Hannah’s Song
1And Hannah prayed: “My heart exults in Yahweh; in Yahweh my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I rejoice in your salvation. 2There is no one holy like Yahweh; there is no one besides you; there is no rock like our God. 3Stop this proud talk; let no arrogance come from your mouth, for Yahweh is a God who knows, and by him deeds are weighed. 4The bows of the mighty are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength. 5Those who were full hire themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry hunger no more. The barren woman bears seven, but she who had many sons withers away. 6Yahweh kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7Yahweh makes poor and makes rich; he brings low, and he also lifts up. 8He raises the poor from the dust, he lifts the needy from the ash heap, to seat them with nobles and give them a throne of honor. For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s; on them he has set the world. 9He guards the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked are silenced in darkness — for it is not by strength that anyone prevails. 10Those who oppose Yahweh will be shattered; he will thunder against them from heaven. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and lift high the horn of his anointed one.” 11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, and the boy stayed to minister to Yahweh under Eli the priest.
The Wickedness of Eli’s Sons
12Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they had no regard for Yahweh. 13This was the priests’ custom with the people: whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, holding a three-pronged fork, 14and he would plunge it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot, and whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15Even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man sacrificing, “Give the priest meat to roast — he will not accept boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16And if the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned first, as is proper, then take whatever you want,” he would answer, “No — hand it over now, or I will take it by force.” 17So the sin of these young men was very great in the sight of Yahweh, for they treated the offering of Yahweh with contempt. 18But Samuel was ministering before Yahweh — a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19Every year his mother made him a little robe and brought it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May Yahweh give you children by this woman in place of the one she asked for and gave to Yahweh.” Then they would go home. 21Yahweh attended to Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of Yahweh. 22Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel — and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 23He said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all these people about your evil deeds. 24No, my sons — this is not a good report I hear the people of Yahweh spreading around. 25If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for him, but if someone sins against Yahweh, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father, for Yahweh intended to put them to death. 26Meanwhile the boy Samuel kept growing, and he was in favor both with Yahweh and with people.
A Warning to the House of Eli
27A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what Yahweh says: Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s house when they were in Egypt, slaves to Pharaoh’s house? 28I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod before me. I gave your ancestor’s house all the food offerings of the Israelites. 29Why then do you kick at my sacrifice and offering, which I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons more than me, fattening yourselves on the choicest part of every offering of my people Israel? 30Therefore, declares Yahweh, the God of Israel: I did say that your house and your father’s house would walk before me forever. But now, declares Yahweh, far be it from me — for those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be lightly regarded. 31Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no one in your house will reach old age. 32You will see distress in my dwelling, in the midst of all the good I do for Israel, and no one in your house will ever again reach old age. 33Yet I will not cut off from my altar every one of your line — but it will be to wear out your eyes and grieve your heart, and all the increase of your house will die in the prime of life. 34And this will be the sign that will come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: both of them will die on the same day. 35I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do what is in my heart and mind. I will build him a lasting house, and he will walk before my anointed one forever. 36Then whoever 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 assign me to some priestly office, so I can have bread to eat.’”
