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And Hannah prayeth, and saith: `My heart hath exulted in Jehovah, My horn hath been high in Jehovah, My mouth hath been large over mine enemies, For I have rejoiced in Thy salvation.

There is none holy like Jehovah, For there is none save Thee, And there is no rock like our God.

Ye multiply not -- ye speak haughtily -- The old saying goeth out from your mouth, For a God of knowledge [is] Jehovah, And by Him actions are weighed.

Bows of the mighty are broken, And the stumbling have girded on strength.

The satiated for bread hired themselves, And the hungry have ceased. While the barren hath borne seven, And she abounding with sons hath languished.

Jehovah putteth to death, and keepeth alive, He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up.

Jehovah dispossesseth, and He maketh rich, He maketh low, yea, He maketh high.

He raiseth from the dust the poor, From a dunghill He lifteth up the needy, To cause [them] to sit with nobles, Yea, a throne of honour He doth cause them to inherit, For to Jehovah [are] the fixtures of earth, And He setteth on them the habitable world.

The feet of His saints He keepeth, And the wicked in darkness are silent, For not by power doth man become mighty.

10 Jehovah -- broken down are His adversaries, Against them in the heavens He thundereth: Jehovah judgeth the ends of earth, And giveth strength to His king, And exalteth the horn of His anointed.'

11 And Elkanah goeth to Ramath, unto his house, and the youth hath been serving Jehovah, [in] the presence of Eli the priest;

12 and the sons of Eli [are] sons of worthlessness, they have not known Jehovah.

13 And the custom of the priests with the people [is]: any man sacrificing a sacrifice -- then hath the servant of the priest come in when the flesh is boiling, and the hook of three teeth in his hand,

14 and hath struck [it] into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the hook bringeth up doth the priest take for himself; thus they do to all Israel who are coming in, there, in Shiloh.

15 Also before they make perfume with the fat -- then hath the priest's servant come in, and said to the man who is sacrificing, `Give flesh to roast for the priest, and he doth not take of thee flesh boiled, but raw;'

16 and the man saith unto him, `Let them surely make a perfume (as to-day) with the fat, then take to thee as thy soul desireth;' and he hath said to him, `Surely now thou dost give; and if not -- I have taken by strength.'

17 And the sin of the young men is very great [in] the presence of Jehovah, for the men have despised the offering of Jehovah.

18 And Samuel is ministering [in] the presence of Jehovah, a youth girt [with] an ephod of linen;

19 and a small upper coat doth his mother make to him, and she hath brought it up to him from time to time, in her coming up with her husband to sacrifice the sacrifice of the time.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah, and his wife, and said, `Jehovah doth appoint for thee seed of this woman, for the petition which she asked for Jehovah;' and they have gone to their place.

21 When Jehovah hath looked after Hannah, then she conceiveth and beareth three sons and two daughters; and the youth Samuel groweth up with Jehovah.

22 And Eli [is] very old, and hath heard all that his sons do to all Israel, and how that they lie with the women who are assembling [at] the opening of the tent of meeting,

23 and he saith to them, `Why do ye things like these? for I am hearing of your evil words from all the people -- these!

24 Nay, my sons; for the report which I am hearing is not good causing the people of Jehovah to transgress. --

25 If a man sin against a man, then hath God judged him; but if against Jehovah a man sin, who doth pray for him?' and they hearken not to the voice of their father, though Jehovah hath delighted to put them to death.

26 And the youth Samuel is going on and growing up, and [is] good both with Jehovah, and also with men.

27 And there cometh a man of God unto Eli, and saith unto him, `Thus said Jehovah, Was I really revealed unto the house of thy father in their being in Egypt, before Pharaoh's house,

28 even to choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to Me for a priest, to go up on Mine altar, to make a perfume, to bear an ephod before Me, and I give to the house of thy father all the fire-offerings of the sons of Israel?

29 Why do ye kick at My sacrifice, and at Mine offering which I commanded [in] My habitation, and dost honour thy sons above Me, to make yourselves fat from the first part of every offering of Israel, of My people?

30 `Therefore -- the affirmation of Jehovah, God of Israel -- I certainly said, Thy house and the house of thy father, do walk up and down before Me to the age; and now -- the affirmation of Jehovah -- Far be it from Me! for he who is honouring Me, I honour, and those despising Me, are lightly esteemed.

31 `Lo, days [are] coming, and I have cut off thine arm, and the arm of the house of thy father, that an old man is not in thy house;

32 and thou hast beheld an adversary [in My] habitation, in all that He doth good with Israel, and there is not an old man in thy house all the days.

33 `And the man I cut not off of thine from Mine altar, [is] to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy soul; and all the increase of thy house do die men;

34 and this [is] to thee the sign that cometh unto thy two sons, unto Hophni and Phinehas -- in one day they die both of them;

35 and I have raised up for Me a stedfast priest; as in My heart and in My soul he doth do; and I have built for him a stedfast house, and he hath walked up and down before Mine anointed all the days;

36 and it hath been, every one who is left in thy house doth come in to bow himself to him, for a wage of silver, and a cake of bread, and hath said, Admit me, I pray thee, unto one of the priest's offices, to eat a morsel of bread.'

Hannah’s Prayer of Exultation

Then Hannah prayed and said,[a]
“My heart exults in Adonai,
my horn is lifted high in Adonai.
I smile wide over my enemies,
for I rejoice in Your salvation.
There is none holy as Adonai,
for there is none besides You,
nor is there any rock like our God.
Boast no more so proudly—
insolence comes out of your mouth.
For Adonai is the all-knowing God,
and by Him deeds are weighed.
The bows of the mighty are broken,
but the stumbling are girded with strength.
Those full hire themselves for bread,
but those starving hunger no more.
Even the barren gives birth to seven,
but she with many sons languishes.
Adonai causes death and makes alive,
He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
Adonai makes poor and makes rich,
He brings low and also lifts up.
He raises the helpless from the dust.
He lifts the needy from the dunghill,
    to make them sit with nobles,
    granting them a seat of honor.
For the earth’s pillars are Adonai’s,
and He has set the world on them.
He guards the steps of His godly ones,
but the wicked are silenced in darkness.
For one does not prevail by might.
10 Those who oppose Adonai will be shattered.
He thunders against them in heaven.
He judges the ends of the earth.
He gives strength to His king,
exalting the horn of His anointed one.”[b]

Eli’s Sons Sin Against Adonai

11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, while the boy served Adonai before Eli the kohen.

12 Now Eli’s sons were worthless men[c]; they did not acknowledge Adonai. 13 Now this was the custom of the kohanim with the people: whenever any man offered a sacrifice, the kohen’s servant would come along, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up, the kohen would take for himself. This is how they dealt with all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Even before they burned the fat, the kohen’s servant would come and say to the one offering sacrifice, “Give the kohen meat for roasting, since he will not accept boiled meat from you—only raw.”

16 If the man said to him, “Let them first burn the fat up as smoke, and then take as much as you desire,” he would reply, “No! But you must give it now—otherwise, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great before Adonai, for the men despised the offering of Adonai.

18 But Samuel was ministering before Adonai, as a boy girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover, his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Adonai give you offspring from this woman instead of the one she requested from Adonai.” Then they would return to their place. 21 So Adonai visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the child Samuel grew before Adonai.

22 Now Eli had grown very old. He heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how they slept with the women who served at the doorway of the Tent of Meeting. 23 So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear evil reports from all these people concerning you. 24 No, my sons! For this is not a good report that I hear Adonai’s people spreading around. 25 If a man sins against another, God may pardon him; but if a man sins against Adonai, who will intercede for him?” But they did not listen to the voice of their father, because Adonai desired to put them to death. 26 Meanwhile, the child Samuel kept growing and increasing in favor both with Adonai and also with men.[d]

27 Now there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says Adonai: Did I not reveal Myself clearly to the house of your father when they were in Egypt belonging to Pharaoh’s palace? 28 Also did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My kohanim, to officiate at My altar, to burn incense and to wear an ephod before Me? Did I not give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of Bnei-Yisrael? 29 Why do you kick at My sacrifice and My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by fattening yourselves with the choicest of every offering of Israel My people? 30 Therefore Adonai God of Israel declares, I indeed said that your house and your father’s house should walk before Me forever. But now declares Adonai, far be it from Me! For I will honor those who honor Me, but those who despise Me will be disdained. 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no one in your household will reach old age. 32 Moreover, you will behold the distress of My dwelling, despite all that is good that has been done to Israel. So no one in your household will reach old age, forever. 33 Any man of yours that I did not cut off from My altar would make your eyes weep and your soul grieve. So all the increase of your household will die as young men. 34 Now this will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons—Hophni and Phinehas—on the same day both of them will die.

35 “Yet I will raise up for Myself a faithful kohen who will do according to what is in My heart and My mind. Then I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one all the time. 36 Anyone left in your household will come and bow low to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say: ‘Please, assign me to one of the priestly offices so that I may eat a morsel of bread.’”