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¶ And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I have rejoiced in thy saving health.

There is none holy as the LORD, for there is none beside thee; neither is there any strong One like our God.

Do not multiply thyself speaking great and lofty things; let arrogant words cease from your mouth, for the LORD is the all-knowing God, and the magnificent works are his.

The bows of the mighty men have been broken, and the weak are girded with strength.

Those that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and those that were hungry ceased so that the barren has given birth to seven, and she that has many children is waxed feeble.

The LORD kills, and he gives life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and lifts up.

He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he has set the world upon them.

He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked perish in darkness, for no man shall prevail by their own strength.

10 LORD, thine adversaries shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven he shall thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give strength unto his king and exalt the horn of his anointed. {Heb. Messiah}

11 ¶ And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

12 But the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they did not know the LORD.

13 It was the priests’ custom with the people that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the flesh was being boiled, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

14 and he would strike it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot, and all that the fleshhook brought up, the priest took for himself. Thus would they do in Shiloh to all the Israelites that went there.

15 Likewise, before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest, for he will not take cooked flesh of thee, but raw.

16 And if the man would say unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat today and then take as much as thy soul desires, then he would answer him, No, but thou shalt give it to me now, and if not, I will take it by force.

17 Therefore, the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men despised the present of the LORD.

18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat and brought it to him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the accustomed sacrifice.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of the LORD. And they went unto their own home.

21 And the LORD visited Hannah so that she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

22 Now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel and how they lay with the women that served at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.

23 And he said unto them, Why do ye do such things? For I hear from all the people of your evil dealings.

24 No, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear that ye cause the people of the LORD to transgress.

25 If one man sins against another, the judges shall judge him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they did not hearken unto the voice of their father because the LORD had already decided to kill them.

26 And the child Samuel kept on growing and was in favour both with the LORD and also with men.

27 ¶ And a man of God came unto Eli and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I not plainly appear unto the house of thy father when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?

28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me, and I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings on fire of the sons of Israel.

29 Why do ye trample my sacrifices and my offerings which I have commanded to be offered in my tabernacle and honor thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30 Therefore, the LORD God of Israel said, I had said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever, but now the LORD said, It shall never be; for those that honor me I will honor, and those that lightly esteem me shall be vile.

31 Behold, the days come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy father’s house that there shall not be an old man in thy house.

32 And thou shalt see a competitor in my tabernacle in all the things in which I shall do good unto Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever.

33 I shall not totally cut off all thy men from my altar to consume thine eyes and to grieve thy soul, and all the increase of thy house shall die as young men.

34 And this shall be a sign unto thee that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall both die.

35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before my anointed {Heb. Messiah} for ever.

36 And it shall come to pass that every one that is left in thy house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into some aspect of the priesthood that I may eat a piece of bread.

Hannah’s Prayer

Then Hannah prayed and said:(A)

“My heart rejoices(B) in the Lord;
    in the Lord my horn[a](C) is lifted high.
My mouth boasts(D) over my enemies,(E)
    for I delight in your deliverance.

“There is no one holy(F) like(G) the Lord;
    there is no one besides you;
    there is no Rock(H) like our God.

“Do not keep talking so proudly
    or let your mouth speak such arrogance,(I)
for the Lord is a God who knows,(J)
    and by him deeds(K) are weighed.(L)

“The bows of the warriors are broken,(M)
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.(N)
Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry(O) are hungry no more.
She who was barren(P) has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

“The Lord brings death and makes alive;(Q)
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.(R)
The Lord sends poverty and wealth;(S)
    he humbles and he exalts.(T)
He raises(U) the poor(V) from the dust(W)
    and lifts the needy(X) from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
    and has them inherit a throne of honor.(Y)

“For the foundations(Z) of the earth are the Lord’s;
    on them he has set the world.
He will guard the feet(AA) of his faithful servants,(AB)
    but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.(AC)

“It is not by strength(AD) that one prevails;
10     those who oppose the Lord will be broken.(AE)
The Most High will thunder(AF) from heaven;
    the Lord will judge(AG) the ends of the earth.

“He will give strength(AH) to his king
    and exalt the horn(AI) of his anointed.”

11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah,(AJ) but the boy ministered(AK) before the Lord under Eli the priest.

Eli’s Wicked Sons

12 Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard(AL) for the Lord. 13 Now it was the practice(AM) of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat(AN) was being boiled 14 and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15 But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, “Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.”

16 If the person said to him, “Let the fat(AO) be burned first, and then take whatever you want,” the servant would answer, “No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.”

17 This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they[b] were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.(AP)

18 But Samuel was ministering(AQ) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.(AR) 19 Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual(AS) sacrifice. 20 Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed(AT) for and gave to[c] the Lord.” Then they would go home. 21 And the Lord was gracious to Hannah;(AU) she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew(AV) up in the presence of the Lord.

22 Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything(AW) his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women(AX) who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24 No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25 If one person sins against another, God[d] may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will(AY) intercede(AZ) for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.

26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow(BA) in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.(BB)

Prophecy Against the House of Eli

27 Now a man of God(BC) came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose(BD) your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,(BE) and to wear an ephod(BF) in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings(BG) presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[e] scorn my sacrifice and offering(BH) that I prescribed for my dwelling?(BI) Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.(BJ)’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor,(BK) but those who despise(BL) me will be disdained.(BM) 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age,(BN) 32 and you will see distress(BO) in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.(BP) 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants(BQ) will die in the prime of life.

34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign(BR) to you—they will both die(BS) on the same day.(BT) 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest,(BU) who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed(BV) one always. 36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead,(BW) “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.(BX)”’”

Footnotes

  1. 1 Samuel 2:1 Horn here symbolizes strength; also in verse 10.
  2. 1 Samuel 2:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text people
  3. 1 Samuel 2:20 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text and asked from
  4. 1 Samuel 2:25 Or the judges
  5. 1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.