1 Hannah prayed: »My heart rejoices in Jehovah. My horn strengthpower is exalted in Jehovah. I speak against mock my enemies because I rejoice in your salvation.

2 »No one is as holy as Jehovah. There is none beside you. Neither is there any rock like our God.

3 »Boast no more so proudly. Remove arrogance from your mouth. Jehovah is a God of knowledge, and he measures his actions deeds.

4 »The bows of the mighty are broken. Those who stumbled are girded with strength.

5 »Those who were full have hired themselves out for food. The hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven. She who has had many sons has languished.

6 »Jehovah kills and makes alive. He brings down to the grave and brings up.

7 »Jehovah takes away and He gives riches. He brings low and lifts up high.

8 »He raises the poor from the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to set them among the princes. He causes them to inherit a throne of glory honor. The pillars of the earth are Jehovah’s. He sets the world on them.

9 »He guards the feet of his holy ones. The wicked are silenced in darkness. Man will not prevail by strength.

10 »The adversaries of Jehovah will be broken to pieces. He thunders in the heavens against them. Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king and exalt the horn power of His anointed.«

11 Elkanah went home to Ramah. The child served Jehovah before Eli the priest.

12 The sons of Eli were corrupt. They did not know Jehovah.

13 The priests had a custom with the people. If any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the flesh was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand.

14 He stuck it into the pan, kettle, caldron or pot. All that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites that came there.

15 Before they burned the fat the priest’s servant came and said to the man who sacrificed: »Give flesh to roast for the priest. For he will not have boiled flesh from you, but raw!«

16 If any man said to him: »Let them burn the fat first, you may take as much as you desire.« Then he would answer him, »No! But you will give it now! If not, I will take it by force.«

17 The sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah. For men despised the offering of Jehovah.

18 Samuel served before Jehovah as a child girded with a linen ephod.

19 His mother made him a little robe. She brought it to him when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said: »May Jehovah give you children from this woman for the loan made to Jehovah.« They returned to their home.

21 Jehovah visited Hannah so that she conceived. She bore three sons and two daughters. At the same time the child Samuel grew before Jehovah.

22 Eli was very old. He heard everything his sons did to Israel. He heard how they slept with the women who served at the door of the tabernacle of meeting.

23 So he said to them: »Why do you do such things? I hear of your evil dealings by all the people.

24 »No, my sons. It is not a good report that I hear. You make Jehovah’s people transgress.

25 »If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a man sins against Jehovah, who will intercede for him?« But his sons did not listen to the voice of their father. Jehovah desired to put them to death.

26 The child Samuel grew both in stature and in goodness with Jehovah and also with men.

27 A man of God came to Eli. He said: »Thus says Jehovah: ‘Did I plainly appear to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?

28 »‘Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod in my presences me? Did I give to the house of your father all the offerings made by fire from the sons of Israel?

29 »‘Why do you kick at my sacrifice and my offering, which I have commanded in my house? Do you honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’

30 »Jehovah, the God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me all the days of your life.’« Now Jehovah says: »Far be it from me. I will honor those who honor me. I will not regard those who think little of me.

31 »‘The days are coming when I will cut off your arm reduce your strength and the arm of your father’s house. No old man shall be in your house!

32 »‘You will see the enemy in my house even though God does good for Israel. There will not be an old man in your house forever.

33 »‘Yet I will keep one of your descendants alive. He will serve me as priest. But he will become blind and lose all hope. All your other descendants will die in the prime of life.

34 »‘Your two sons Hophni and Phinehas will both die on the same day. This will show you a sign that everything I have said will come true.

35 »‘I will choose a priest who will be faithful to me and do everything I desire him to do. I will give him descendants, who will always serve in the presence of my anointed ones forever.

36 »‘Your descendants who survive will have to go to that priest and ask him for money and food, and beg to be allowed to help the priests, in order to have something to eat.’«