SCRIPTURE READING

1 Samuel 2

Living Bible

2 This was Hannah’s prayer:

“How I rejoice in the Lord!

How he has blessed me!

Now I have an answer for my enemies,

For the Lord has solved my problem.

How I rejoice!

2 No one is as holy as the Lord!

There is no other God,

Nor any Rock like our God.

3 Quit acting so proud and arrogant!

The Lord knows what you have done,

And he will judge your deeds.

4 Those who were mighty are mighty no more!

Those who were weak are now strong.

5 Those who were well are now starving;

Those who were starving are fed.

The barren woman now has seven children;

She with many children has no more!

6 The Lord kills,

The Lord gives life.

7 Some he causes to be poor

And others to be rich.

He cuts one down

And lifts another up.

8 He lifts the poor from the dust—

Yes, from a pile of ashes—

And treats them as princes

Sitting in the seats of honor.

For all the earth is the Lord’s

And he has set the world in order.

9 He will protect his godly ones,

But the wicked shall be silenced in darkness.

No one shall succeed by strength alone.

10 Those who fight against the Lord shall be broken;

He thunders against them from heaven.

He judges throughout the earth.

He gives mighty strength to his king,

And gives great glory to his anointed one.”