Then Hannah aprayed
and said
, "My heart
exults
in the LORD
; bMy 1horn
is exalted
in the LORD
, My mouth
2speaks
boldly
against
my enemies
, Because
cI rejoice
in Your salvation
.
" aThere is no
one
holy
like the LORD
, Indeed
, bthere
is no
one
besides
You, cNor
is there
any rock
like our God
.
" 1Boast no
more
so very
proudly
, aDo not let arrogance
come
out of your mouth
; bFor the LORD
is a God
of knowledge
, cAnd with Him actions
are weighed
.
" aThe bows of the mighty
are shattered
, bBut the feeble
gird
on strength
.
"Those who were full hire
themselves out for bread
, But those who were hungry
cease
to hunger. aEven
the barren
gives
birth
to seven
, But bshe who has many
children
languishes
.
" aThe LORD kills
and makes
alive
; bHe brings
down
to 1Sheol
and raises
up.
" aThe LORD makes
poor
and rich
; bHe brings
low
, He also
exalts
.
" aHe raises the poor
from the dust
, bHe lifts
the needy
from the ash
heap
cTo make them sit
with nobles
, And inherit
a seat
of honor
; dFor the pillars
of the earth
are the LORD'S
, And He set
the world
on them.
" aHe keeps the feet
of His godly
ones
, bBut the wicked
ones
are silenced
in darkness
; cFor not by might
shall a man
prevail
.
" aThose who contend with the LORD
will be shattered
; bAgainst
them He will thunder
in the heavens
, cThe LORD
will judge
the ends
of the earth
; dAnd He will give
strength
to His king
, eAnd will exalt
the 1horn
of His anointed
."
Then Elkanah went
to his home
at aRamah
. bBut the boy
ministered
to the LORD
before
Eli
the priest
.
Now the sons of Eli
were 1 aworthless
men
; they did not know
the LORD
aand the custom of the priests
with the people
. When any
man
was offering
a sacrifice
, the priest's
servant
would come
while the meat
was boiling
, with a three-pronged
fork
in his hand
.
Then he would thrust it into the pan
, or
kettle
, or
caldron
, or
pot
; all
that the fork
brought
up the priest
would take
for himself. Thus
they did
in Shiloh
to all
the Israelites
who came
there
.
Also, before
athey burned
the fat
, the priest's
servant
would come
and say
to the man
who was sacrificing
, "Give
the priest
meat
for roasting
, as he will not take
boiled
meat
from you, only
raw
."
If the man
said
to him, "They must surely
1burn
the fat
2first
, and then take
as much
as 3you desire
," then he would say
, "No
, but you shall give
it to me now
; and if
not, I will take
it by force
."
Thus the sin of the young
men
was very
great
before
the LORD
, for the men
adespised
the offering
of the LORD
.
Now aSamuel was ministering
before
the LORD
, as a boy
1 bwearing
a linen
ephod
.
And his mother would make
him a little
arobe
and bring
it to him from year
to year
when she would come
up with her husband
to offer
bthe yearly
sacrifice
.
Then Eli would abless
Elkanah
and his wife
and say
, "May the LORD
give
you 1children
from this
woman
in place
of 2the one
she bdedicated
to the LORD
." And they went
to their own 3home
.
aThe LORD visited
Hannah
; and she conceived
and gave
birth
to three
sons
and two
daughters
. And bthe boy
Samuel
grew
before
the LORD
.
Now Eli was very
old
; and he heard
aall
that his sons
were doing
to all
Israel
, and how
they lay
with bthe women
who served
at the doorway
of the tent
of meeting
.
He said to them, "Why
do you do
such
things
, the evil
things
that I hear
from all
these
people
?
"No, my sons
; for the report
is not good
awhich
I hear
1the LORD'S
people
circulating
.
"If one man
sins
against another
, aGod
will mediate
for him; but bif
a man
sins
against the LORD
, who
can intercede
for him?" But they would not listen
to the voice
of their father
, for the cLORD
desired
to put
them to death
.
Now the boy aSamuel
1was growing
in stature
and in favor
both
with the LORD
and with men
.
Then aa man of God
came
to Eli
and said
to him, "Thus
says
the LORD
, ` bDid I not indeed
reveal
Myself to the house
of your father
when they were in Egypt
in bondage to Pharaoh's
house
?
` aDid I not choose them from all
the tribes
of Israel
to be My priests
, to go
up to My altar
, to burn
incense
, to carry
an ephod
before
Me; and did I not bgive
to the house
of your father
all
the fire
offerings of the sons
of Israel
?
`Why do you akick
at My sacrifice
and at My offering
bwhich
I have commanded
in My cdwelling
, and dhonor
your sons
above
Me, by making
yourselves fat
with the 1choicest
of every
offering
of My people
Israel
?'
"Therefore the LORD
God
of Israel
declares
, ` aI did indeed
say
that your house
and the house
of your father
should walk
before
Me forever
'; but now
the LORD
declares
, `Far
be it from Me--for bthose who honor
Me I will honor
, and those cwho despise
Me will be lightly
esteemed
.
`Behold, athe days
are coming
when I will break
your 1strength
and the 1strength
of your father's
house
so
that there will not be an old
man
in your house
.
`You will see athe distress
of My dwelling
, in spite of all
the good
that 1I do
for Israel
; and an bold
man
will not be in your house
forever
.
`Yet I will not cut off
every
man
of yours from My altar
1so that your eyes
will fail
from weeping and your soul
grieve
, and all
the increase
of your house
will die
2in the prime
of life
.
`This will be athe sign
to you which
will come
concerning
your two
sons
, Hophni
and Phinehas
: bon the same
day
both
of them will die
.
`But aI will raise up for Myself a faithful
priest
who will do
according to what
is in My heart
and in My soul
; and bI will build
him an enduring
house
, and he will walk
before
cMy anointed
always
.
`Everyone who is left
in your house
will come
and bow
down
to him for a 1piece
of silver
or a loaf
of bread
and say
, "Please
2assign
me to one
of the priest's
offices
so that I may eat
a piece
of bread
.""'