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“The bows of the warriors are broken, but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
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Those who were full hire themselves out for food, but those who were hungry are hungry no more. She who was barren has borne seven children, but she who has had many sons pines away.
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The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts.
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He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. “For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them he has set the world.
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He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails;
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those who oppose the Lord will be broken. The Most High will thunder from heaven; the Lord will judge the ends of the earth. “He will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
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Eli’s Wicked Sons
Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord.
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Now it was the practice 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 was being boiled
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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.
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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.”
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If the person said to him, “Let the fat 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.”
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This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.
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But Samuel was ministering before the Lord—a boy wearing a linen ephod.
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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 sacrifice.
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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 for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home.
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And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
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Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
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So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours.
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No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good.
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If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede 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.
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And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the Lord and with people.
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Prophecy Against the House of Eli
Now a man of God 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?
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Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’
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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,
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and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age.
