalts.(V)
He raises(W) the poor(X) from the dust(Y)
    and lifts the needy(Z) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.(AA)

“For the foundations(AB) of the earth are the Lord’s;
    on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet(AC) of his faithful servants,(AD)
    but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.(AE)

“It is not by strength(AF) that one prevails;
10     those who oppose the Lord will be broken.(AG)
The Most High will thunder(AH) from heaven;
    the Lord will judge(AI) the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength(AJ) to his king
    and exalt the horn(AK) of his anointed.”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.

12 So Sarah laughed(A) to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord(B) is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

13 Then the Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’(C) 14 Is anything too hard for the Lord?(D) I will return to you at the appointed time next year,(E) and Sarah will have a son.”(F)

15 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

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15 “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast
    and have no compassion on the child(A) she has borne?
Though she may forget,
    I will not forget you!(B)

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