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Then Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in Yahweh, my strength is exalted in Yahweh; I grin[a] over my enemies, for I rejoice over your salvation.
There is no one holy like Yahweh, for there is no one besides you,
    and there is no rock like our God.
Do not increase speaking very proud[b] words!
    Let no arrogance go forth from your mouth,
    for Yahweh is a God of knowledge
    whose deeds are not weighed.[c]
The bows of mighty warriors are shattered,
    but those who stumble gird themselves with strength.
Those who were full must hire themselves out for bread,
    but those who are hungry will become fat.
As for the infertile, she will bear seven,
    but she who has many sons withers away.
Yahweh kills and restores alive,
    he brings down to Sheol[d] and raises up.
Yahweh makes poor and makes rich;
    he brings low and also exalts.
He raises up the poor from the dust.
    From the ash heap he lifts up the needy,
to cause them to sit with noble people
    and to cause them to inherit a seat of honor.
For the pillars of the earth belong to Yahweh
    and he has set the inhabited world on them.
He will guard the feet of his faithful[e] ones,
    but the wicked will be destroyed[f] in the darkness,
    because a man will not prevail by his might.
10 Yahweh will shatter[g] his adversaries;[h]
    he will thunder against them in the heavens.
    Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to his king
    and will exalt the might of his anointed one.

11 Then Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house. Now the boy was serving Yahweh in the presence of[i] Eli the priest.

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Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 2:1 Literally “my mouth is broad”
  2. 1 Samuel 2:3 Literally “proud, proud”
  3. 1 Samuel 2:3 So Masoretic Hebrew text (Kethib); the reading tradition (Qere) reads “and by him deeds are weighed”
  4. 1 Samuel 2:6 “Sheol” is a Hebrew term for the place where the dead reside, i.e., the underworld.
  5. 1 Samuel 2:9 Or “loyal”
  6. 1 Samuel 2:9 Or “will be silenced”
  7. 1 Samuel 2:10 Singular verb supported by Syriac, Targums, Septuagint, and Old Latin versions.
  8. 1 Samuel 2:10 The Masoretic Hebrew text (Kethib) has the singular “adversary”; the reading tradition (Qere) reads the plural
  9. 1 Samuel 2:11 Literally “in the face of”

Hannah’s Triumphant Prayer

Hannah prayed:(A)

My heart rejoices in the Lord;(B)
my horn is lifted up by the Lord.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.(C)
There is no one holy like the Lord.(D)
There is no one besides you!(E)
And there is no rock like our God.(F)
Do not boast so proudly,
or let arrogant words come out of your mouth,
for the Lord is a God of knowledge,
and actions are weighed by him.(G)
The bows of the warriors are broken,(H)
but the feeble are clothed with strength.(I)
Those who are full hire themselves out for food,
but those who are starving hunger no more.
The woman who is childless gives birth to seven,(J)
but the woman with many sons pines away.(K)
The Lord brings death and gives life;(L)
he sends some down to Sheol, and he raises others up.(M)
The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth;(N)
he humbles and he exalts.(O)
He raises the poor from the dust(P)
and lifts the needy from the trash heap.(Q)
He seats them with noblemen(R)
and gives them a throne of honor.[a]
For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;(S)
he has set the world on them.(T)
He guards the steps[b] of his faithful ones,(U)
but the wicked perish in darkness,(V)
for a person does not prevail by his own strength.(W)
10 Those who oppose the Lord will be shattered;[c](X)
he will thunder in the heavens against them.(Y)
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.(Z)
He will give power to his king;
he will lift up the horn of his anointed.[d](AA)

11 Elkanah went home to Ramah,(AB) but the boy served the Lord in the presence of the priest Eli.(AC)

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Footnotes

  1. 2:8 DSS, LXX add He gives the vow of the one who makes a vow and he blesses the years of the just.
  2. 2:9 Lit feet
  3. 2:10 DSS, LXX read The Lord shatters those who dispute with him
  4. 2:10 Or Messiah