1 Samuel 2:1-21 ▼

1 Then Hannah prayed: |My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is increased by the LORD. I will open my mouth to speak against my enemies, because I rejoice in your deliverance.

2 Indeed, there is no one holy like the LORD, indeed, there is no one besides you, there is no rock like our God.

3 Don't continue to talk proudly, and don't speak arrogantly, for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.

4 The bows of warriors are shattered, but those who stumble are equipped with strength.

5 Those who had an abundance of bread now hire themselves out, and those who were hungry hunger no more. While the barren woman gives birth to seven children, she who had many children languishes.

6 The LORD kills and gives life, he brings people down to where the dead are and he raises them up.

7 The LORD makes people poor and he makes people rich, he brings them low, and he also exalts them.

8 He raises the poor up from the dust, he lifts up the needy from the trash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. Indeed the pillars of the earth belong to the LORD, and he has set the world on them.

9 He guards the steps of his faithful ones, while the wicked are made silent in darkness. He grants the request of the one who prays. He blesses the year of the righteous. Indeed it's not by strength that a person prevails.

10 The LORD will shatter his enemies —those who contend against him. Who is holy? The one who will thunder against them in the heavens. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth, he will give strength to his king, and he will increase the strength of His anointed one.|

11 Then Elkanah went to his house at Ramah, while the boy was ministering to the LORD in the presence of Eli the priest.

12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men who did not know the LORD.

13 The custom of the priests with the people was that whenever a person offered a sacrifice, a servant of the priest would come with a three pronged fork in his hand while the meat was boiling, and

14 he would stick it into the boiler or pot, and take everything the fork brought up—that is, the priest would take it for himself. This is what they were supposed to do with all the Israelis who came there to Shiloh.

15 But even before they burned the fat, the servant of the priest would come and say to the person offering the sacrifice, |Give me meat to roast for the priest. He won't accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.|

16 If the man told him , |They must surely burn up the fat first, and then take for yourself whatever you desire,| the servant would say, |No, give it now, and if you don't, I'll take it by force!|

17 By doing this, the sin of the young men was very serious in the LORD's sight because the men despised the LORD's offering.

18 Now Samuel was ministering in the LORD's presence, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.

19 His mother would make a small robe for him, and she would bring it each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, |May the LORD give you descendants from this woman in place of the one she dedicated to the LORD.| Then they would return to their home.

21 The LORD took note of Hannah, and she became pregnant and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel continued to grow, and the LORD was constantly with him.