⁶ And Sarah said, God has given me cause for laughing, and everyone who has news of it will be laughing with me.

¹ Let your voice be loud in song, O woman without children; make melody and sounds of joy, you who did not give birth: for the children of her who had no husband are more than those of the married wife, says the Lord.

² Then our mouths were full of laughing, and our tongues gave a glad cry; they said among the nations, The Lord has done great things for them.

¹² And Sarah, laughing to herself, said, Now that I am used up am I still to have pleasure, my husband himself being old?

¹³ And the Lord said, Why was Sarah laughing and saying, Is it possible for me, being old, to give birth to a child?

¹⁴ Is there any wonder which the Lord is not able to do? At the time I said, in the spring, I will come back to you, and Sarah will have a child.

¹⁵ Then Sarah said, I was not laughing; for she was full of fear. And he said, No, but you were laughing.

¹⁷ Then Abraham went down on his face, and laughing, said in his heart, May a man a hundred years old have a child? will Sarah, at ninety years old, give birth?

¹¹ And by faith Sarah herself had power to give birth, when she was very old, because she had faith in him who gave his word;

²⁷ For it is in the Writings, You who have never given birth, be glad; give cries of joy, you who have had no birth-pains; for the children of her who has been given up by her husband are more than those of the woman who has a husband.

²⁸ Now we, brothers, as Isaac was, are the children of the undertaking of God.

¹⁵ Take part in the joy of those who are glad, and in the grief of those who are sorrowing.

²¹ When a woman is about to give birth she has sorrow, because her hour is come; but when she has given birth to the child, the pain is put out of her mind by the joy that a man has come into the world.

²² So you have sorrow now: but I will see you again, and your hearts will be glad, and no one will take away your joy.

⁵⁸ And it came to the ears of her neighbours and relations that the Lord had been very good to her, and they took part in her joy.

⁴⁶ And Mary said: My soul gives glory to God;

⁴⁷ My spirit is glad in God my Saviour.

⁴⁸ For he has had pity on his servant, though she is poor and lowly placed: and from this hour will all generations give witness to the blessing which has come to me.

⁴⁹ For he who is strong has done great things for me; and holy is his name.

⁵⁰ His mercy is for all generations in whom is the fear of him.

⁵¹ With his arm he has done acts of power; he has put to flight those who have pride in their hearts.

⁵² He has put down kings from their seats, lifting up on high the men of low degree.

⁵³ Those who had no food he made full of good things; the men of wealth he sent away with nothing in their hands;

⁵⁴ His help he has given to Israel, his servant, so that he might keep in mind his mercy to Abraham and his seed for ever,

⁵⁵ As he gave his word to our fathers.

¹⁴ And you will be glad and have great delight; and numbers of people will have joy at his birth.

²¹ Then you will say in your heart, Who has given me all these children? when my children had been taken from me, and I was no longer able to have others, who took care of these? when I was by myself, where then were these?

¹⁵ Will a woman give up the child at her breast, will she be without pity for the fruit of her body? yes, these may, but I will not let you go out of my memory.

⁹ He gives the unfertile woman a family, making her a happy mother of children. Give praise to the Lord.

²⁶ And she said, O my lord, as your soul is living, my lord, I am that woman who was making a prayer to the Lord here by your side:

²⁷ My prayer was for this child; and the Lord has given him to me in answer to my request:

²⁸ So I have given him to the Lord; for all his life he is the Lord's. Then he gave the Lord worship there.

¹ And Hannah, in prayer before the Lord, said, My heart is glad in the Lord, my horn is lifted up in the Lord: my mouth is open wide over my haters; because my joy is in your salvation.

² No other is holy as the Lord, for there is no other God but you: there is no Rock like our God.

³ Say no more words of pride; let not uncontrolled sayings come out of your mouths: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, by him acts are judged.

⁴ The bows of the men of war are broken, and the feeble are clothed with strength.

⁵ Those who were full are offering themselves as servants for bread; those who were in need are at rest; truly, she who had no children has become the mother of seven; and she who had a family is wasted with sorrow.

⁶ The Lord is the giver of death and life: sending men down to the underworld and lifting them up.

⁷ The Lord gives wealth and takes a man's goods from him: crushing men down and again lifting them up;

⁸ Lifting the poor out of the dust, and him who is in need out of the lowest place, to give them their place among rulers, and for their heritage the seat of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's and he has made them the base of the world.

⁹ He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the evil-doers will come to their end in the dark night, for by strength no man will overcome.

¹⁰ Those who make war against the Lord will be broken; against them he will send his thunder from heaven: the Lord will be judge of the ends of the earth, he will give strength to his king, lifting up the horn of him on whom the holy oil has been put.