1 Samuel 2:1-21

New International Version

Hannah’s Prayer

2 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.

²“There is no one holy^(F) like^(G) the Lord;
there is no one besides you;
there is no Rock^(H) like our God.

³“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)

⁴“The bows of the warriors are broken,^(M)
    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.^(N)
⁵Those 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.

⁶“The Lord brings death and makes alive;^(Q)
    he brings down to the grave and raises up.^(R)
⁷The Lord sends poverty and wealth;^(S)
    he humbles and he exalts.^(T)
⁸He 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.
⁹He 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.”

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

Eli’s Wicked Sons

¹²Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard^(AL) for the Lord. ¹³Now 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 ¹⁴and 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. ¹⁵But 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.”

¹⁶If 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.”

¹⁷This 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)

¹⁸But Samuel was ministering^(AQ) before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.^(AR) ¹⁹Each 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. ²⁰Eli 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. ²¹And 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.