Hannah’s Prayer
1 And Hannahprayed and said:
# “My heart rejoices in theLord;
# My horn is exalted in theLord.
I smile at my enemies,
# Because Irejoice in Your salvation.
2 “Noone is holy like theLord,
# Forthereisnone besides You,
# Noristhereanyrock like our God.
3 “Talk no more so very proudly;
# Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
# For theLordisthe God ofknowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.
4 “Thebows of the mighty menarebroken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5 Thosewhowerefull have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceasedtohunger.
# Eventhe barren has borne seven,
# Andshe who has many children has become feeble.
6 “TheLordkills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7 TheLordmakes poor and makes rich;
# He brings low and lifts up.
8 He raises the poor from the dust
Andlifts the beggar from the ash heap,
# To setthemamong princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
# “For the pillars of the eartharetheLord’s,
And He has set the world upon them.
9 He will guard the feet of His saints,
# But thewicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10 The adversaries of theLordshall bebroken in pieces;
# From heaven He will thunder against them.
# TheLordwill judge the ends of the earth.
# “He will givestrength to His king,
# Andexalt the horn of His anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to theLordbefore Eli the priest.
The Wicked Sons of Eli
12 Now the sons of Eliwerecorrupt;they did not know theLord.
13 And the priests’ custom with the peoplewasthatwhen any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling.
14 Then he would thrustitinto the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did inShiloh to all the Israelites who came there.
15 Also, before theyburned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take boiled meat from you, but raw.”
16 Andifthe man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first;thenyou may takeasmuchas your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No,but you must giveitnow; and if not, I will takeitby force.”
17 Therefore the sin of the young men was very greatbefore theLord, for menabhorred the offering of theLord.
Samuel’s Childhood Ministry
18 But Samuel ministered before theLord,evenasa child,wearing a linen ephod.
19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bringitto him year by year when shecame up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And Eliwould bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “TheLordgive you descendants from this woman for the loan that wasgiven to theLord.” Then they would go to their own home.
21 And theLordvisited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuelgrew before theLord.
Prophecy Against Eli’s Household
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay withthe women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.
23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.
24 No, my sons! Foritisnot a good report that I hear. You make theLord’s people transgress.
25 If one man sins against another,God will judge him. But if a mansins against theLord, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father,because theLorddesired to kill them.
26 And the child Samuelgrew in stature, andin favor both with theLordand men.
27 Then aman of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says theLord:‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?
28 Did I notchoose him out of all the tribes of IsraeltobeMy priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? Anddid I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?
29 Why do youkick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commandedinMydwelling place, and honor your sons more thanMe, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’
30 Therefore theLordGod of Israel says:‘I said indeedthatyour house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now theLordsays:‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, andthose who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold,the days are coming that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.
32 And you will see an enemyinMydwelling place,despiteall the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not bean old man in your house forever.
33 But any of your menwhomI do not cut off from My altar shall consume your eyes and grieve your heart. And all the descendants of your house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 Now thisshallbea sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas:in one day they shall die, both of them.
35 ThenI will raise up for Myself a faithful priestwhoshall do according to whatisin My heart and in My mind.I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk beforeMy anointed forever.
36 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will comeandbow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, “Please, put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”