< 1 Samuel 2 >
1 And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart is glad in the Lord, my horn is exalted through the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over my enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.
2 There is none holy like the Lord; for there is none beside thee; and there is not any rock like our God.
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth; for a God of knowledge is the Lord, and by him are actions weighed.
4 The bow of the mighty is broken, and those that stumbled are girded with strength.
5 They that were full hire themselves out for bread; and they that were hungry cease [from labor]: while the barren hath born seven, she that hath many children fadeth away.
6 The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. (Sheol )
7 The Lord maketh poor and maketh rich: he bringeth low and also lifteth up.
8 He raiseth up out of the dust the poor, from the dunghill he lifteth up the needy, to set them among nobles, and he assigneth them the throne of glory; for the Lord's are the pillars of the earth, on which he hath set the world.
9 He ever guardeth the feet of his pious ones, and the wicked shall be made silent in darkness; for not by strength can man prevail.
10 The Lord—his adversaries will be crushed; out of heaven will he thunder upon them: the Lord will judge the ends of the earth; and he will give strength unto his king, and lift up the horn of his anointed.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the lad was ministering unto the Lord before 'Eli the priest.
12 And the sons of 'Eli were worthless men: they knew not the Lord.
13 And the custom of the priests with the people was, that, when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while [the man] was seething the flesh, with a fork with three teeth in his hand;
14 And he struck it into the pan, or the kettle, or the caldron, or the pot; [and] all that the fork brought up the priest took away with it. So did they unto all the Israelites that came thither, to Shiloh.
15 Even before they had yet 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 from thee sodden flesh, but raw.
16 And if the man said unto him, They will surely presently burn the fat, and then take whatever thy soul may long for: then would he say, No; but thou shalt give it me now; and if not, I will take it by force.
17 And the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord; for the men despised the offering of the Lord.
18 But Samuel was ministering before the Lord, being a lad, girded with a linen ephod.
19 Moreover his mother used to make him a little overcoat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And 'Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, May the Lord give thee seed from this woman instead of the loan who is lent to the Lord. And they went back unto his place.
21 And truly the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived, and bore three sons and two daughters. And the lad Samuel grew up before the Lord.
22 Now 'Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons were in the habit of doing unto all Israel; and how they would lie with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
23 And he said unto them, Why will ye do such things? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.
24 No, my sons; for the report that I hear is not good, which the Lord's people spread abroad.
25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him; but if against the Lord a man should sin, who shall pray for him? Nevertheless would they not hearken unto the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to slay them.
26 And the lad Samuel was constantly growing and increasing in favor both with the Lord, and also with men.
27 And there came a man of God unto 'Eli, and said unto him, Thus hath said the Lord, Did I [not] appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh's house?
28 And did I [not] choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to me as a priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I [not] give unto the house of thy father all the fire-offerings of the children of Israel?
29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at my meat-offering, which I have commanded in [my] habitation? and [why] honoredst thou thy sons above me, to fatten yourselves with the first of every offering of Israel my people?
30 Therefore saith the Lord the God of Israel, I had indeed said, Thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever; but now, saith the Lord, Be it far from me; for those that honor me will I honor, and those that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, days are coming, that I will hew off thy arm, and the arm of thy father's house, so that there shall not be an old man in thy house.
32 And thou shalt behold a rival in my habitation, in all that by which he will do good for Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thy house in all times.
33 And yet I will not cut off the men descended from thee from my altar, to consume thy eyes, and to grieve thy soul: and all the increase of thy house shall die as [vigorous] men.
34 And this shall be unto thee the sign, that shall happen on thy two sons, on Chophni and Phinehas: On one day shall they, both of them, die.
35 And I will raise up to me a faithful priest, who shall do in accordance with what is in my heart and in my mind; and I will build for him an enduring house; and he shall walk before my anointed in all times.
36 And it shall come to pass, that whoever is left in thy house shall come to bow down to him for a gera of silver and a loaf of bread, and shall say, Attach me, I pray thee, unto one of the priestly offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.
