Hannah’s Song of Thanksgiving

1Then Hannah prayed and said,

“My heart exults in Yahweh;

My [†]horn is exalted in Yahweh;

My mouth [†]speaks boldly against my enemies,

Because I am glad in Your salvation.

2There is no one holy like Yahweh;

Indeed, there is no one besides You,

Nor is there any rock like our God.

3Do not multiply speaking so very proudly;

Let arrogance not come out of your mouth;

For Yahweh is a God of knowledge,

And with Him actions are weighed.

4The bows of the mighty are shattered,

But those who stumble gird on strength.

5Those who were full hire themselves out for bread,

But those who were hungry cease to hunger.

Even the barren gives birth to seven,

But she who has many children languishes.

6Yahweh puts to death and makes alive;

He brings down to Sheol and raises up.

7Yahweh makes poor and rich;

He brings low; He also exalts.

8He raises the poor from the dust;

He exalts the needy from the ash heap

To make them sit with nobles,

And inherit a seat of glory;

For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s,

And He set the world on them.

9He keeps the feet of His holy ones,

But the wicked ones are silenced in darkness,

For not by power shall a man prevail.

10Those who contend with Yahweh will be dismayed;

Against them He will thunder in the heavens;

Yahweh will render justice to the ends of the earth,

And He will give strength to His king,

And He will exalt the [†]horn of His anointed.”

11Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the young boy ministered to Yahweh before Eli the priest.

The Sin of Eli’s Sons

12Now the sons of Eli were [†]vile men; they did not know Yahweh. 13And this was the legal judgment for the priests with the people: when any man was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s young man would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14Then he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot; all that the fork would bring up the priest would take for himself. Thus they would do in Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15Also, before they offered up the fat in smoke, the priest’s young man would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give the priest meat for roasting; he will not take boiled meat from you, only raw.” 16Then the man would say to him, “They must surely offer up the fat in smoke [†]first, and then take as much as your soul desires,” then he would say, “No, you shall give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.” 17Thus the sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh, for the men spurned the offering of Yahweh.

Samuel Before Yahweh as a Boy

18Now Samuel was ministering before Yahweh, as a [†]young boy girded with a linen ephod. 19And his mother would make him a little robe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, “May Yahweh establish for you a seed from this woman in place of [†]the one she dedicated to Yahweh.” And they went to their own [†]home.

21Yahweh indeed visited Hannah; and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the young boy Samuel grew before Yahweh.

Eli Hears About His Sons’ Evils

22Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 23So he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the evil things that I hear from all these people? 24No, my sons; for the report is not good which I hear the people of Yahweh [†]passing about. 25If one man sins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who can pray for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for Yahweh desired to put them to death.

26Now the young boy Samuel [†]was growing in stature and in favor both with Yahweh and with men.

Eli Honors His Sons Above Yahweh

27Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Did I not indeed reveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt, enslaved to Pharaoh’s house? 28And did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burn incense, to carry an ephod before Me; and did I not give to the house of your father all the fire offerings of the sons of Israel? 29Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My habitation, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the [†]choicest of every offering of My people Israel?’ 30Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, declares, ‘I did indeed say that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever’; but now Yahweh declares, ‘Far be it from Me—for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be cursed. 31Behold, the days are coming, and I will break your [†]strength and the [†]strength of your father’s house so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32And you will look upon the distress of My habitation, in spite of all the good that [†]I do for Israel; and an old man will not be in your house all the days. 33Yet I will not cut off every man of yours from My altar [†]so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soul grieve, and all the increase of your house will be put to death [†]in the prime of life. 34Now this will be the sign to you which will come concerning your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas: on the same day both of them will be put to death. 35But I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him a faithful house, and he will walk before My anointed always. 36And it will be that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a [†]piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, “Please [†]assign me to one of the priest’s offices so that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”