1 And Hannah prayed and said, My heart rejoices in the LORD, my horn is exalted in the LORD; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies because I have rejoiced in thy saving health.
2 There is none holy as the LORD, for there is none beside thee; neither is there any strong One like our God. 3 Do not multiply thyself speaking great and lofty things; let arrogant words cease from your mouth, for the LORD is the all-knowing God, and the magnificent works are his. 4 The bows of the mighty men have been broken, and the weak are girded with strength. 5 Those that were full have hired themselves out for bread, and those that were hungry ceased so that the barren has given birth to seven, and she that has many children is waxed feeble. 6 The LORD kills, and he gives life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The LORD makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and lifts up. 8 He raises up the poor out of the dust and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he has set the world upon them.
9 He keeps the feet of his saints, and the wicked perish in darkness, for no man shall prevail by their own strength. 10 LORD, thine adversaries shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven he shall thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth, and he shall give strength unto his king and exalt the horn of his anointed. {Heb. Messiah}
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
12 But the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they did not know the LORD. 13 It was the priests’ custom with the people that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the flesh was being boiled, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he would strike it into the pan or kettle or caldron or pot, and all that the fleshhook brought up, the priest took for himself. Thus would they do in Shiloh to all the Israelites that went there. 15 Likewise, before they 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 cooked flesh of thee, but raw. 16 And if the man would say unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat today and then take as much as thy soul desires, then he would answer him, No, but thou shalt give it to me now, and if not, I will take it by force. 17 Therefore, the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men despised the present of the LORD.
18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat and brought it to him each year when she came up with her husband to offer the accustomed sacrifice. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the petition which was asked of the LORD. And they went unto their own home.
21 And the LORD visited Hannah so that she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
22 Now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel and how they lay with the women that served at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye do such things? For I hear from all the people of your evil dealings. 24 No, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear that ye cause the people of the LORD to transgress. 25 If one man sins against another, the judges shall judge him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they did not hearken unto the voice of their father because the LORD had already decided to kill them.
26 And the child Samuel kept on growing and was in favour both with the LORD and also with men.
27 And a man of God came unto Eli and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I not plainly appear unto the house of thy father when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh? 28 And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me, and I gave unto the house of thy father all the offerings on fire of the sons of Israel. 29 Why do ye trample my sacrifices and my offerings which I have commanded to be offered in my tabernacle and honor thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Therefore, the LORD God of Israel said, I had said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before me for ever, but now the LORD said, It shall never be; for those that honor me I will honor, and those that lightly esteem me shall be vile. 31 Behold, 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. 32 And thou shalt see a competitor in my tabernacle in all the things in which I shall do good unto Israel, and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. 33 I shall not totally cut off all thy men from my altar to consume thine eyes and to grieve thy soul, and all the increase of thy house shall die as young men. 34 And this shall be a sign unto thee that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall both die. 35 And 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 my anointed {Heb. Messiah} for ever. 36 And it shall come to pass that every one that is left in thy house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into some aspect of the priesthood that I may eat a piece of bread.