Hannah’s Thanksgiving Psalm

1Then Hannah prayed:

“My heart exults in the LORD;

my strengtha is increased by the LORD.

I will open my mouth to speakb against my enemies,

because I rejoice in your deliverance.

2Indeed,c there is no one holy like the LORD,

indeed, there is no one besides you,

there is no rock like our God.

3Don’t continue to talk proudly,

and don’t speak arrogantly,

for the LORD is a God of knowledge,

and by him actions are weighed.

4The bows of warriors are shattered,d

but those who stumble are equipped withe strength.

5Those who had an abundance of bread

now hire themselves out,

and those who were hungry

hunger no more.f

While the barren woman gives birth to seven children,g

she who had many children languishes.

6The LORD kills and gives life,

he brings people down to where the dead areh

and he raises them up.

7The LORD makes people poor

and he makes people rich,

he brings them low,

and he also exalts them.

8He 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.

9He guards the stepsi of his faithful ones,

while the wicked are made silentj in darkness.

He grants the request of the one who prays.k

He blesses the year of the righteous.l

Indeed it’s not by strength that a person prevails.

10The LORD will shatter his enemiesm

—those who contend against him.

Who is holy?n

The one who will thundero 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.”

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

Eli’s Wicked Sons

12Now the sons of Eli were worthless men who did not know the LORD. 13The custom of the priests with the people was that whenever a person offered a sacrifice, a servantp of the priest would come with a three pronged fork in his hand while the meat was boiling, andq 14he would stick it into the boiler or pot,r and take everythings 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. 15But 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.”

16If the man told himt , “They must surelyu burn up the fat first, and then take for yourself whateverv you desire,” the servant would say, “No,w give it now, and if you don’t,x I’ll take it by force!”y 17By doing this, the sin of the young men was very serious in the LORD’s sight because the menz despised the LORD’s offering.

Samuel at Shiloh

18Now Samuel was ministering in the LORD’s presence, as a boy wearing a linen ephod.aa 19His 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. 20Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say,bb “May the LORD givecc you descendantsdd from this woman in place of the one she dedicatedee to the LORD.” Then they would return to theirff home.gg

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

Judgment against Eli’s Sons

22Now Eli was veryll old, and he had heard everything thatmm his sons were doingnn to the Israelis,oo and how they lay with the women who were serving regularlypp at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 23“Why are you doing these things that I’m hearing about?” he asked his sons,qq “These reports about your evil deeds are coming from all theserr people! 24No, my sons, I’m not hearing good news being circulated by the LORD’s people. 25If a person sinsss against another, Godtt will mediate for him,uu but if a person sins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?”

But they would not follow the advice ofvv their father; for the LORD wanted to put them to death. 26But the boy Samuel continued to grow both physically and in favor with the LORD and the people.

27A man of God came to Eli, saying to him,ww “This is what the LORD says: ‘When they were in Egypt and slavesxx to the house of Pharaoh, did I not revealyy to the family of your ancestor Aaronzz 28that I had chosen himaaa out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer up burnt offerings on my altar, burn incense, and carrybbb the ephod in my presence? And did I not give to your ancestors’ family all the Israeli fire-offerings? 29Why, then, do all of you show contempt forccc my sacrifice and offering that I’ve commanded for myddd dwelling? And you honor your sons more than me in order to fatten yourselveseee from the best of all the offerings of my people Israel.’fff

30“Therefore, the LORD God of Israel has declared, ‘I did, in fact, sayggg that your family and your ancestor’s family would walk before me forever,’ but now the LORD declares, ‘Far be it from me! The one who honors me I’ll honor, and the one who despises me is to be treated with contempt. 31The time is coming when I’ll cut awayhhh at your familyiii and your ancestor’s familyjjj until there are no old men left in your family. 32Distress will settle down to live in your household, and despite all the good that I do for Israel,kkk there will never be an old man in your family forever, and you will never again have an old man in my house.lll 33Any of you whom I don’t eliminate from serving at my altar will grow tired from weeping,mmm and theirnnn souls will grieve. All the increase of your family will die by violence.ooo 34Here’s a sign for you—your two sons Hophni and Phineas will both die on the same day! 35And I’ll raise up for myself a faithfulppp priest who will do according to what is in my heart and according to my desire. I’ll build for him an enduringqqq house and he will walk before my anointed one forever. 36Anyone who remains in your family will come and prostrate themselves before him for a small wagerrr or a loaf of bread and will say,sss “Please put me in one of the priest’s offices so I can eat a piece of bread.”’”