1 Samuel 2

1Hannah prayed and said: "My heart triumphs in Yahweh; my horn rises high in Yahweh; my mouth opens wide over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation."

2No one is holy like Yahweh, for there is none besides you, nor any rock like our God.

3Do not multiply haughty speech; let no arrogance come from your mouths, for Yahweh is a God of knowledge, and deeds are weighed by him.

4The bows of champions lie broken, and the stumbling are girded with strength.

5The satisfied hire themselves out for bread; the hungry cease—even the barren bears seven, while she with many sons languishes.

6Yahweh kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up.

7Yahweh impoverishes and enriches; he humbles, and also exalts.

8He raises the poor from the dust, lifts the needy from the ash heap to seat them with nobles and grant them the throne of glory; for the earth's pillars belong to Yahweh, and he has set the world upon them.

9He guards the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked grow silent in darkness, for no man prevails by strength.

10Yahweh's adversaries who strive against him shall be shattered; from the heavens he will thunder against them. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth, give strength to his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.

11Elkanah went to Ramah to his house, and the boy ministered to Yahweh before Eli the priest.

12Eli's sons were worthless men; they did not know Yahweh.

13The priests' custom toward the people was this: whenever any man offered a sacrifice, the priest's attendant came while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand.

14And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; whatever the fleshhook brought up, the priest took for himself. Thus they treated all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.

15Even before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came and said to the man offering the sacrifice, "Give meat to roast for the priest, for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw."

16If a man said to him, “Let them burn the fat as on the day and take whatever your soul desires,” he said to him, “No, but give it now; if not, I will take it by force.”

17The sin of the young men grew very great before Yahweh, for the men despised his offering.

18Samuel ministered before Yahweh, a boy wearing a linen ephod.

19His mother made him a little robe and brought it to him year after year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, "May Yahweh grant you offspring from this woman in place of the petition he asked from Yahweh." Then they went to their home.

21Yahweh visited Hannah, so she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew before Yahweh.

22Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they slept with the women serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

23He said to them, "Why do you do things like these? I hear your evil words from all these people."

24No, my sons, for the report that I hear is not good—you cause Yahweh's people to transgress.

25If a man sins against another man, God will intercede for him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him? They did not listen to their father's voice, because Yahweh desired to kill them.

26The child Samuel continued growing greater and better both with Yahweh and also with men.

27A man of God came to Eli and said to him, "Thus says Yahweh: Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Pharaoh's house in Egypt?"

28I chose him from all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me, and I gave your father's house all the fire offerings of Israel's sons.

29Why do you kick at my sacrifice and my offering, which I commanded for my dwelling place, while you honor your sons more than me, fattening yourselves on the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?

30Therefore Yahweh God of Israel declares: I said your house and the house of your father would 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 held in contempt.

31Look, days are coming when I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father's house, leaving no elder in your house.

32You will see an adversary in my dwelling amid all the good I do for Israel; no old man will be in your house for all time.

33Yet a man of yours whom I will not cut off from my altar will waste your eyes and grieve your soul, and all the grown men of your house will die.

34This is the sign for you, which will come upon your two sons Hophni and Phinehas: both of them will die on one day.

35I will raise up for myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in my heart and my soul; I will build him a faithful house, and he will walk before my anointed all the days.

36It will be that everyone left in your house will come to bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please attach me to one of the priests’ offices, so I may eat a morsel of bread.”