1And Hannah prayed , and said : My heart exulteth in Jehovah ; My horn is exalted in Jehovah ; My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; Because I rejoice in thy salvation . 2There is none holy as Jehovah ; For there is none besides thee, Neither is there any rock like our God . 3Talk no more so exceeding proudly ; Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth ; For Jehovah is a God of knowledge , And by him actions are weighed . 4The bows of the mighty men are broken ; And they that stumbled are girded with strength . 5They that were full have hired out themselves for bread ; And they that were hungry have ceased to hunger : Yea, the barren hath borne seven ; And she that hath many children languisheth. 6Jehovah killeth , and maketh alive : He bringeth down to Sheol , and bringeth up . 7Jehovah maketh poor , and maketh rich : He bringeth low , he also lifteth up . 8He raiseth up the poor out of the dust , He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, To make them sit with princes , And inherit the throne of glory : For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah ’s, And he hath set the world upon them . 9He will keep the feet of his holy ones ; But the wicked shall be put to silence in darkness ; For by strength shall no man prevail . 10They that strive with Jehovah shall be broken to pieces; Against them will he thunder in heaven : Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth ; And he will give strength unto his king , And exalt the horn of his anointed .
The Corruption of Eli's Sons
11And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house . And the child did minister unto Jehovah before Eli the priest . 12Now the sons of Eli were base men ; they knew not Jehovah . 13And the custom of the priests with the people was , that , when any man offered sacrifice , the priest ’s servant came , while the flesh was boiling , with a flesh-hook of three teeth in his hand ; 14and he struck it into the pan , or kettle , or caldron , or pot ; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took therewith. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither . 15Yea , before they burnt the fat , the priest ’s servant came , and said to the man that sacrificed , Give flesh to roast for the priest ; for he will not have boiled flesh of thee , but raw . 16And if the man said unto him , They will surely burn the fat first , and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would say, Nay , but thou shalt give it me now : and if not , I will take it by force . 17And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah ; for the men despised the offering of Jehovah .
Eli's Warning to His Sons
18But Samuel ministered before Jehovah , being a child , girded with a linen ephod. 19Moreover his mother made him a little robe , and brought it to him from year to year , when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice . 20And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, Jehovah give thee seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of Jehovah . And they went unto their own home . 21And Jehovah visited Hannah , and she conceived , and bare three sons and two daughters . And the child Samuel grew before Jehovah . 22Now Eli was very old ; and he heard all that his sons did unto all Israel , and how that they lay with the women that did service at the door of the tent of meeting . 23And he said unto them , Why do ye such things ? for I hear of your evil dealings from all this people . 24Nay , my sons ; for it is no good report that I hear : ye make Jehovah ’s people to transgress . 25If one man sin against another , God shall judge him ; but if a man sin against Jehovah , who shall entreat for him ? Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because Jehovah was minded to slay them . 26And the child Samuel grew on , and increased in favor both with Jehovah , and also with men .
The Prophecy of Judgment
27And there came a man of God unto Eli , and said unto him , Thus saith Jehovah , Did I reveal myself unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh ’s house ? 28and did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest , to go up unto mine altar , to burn incense , to wear an ephod before me ? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering , which I have commanded in my habitation , and honorest thy sons above me , to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people ? 30Therefore Jehovah , the God of Israel , saith , I said indeed that thy house , and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever : but now Jehovah saith , Be it far from me ; for them that honor me I will honor , and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed . 31Behold , 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 . 32And thou shalt behold the affliction of my habitation , in all the wealth which God shall give Israel ; and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever . 33And the man of thine , whom I shall not cut off from mine altar , shall be to consume thine eyes , and to grieve thy heart ; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. 34And this shall be the sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons , on Hophni and Phinehas : in one day they shall die both of them . 35And 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 mine anointed for ever . 36And it shall come to pass , that every one that is left in thy house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread , and shall say, Put me , I pray thee , into one of the priests’ offices , that I may eat a morsel of bread .