1 Samuel 2

¹ Hannah then prayed as fol ows: My heart exults in Yahweh, in my God is my strength lifted up, mymouth derides my foes, for I rejoice in your deliverance.

² There is no Holy One like Yahweh, (indeed, there is none but you) no Rock like our God.

³ Do not keep talking so proudly, let no arrogance come from your mouth, for Yahweh is a wise God, histo weigh up deeds.

⁴ The bow of the mighty has been broken but those who were tottering are now braced with strength.

⁵ The ful fed are hiring themselves out for bread but the hungry need labour no more; the barren womanbears sevenfold but the mother of many is left desolate.

⁶ Yahweh gives death and life, brings down to Sheol and draws up;

⁷ Yahweh makes poor and rich, he humbles and also exalts.

⁸ He raises the poor from the dust, he lifts the needy from the dunghil to give them a place with princes,to assign them a seat of honour; for to Yahweh belong the pil ars of the earth, on these he has poised the world.

⁹ He safeguards the steps of his faithful but the wicked vanish in darkness (for human strength can winno victories).

¹⁰ Yahweh, his enemies are shattered, the Most High thunders in the heavens. Yahweh judges the endsof the earth, he endows his king with power, he raises up the strength of his Anointed.

¹¹ Elkanah then went home to Ramah, but the child stayed in Yahweh's service, in the presence of Elithe priest.

¹² Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels; they cared nothing for Yahweh

¹³ nor for what was due to the priests from the people. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest'sservant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being cooked;

¹⁴ he would thrust this into cauldron or pan, or dish or pot, and the priest claimed for his own whateverthe fork brought up. That was how they behaved with all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.

¹⁵ The priest's servant would even come up before the fat had been burnt and say to the person whowas making the sacrifice, 'Give the priest some meat for him to roast. He wil not accept boiled meat from you,only raw.'

¹⁶ Then, if the person replied, 'Let the fat be burnt first, and then take for yourself whatever you choose,'he would retort, 'No! You must give it to me now or I shal take it by force.'

¹⁷ The young men's sin was very great in Yahweh's eyes, because they treated with contempt theoffering made to Yahweh.

¹⁸ Samuel was in Yahweh's service, a child wearing a linen loincloth.

¹⁹ His mother used to make him a little coat which she brought him each year when she came up withher husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

²⁰ Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, 'May Yahweh grant you an heir by this woman inexchange for the one which she has made over to Yahweh,' and they would go home.

²¹ Yahweh visited Hannah; she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile,the child Samuel grew up in Yahweh's presence.

²² Although very old, Eli heard about everything that his sons were doing to all Israel,

²³ and said, 'Why are you behaving as al the people say you are?

²⁴ No, my sons, what I hear reported by the people of Yahweh is not good.

²⁵ If one person sins against another, God will be the arbiter, but if he sins against Yahweh, who wilintercede for him?' But they did not listen to their father's words, for Yahweh was bent on kil ing them.

²⁶ Meanwhile, the child Samuel went on growing in stature and in favour both with Yahweh and withpeople.

²⁷ A man of God came to Eli and said to him, 'This is what Yahweh says, "Did I not reveal myself to yourfather's family when they were in Egypt as slaves in Pharaoh's household?

²⁸ Did I not single him out of al the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn theoffering, to carry the ephod in my presence; and did I not grant al the burnt offerings made by the Israelites toyour father's family?

²⁹ Why do you trample on the offering and on the sacrifice which I have ordered for my Dwelling, andhonour your sons more than me, by growing fat on the best of the offerings of Israel, my people?

³⁰ Whereas -- this is what Yahweh, God of Israel, declares -- I had promised that your family and yourfather's family would walk in my presence for ever, now, however -- this is what Yahweh declares -- nothing ofthe sort! Those who honour me I honour in my turn, and those who despise me wil be an object of contempt.

³¹ Be sure, the days are coming when I shal cut off your strength and the strength of your father's family,so that no one in your family wil live to old age.

³² Beside the Dwel ing, you wil see al the benefits that I shall confer on Israel, but no one in your familywil ever live to old age.

³³ I shal keep one of you at my altar for his eyes to go blind and his soul to wither, but the bulk of yourfamily wil die by the sword.

³⁴ ' "What happens to your two sons Hophni and Phinehas will be a sign for you: on the same day bothwil die.

³⁵ I shal raise myself a faithful priest, who wil do as I intend and as I desire. I shal build him an enduringHouse and he wil walk in the presence of my Anointed for ever.

³⁶ The members of your House who survive wil come and beg him on their knees for a silver coin and aloaf of bread and say: Please give me some priestly work, so that I can have a scrap of bread to eat." '