2
1 Hannah
prayed, and said,
“My heart exults
in the LORD!
My horn is
exalted in the
LORD.
My mouth is
enlarged over
my enemies,
because I rejoice
in your salvation.
2 There
is no one
as holy as
the LORD,
for there is
no one besides
you,
nor is there
any rock like
our God.
3 “Don’t keep
talking so
exceedingly proudly.
Don’t let arrogance
come out of
your mouth,
for the LORD
is a God
of knowledge.
By him actions
are weighed.
4 “The bows
of the mighty men
are broken.
Those who
stumbled are armed
with strength.
5 Those
who were full
have hired themselves
out for bread.
Those who were
hungry are
satisfied.
Yes, the barren
has borne seven.
She who has
many children languishes.
6 “The
LORD kills and
makes alive.
He brings down
to Sheol
and brings up.
7 The
LORD makes poor
and makes rich.
He brings low,
he also lifts
up.
8 He
raises up the
poor out of
the dust.
He lifts up
the needy from
the dunghill
to make them
sit with princes
and inherit the
throne of glory.
For the pillars
of the earth
are the LORD’s.
He has set
the world on
them.
9 He
will keep the
feet of his
holy ones,
but the wicked
will be put
to silence in
darkness;
for no man
will prevail by
strength.
10 Those
who strive with
the LORD shall
be broken
to pieces.
He will thunder
against them in
the sky.
“The LORD will
judge the ends of
the earth.
He will give
strength to his
king,
and exalt the
horn of his
anointed.”
11 Elkanah
went to Ramah
to his house.
The child served
the LORD before
Eli the priest.
12 Now the
sons of Eli
were wicked men.
They didn’t know
the LORD.
13 The
custom of the
priests with the
people was that
when anyone
offered a
sacrifice, the
priest’s servant
came while the
meat was boiling,
with a fork
of three teeth
in his hand;
14 and
he stabbed it
into the pan,
or kettle,
or cauldron, or
pot. The priest
took all that
the fork brought
up for himself.
They did this
to all the
Israelites who
came there to
Shiloh.
15 Yes,
before they burned
the fat, the
priest’s servant
came, and said to
the man who
sacrificed, “Give
meat to roast
for the priest;
for he will
not accept boiled
meat from you,
but raw.”
16 If
the man said to
him, “Let the
fat be burned
first, and then
take as much as
your soul desires;”
then he would say,
“No, but you
shall give it
to me now;
and if not,
I will take
it by force.”
17 The
sin of the
young men was
very great before
the LORD; for
the men despised
the LORD’s
offering.
18 But
Samuel ministered
before the LORD,
being a child,
clothed with
a linen ephod.
19 Moreover
his mother made
him a little
robe, and brought
it to him
from year to
year when she came
up with her husband
to offer the
yearly sacrifice.
20 Eli
blessed Elkanah and
his wife, and said, “May
the LORD give
you offspring
from this woman
for the petition
which was asked
of the LORD.”
Then they went
to their own home.
21 The
LORD visited
Hannah, and she
conceived and bore
three sons and
two daughters. The
child Samuel grew
before the LORD.
22 Now
Eli was very
old; and he
heard all that
his sons did
to all Israel,
and how that
they slept with
the women who
served at the
door of the Tent
of Meeting.
23 He
said to them, “Why
do you do
such things? For
I hear of
your evil dealings
from all these
people.
24 No,
my sons; for
it is not
a good report
that I hear!
You make the
LORD’s people disobey.
25 If
one man sins
against another,
God will judge
him; but if
a man sins
against the LORD,
who will intercede
for him?” Notwithstanding,
they didn’t listen
to the voice
of their father,
because the
LORD intended to
kill them.
26 The
child Samuel grew
on, and increased
in favor both
with the LORD
and also with
men.
27 A man
of God came
to Eli and said
to him, “The
LORD says, ‘Did
I reveal myself to
the house of
your father when
they were in
Egypt in bondage
to Pharaoh’s house?
28 Didn’t
I choose him out
of all the
tribes of Israel
to be my
priest, to go
up to my
altar, to burn
incense, to wear
an ephod before me?
Didn’t I give to
the house of
your father all
the offerings of
the children of
Israel made
by fire?
29 Why
do you kick
at my sacrifice
and at my
offering, which I
have commanded in
my habitation, and
honor your sons
above me, to
make yourselves
fat with the best
of all the
offerings of
Israel my people?’
30 “Therefore
the LORD, the
God of Israel,
says, ‘I said
indeed that your
house and the
house of
your father should
walk before me
forever.’ But now
the LORD says, ‘Far
be it from
me; for those
who honor me
I will honor,
and those who
despise me will
be cursed.
31 Behold,
the days come
that I will
cut off your
arm and the
arm of
your father’s house,
that there will
not be an
old man in
your house.
32 You
will see the
affliction of my
habitation, in all
the wealth which
I will give
Israel. There
shall not be
an old man
in your house
forever.
33 The
man of yours
whom I don’t cut
off from my
altar will consume
your eyes
and grieve your
heart. All the
increase of your
house will die
in the flower of
their age.
34 This
will be the sign
to you that
will come on your
two sons, on
Hophni and
Phinehas: in one
day they will
both die.
35 I
will raise up
a faithful priest
for myself who
will do according
to that which
is in my
heart and in
my mind. I
will build him
a sure house.
He will walk
before my anointed
forever.
36 It
will happen that
everyone who is
left in your
house will come
and bow down
to him for
a piece of
silver and a
loaf of bread,
and will say, “Please
put me into
one of the priests’
offices, that I
may eat a
morsel of
bread.” ’ ”