Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving
Then Hannah aprayed and said,
“My heart exults in Yahweh;
bMy horn is exalted in Yahweh;
My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies,
Because cI am glad in Your salvation.
2 aThere is no one holy like Yahweh;
Indeed, bthere is no one besides You,
cNor is there any rock like our God.
3 Do not multiply speaking so very proudly;
aLet arrogance not come out of your mouth;
bFor Yahweh is a God of knowledge,
cAnd with Him actions are weighed.
4 aThe bows of the mighty are shattered,
bBut those who stumble gird on strength.
5 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.
6 aYahweh puts to death and makes alive;
bHe brings down to Sheol and raises up.
7 aYahweh makes poor and rich;
bHe brings low; He also exalts.
8 aHe raises the poor from the dust;
bHe exalts the needy from the ash heap
cTo make them sit with nobles,
And inherit a seat of glory;
dFor the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s,
And He set the world on them.
9 aHe keeps the feet of His holy ones,
bBut the wicked ones are silenced in darkness,
cFor not by power shall a man prevail.
10 aThose who contend with Yahweh will be dismayed;
bAgainst them He will thunder in the heavens;
cYahweh will render justice to the ends of the earth,
dAnd He will give strength to His king,
eAnd He will exalt the horn of His anointed.”
11 Then Elkanah went to his home at aRamah. bBut the young boy ministered to Yahweh before Eli the priest.
The Sin of Eli’s Sons
12 Now the sons of Eli were avile men; they did not know Yahweh. 13 aAnd this was the legal judgment for the priests with the people: when any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s young man would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14 Then he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot; all that the fork would bring up the priest would take for himself. Thus they would do in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Also, before athey offered up the fat in smoke, the priest’s young man would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting; he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16 Then the man would say to him, “They must surely offer up the fat in smoke first, and then take as much as your soul desires,” then he would say, “No, you shall give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh, for the men aspurned the offering of Yahweh.
Samuel Before Yahweh as a Boy
18 Now aSamuel was ministering before Yahweh, as a young boy bgirded with a linen ephod. 19 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. 20 Then Eli would abless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Yahweh establish for you a seed from this woman in place of the one she bdedicated to Yahweh.” And they went to their own home.
21 aYahweh indeed visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And bthe young boy Samuel grew before Yahweh.
Eli Hears About His Sons’ Evils
22 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. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24 No, my sons; for the report is not good awhich I hear the people of Yahweh passing about. 25 If one man sins against another, aGod will mediate for him; but bif a man sins against Yahweh, who can pray for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for cYahweh desired to put them to death.
26 Now the young boy aSamuel was growing in stature and in favor both with Yahweh and with men.
Eli Honors His Sons Above Yahweh
27 Then aa man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘bDid I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt, enslaved to Pharaoh’s house? 28 aAnd did 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? 29 Why do you akick at My sacrifice and at My offering bwhich I have commanded in My chabitation, and dhonor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30 Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, declares, ‘aI did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now Yahweh declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for bthose who honor Me I will honor, and those cwho despise Me will be cursed. 31 Behold, athe days are coming, and I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s house so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 And you will look upon athe distress of My habitation, in spite of all the good that I do for Israel; and an bold man will not be in your house all the days. 33 Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will be put to death in the prime of life. 34 Now 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 be put to death. 35 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 a faithful house, and he will walk before cMy anointed always. 36 And it will be that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, “Please assign me to one of the priest’s offices so that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”