Hannah’s Prayer
1And Hannah prayed and said:
“My heart rejoices in theLord;
My[a]horn is exalted in theLord.
[b]I smile at my enemies,
Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
2“No one is holy like theLord,
Forthere is none besides You,
Noris there any rock like our God.
3“Talk no more so very proudly;
Let no arrogance come from your mouth,
For theLordis the God of knowledge;
And by Him actions are weighed.
4“The bows of the mighty menare broken,
And those who stumbled are girded with strength.
5Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread,
And the hungry have ceasedto hunger.
Even the barren has borne seven,
And she who has many children has become feeble.
6“TheLord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to the grave and brings up.
7TheLord makes poor and makes rich;
He brings low and lifts up.
8He raises the poor from the dust
And lifts the beggar from the ash heap,
To setthem among princes
And make them inherit the throne of glory.
“For the pillars of the earthare theLord’s,
And He has set the world upon them.
9He will guard the feet of His saints,
But the wicked shall be silent in darkness.
“For by strength no man shall prevail.
10The adversaries of theLord shall be broken in pieces;
From heaven He will thunder against them.
TheLord will judge the ends of the earth.
“He will give strength to His king,
And exalt the[c]horn of His anointed.”
11Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child[d]ministered to theLord before Eli the priest.
The Wicked Sons of Eli
12Now the sons of Eliwere corrupt;[e] they did not know theLord.13And the priests’ custom with the peoplewas that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling.14Then he would thrustit into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.15Also, before they burned 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.”
16Andif the man said to him, “They should really burn the fat first;then you may takeas much as your heart desires,” he would then answer him, “No, but you must giveit now; and if not, I will takeit by force.”
17Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before theLord, for men abhorred[f] the offering of theLord.
Samuel’s Childhood Ministry
18But Samuel ministered before theLord,even as a child, wearing a linen ephod.19Moreover his mother used to make him a little robe, and bringit to him year by year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.20And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “TheLord give you descendants from this woman for the[g]loan that was given to theLord.” Then they would go to their own home.
21And theLord visited[h] Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel grew before theLord.
Prophecy Against Eli’s Household
22Now Eli was very old; and he heard everything his sons did to all Israel,[i]and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.23So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people.24No, my sons! Forit is not a good report that I hear. You make theLord’s people transgress.25If one man sins against another, God[j] will judge him. But if a man sins against theLord, who will intercede for him?” Nevertheless they did not heed the voice of their father, because theLord desired to kill them.
26And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with theLord and men.
27Then a man 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?28Did I not choose him out of all the tribes of Israelto be My priest, to offer upon My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before Me? And did I not give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire?29Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commandedin My dwelling place, and honor your sons more than Me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel My people?’30Therefore theLord God of Israel says: ‘I said indeedthat your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now theLord says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.31Behold, the days are coming that I will cut off your[k]arm and the arm of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.32And you will see an enemyin My dwelling place,despite all the good which God does for Israel. And there shall not be an old man in your house forever.33But any of your menwhom I 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.34Now thisshall be a sign to you that will come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.35Then I will raise up for Myself a faithful priestwho shall do according to whatis in My heart and in My mind. I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before My anointed forever.36And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left in your house will comeand bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and say, “Please,[l]put me in one of the priestly positions, that I may eat a piece of bread.” ’ ”
Footnotes:
- 1 Samuel 2:1
- 1 Samuel 2:1
- 1 Samuel 2:10
- 1 Samuel 2:11
- 1 Samuel 2:12
- 1 Samuel 2:17
- 1 Samuel 2:20
- 1 Samuel 2:21
- 1 Samuel 2:22
- 1 Samuel 2:25
- 1 Samuel 2:31
- 1 Samuel 2:36
