1 Samuel 2:1-11

GOD’S WORD Translation

³ “Do not boast
⌞or⌟ let arrogance come out of your mouth
because the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and he weighs ⌞our⌟ actions.

⁴ “The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumble are armed with strength.
⁵ Those who were well-fed hire themselves out for a piece of bread,
but those who were hungry hunger no more.
Even the woman who was childless gives birth to seven children,
but the mother of many children grieves all alone.

⁶ “The Lord kills, and he gives life.
He makes ⌞people⌟ go down to the grave, and he raises them up ⌞again⌟.
⁷ The Lord causes poverty and grants wealth.
He humbles ⌞people⌟; he also promotes them.
⁸ He raises the poor from the dust.
He lifts the needy from the trash heap
in order to make them sit with nobles
and even to make them inherit a glorious throne.

“The pillars of the earth are the Lord’s.
He has set the world on them.
⁹ He safeguards the steps of his faithful ones,
but wicked people are silenced in darkness
because humans cannot succeed by their own strength.

¹⁰ “Those who oppose the Lord are broken into pieces.
He thunders at them from the heavens.
The Lord judges the ends of the earth.
He gives strength to his King
and lifts the head of his Messiah.” ^[a]