Abraham fell face down; he laughed and said to himself, ‘Will a son be born to a man a hundred years old? Will Sarah bear a child at the age of ninety?’

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?”

So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, ‘After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?’

So Sarah laughed to herself, saying “After I am worn out, and my lord is old, shall I have pleasure?”

Then the Lord said to Abraham, ‘Why did Sarah laugh and say, “Will I really have a child, now that I am old?”

The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?’

Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, ‘I did not laugh.’

But he said, ‘Yes, you did laugh.’

But Sarah denied it, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was afraid. He said, “No, but you did laugh.”

So Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who were pledged to marry his daughters. He said, ‘Hurry and get out of this place, because the Lord is about to destroy the city!’ But his sons-in-law thought he was joking.

So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the Lord is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting.

Sarah said, ‘God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.’

And Sarah said, “God has made laughter for me; everyone who hears will laugh over me.”

But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking,

But Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, laughing.

When Isaac had been there a long time, Abimelek king of the Philistines looked down from a window and saw Isaac caressing his wife Rebekah.

When he had been there a long time, Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out of a window and saw Isaac laughing with Rebekah his wife.

she called her household servants. ‘Look,’ she said to them, ‘this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed.

she called to the men of her household and said to them, “See, he has brought among us a Hebrew to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice.

Then she told him this story: ‘That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me.

and she told him the same story, saying, “The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me.

So the next day the people rose early and sacrificed burnt offerings and presented fellowship offerings. Afterwards they sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry.

And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.

While they were in high spirits, they shouted, ‘Bring out Samson to entertain us.’ So they called Samson out of the prison, and he performed for them.

When they stood him among the pillars,

And when their hearts were merry, they said, “Call Samson, that he may entertain us.” So they called Samson out of the prison, and he entertained them. They made him stand between the pillars.

Now the temple was crowded with men and women; all the rulers of the Philistines were there, and on the roof were about three thousand men and women watching Samson perform.

Now the house was full of men and women. All the lords of the Philistines were there, and on the roof there were about 3,000 men and women, who looked on while Samson entertained.

As they danced, they sang:

‘Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.’

And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,

“Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands.”

Then Abner said to Joab, ‘Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.’

‘All right, let them do it,’ Joab said.

And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and compete before us.” And Joab said, “Let them arise.”

David and all Israel were celebrating with all their might before the Lord, with castanets, harps, lyres, tambourines, rattles and cymbals.

And David and all the house of Israel were celebrating before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.

David said to Michal, ‘It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel – I will celebrate before the Lord.

And David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me above your father and above all his house, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the Lord—and I will celebrate before the Lord.

David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, tambourines, cymbals and trumpets.

And David and all Israel were celebrating before God with all their might, with song and lyres and harps and tambourines and cymbals and trumpets.

As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

And as the ark of the covenant of the Lord came to the city of David, Michal the daughter of Saul looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and celebrating, and she despised him in her heart.

The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed them.

So the couriers went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.

You will laugh at destruction and famine,
and need not fear the wild animals.

At destruction and famine you shall laugh,
and shall not fear the beasts of the earth.

When I smiled at them, they scarcely believed it;
the light of my face was precious to them.

I smiled on them when they had no confidence,
and the light of my face they did not cast down.

‘But now they mock me,
men younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
to put with my sheep dogs.

“But now they laugh at me,
men who are younger than I,
whose fathers I would have disdained
to set with the dogs of my flock.

It laughs at the commotion in the town;
it does not hear a driver’s shout.

He scorns the tumult of the city;
he hears not the shouts of the driver.

Yet when she spreads her feathers to run,
she laughs at horse and rider.

When she rouses herself to flee
she laughs at the horse and his rider.

It laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;
it does not shy away from the sword.

He laughs at fear and is not dismayed;
he does not turn back from the sword.

The hills bring it their produce,
and all the wild animals play nearby.

For the mountains yield food for him
where all the wild beasts play.

Can you make a pet of it like a bird
or put it on a leash for the young women in your house?

Will you play with him as with a bird,
or will you put him on a leash for your girls?

A club seems to it but a piece of straw;
it laughs at the rattling of the lance.

Clubs are counted as stubble;
he laughs at the rattle of javelins.

The One enthroned in heaven laughs;
the Lord scoffs at them.

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
the Lord holds them in derision.

but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he sees that his day is coming.

The righteous will see and fear;
they will laugh at you, saying,

The righteous shall see and fear,
and shall laugh at him, saying,

But you laugh at them, Lord;
you scoff at all those nations.

But you, O Lord, laugh at them;
you hold all the nations in derision.

There the ships go to and fro,
and Leviathan, which you formed to frolic there.

There go the ships,
and Leviathan, which you formed to play in it.

I in turn will laugh when disaster strikes you;
I will mock when calamity overtakes you –

I also will laugh at your calamity;
I will mock when terror strikes you,

Then I was constantly at his side.
I was filled with delight day after day,
rejoicing always in his presence,

then I was beside him, like a master workman,
and I was daily his delight,
rejoicing before him always,

rejoicing in his whole world
and delighting in the human race.

rejoicing in his inhabited world
and delighting in the children of man.

is one who deceives their neighbour
and says, ‘I was only joking!’

is the man who deceives his neighbor
and says, “I am only joking!”

If a wise person goes to court with a fool,
the fool rages and scoffs, and there is no peace.

If a wise man has an argument with a fool,
the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet.

She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.

Strength and dignity are her clothing,
and she laughs at the time to come.

a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

I never sat in the company of revellers,
never made merry with them;
I sat alone because your hand was on me
and you had filled me with indignation.

I did not sit in the company of revelers,
nor did I rejoice;
I sat alone, because your hand was upon me,
for you had filled me with indignation.

From them will come songs of thanksgiving
and the sound of rejoicing.
I will add to their numbers,
and they will not be decreased;
I will bring them honour,
and they will not be disdained.

Out of them shall come songs of thanksgiving,
and the voices of those who celebrate.
I will multiply them, and they shall not be few;
I will make them honored, and they shall not be small.

I will build you up again,
and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt.
Again you will take up your tambourines
and go out to dance with the joyful.

Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O virgin Israel!
Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines
and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.

In the days of her affliction and wandering
Jerusalem remembers all the treasures
that were hers in days of old.
When her people fell into enemy hands,
there was no one to help her.
Her enemies looked at her
and laughed at her destruction.

Jerusalem remembers
in the days of her affliction and wandering
all the precious things
that were hers from days of old.
When her people fell into the hand of the foe,
and there was none to help her,
her foes gloated over her;
they mocked at her downfall.

They mock kings
and scoff at rulers.
They laugh at all fortified cities;
by building earthen ramps they capture them.

At kings they scoff,
and at rulers they laugh.
They laugh at every fortress,
for they pile up earth and take it.

The city streets will be filled with boys and girls playing there.’

And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets.

Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.

“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied.

“Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.

“Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry.

“Woe to you who laugh now for you shall mourn and weep.