1 A nd Hannah prayeth, and saith: `My heart hath exulted in Jehovah, My horn hath been high in Jehovah, My mouth hath been large over mine enemies, For I have rejoiced in Thy salvation.

Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart is happy in the Lord. My strength is honored in the Lord. My mouth speaks with strength against those who hate me, because I have joy in Your saving power.

2 T here is none holy like Jehovah, For there is none save Thee, And there is no rock like our God.

There is no one holy like the Lord. For sure, there is no one other than You. There is no rock like our God.

3 Y e multiply not -- ye speak haughtily -- The old saying goeth out from your mouth, For a God of knowledge Jehovah, And by Him actions are weighed.

Speak no more in your pride. Do not let proud talk come out of your mouth. For the Lord is a God Who knows. Actions are weighed by Him.

4 B ows of the mighty are broken, And the stumbling have girded on strength.

The bows of the powerful are broken. But the weak are dressed in strength.

5 T he satiated for bread hired themselves, And the hungry have ceased. While the barren hath borne seven, And she abounding with sons hath languished.

Those who were full go out to work for bread. But those who were hungry are filled. She who could not give birth has given birth to seven. But she who has many children has become weak.

6 J ehovah putteth to death, and keepeth alive, He bringeth down to Sheol, and bringeth up.

The Lord kills and brings to life. He brings down to the grave, and He raises up.

7 J ehovah dispossesseth, and He maketh rich, He maketh low, yea, He maketh high.

The Lord makes poor and makes rich. He brings low and He lifts up.

8 H e raiseth from the dust the poor, From a dunghill He lifteth up the needy, To cause to sit with nobles, Yea, a throne of honour He doth cause them to inherit, For to Jehovah the fixtures of earth, And He setteth on them the habitable world.

He lifts the poor from the dust. He lifts those in need from the ashes. He makes them sit with rulers and receive a seat of honor. For what holds the earth belongs to the Lord. He has set the world in its place.

9 T he feet of His saints He keepeth, And the wicked in darkness are silent, For not by power doth man become mighty.

He watches over the steps of His good people. But the sinful ones will be made quiet in darkness. For a man will not win by strength.

10 J ehovah -- broken down are His adversaries, Against them in the heavens He thundereth: Jehovah judgeth the ends of earth, And giveth strength to His king, And exalteth the horn of His anointed.'

Those who fight with the Lord will be broken to pieces. He will thunder in heaven against them. The Lord will decide about all people to the ends of the earth. He will give strength to His king. He will give power to His chosen one.”

11 A nd Elkanah goeth to Ramath, unto his house, and the youth hath been serving Jehovah, the presence of Eli the priest;

Elkanah went home to Ramah. But the boy served the Lord with Eli the religious leader. Eli’s Sons

12 a nd the sons of Eli sons of worthlessness, they have not known Jehovah.

The sons of Eli were men of no worth. They did not know the Lord.

13 A nd the custom of the priests with the people: any man sacrificing a sacrifice -- then hath the servant of the priest come in when the flesh is boiling, and the hook of three teeth in his hand,

This is the way the religious leaders acted toward the people. When any man brought an animal to give to the Lord, the religious leader’s servant would come with a meat-hook in his hand, while the meat was hot.

14 a nd hath struck into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the hook bringeth up doth the priest take for himself; thus they do to all Israel who are coming in, there, in Shiloh.

Then he would put it in the pot. The religious leader would take for himself all that the meat-hook brought up. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh.

15 A lso before they make perfume with the fat -- then hath the priest's servant come in, and said to the man who is sacrificing, `Give flesh to roast for the priest, and he doth not take of thee flesh boiled, but raw;'

And before they burned the fat, the religious leader’s servant would come and say to the man who brought the gift in worship, “Give meat for the religious leader to make ready. For he will not take boiled meat from you, but only meat that has just been killed.”

16 a nd the man saith unto him, `Let them surely make a perfume (as to-day) with the fat, then take to thee as thy soul desireth;' and he hath said to him, `Surely now thou dost give; and if not -- I have taken by strength.'

But if the man says to him, “Let them burn the fat first, then take as much as you want,” then the religious leader’s servant would say, “No, give it to me now; and if not, I will take it from you against your will.”

17 A nd the sin of the young men is very great the presence of Jehovah, for the men have despised the offering of Jehovah.

So the sin of the young men was very bad before the Lord. For the men hated the gift of the Lord. Samuel Serves the Lord at Shiloh

18 A nd Samuel is ministering the presence of Jehovah, a youth girt an ephod of linen;

Now Samuel was serving the Lord, even as a boy, wearing a linen vest.

19 a nd a small upper coat doth his mother make to him, and she hath brought it up to him from time to time, in her coming up with her husband to sacrifice the sacrifice of the time.

Each year his mother would make him a little coat. She would bring it to him when she came with her husband to bring the gift in worship each year.

20 A nd Eli blessed Elkanah, and his wife, and said, `Jehovah doth appoint for thee seed of this woman, for the petition which she asked for Jehovah;' and they have gone to their place.

Then Eli would pray that good would come to Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children from this woman in place of the one she gave to the Lord.” Then they would return to their home.

21 W hen Jehovah hath looked after Hannah, then she conceiveth and beareth three sons and two daughters; and the youth Samuel groweth up with Jehovah.

And the Lord visited Hannah. She gave birth to three sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up to serve the Lord. The Future of Eli’s Sons

22 A nd Eli very old, and hath heard all that his sons do to all Israel, and how that they lie with the women who are assembling the opening of the tent of meeting,

Now Eli was very old. He heard all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who served at the door of the meeting tent.

23 a nd he saith to them, `Why do ye things like these? for I am hearing of your evil words from all the people -- these!

And he said to them, “Why do you do such things, the sinful things I hear from all these people?

24 N ay, my sons; for the report which I am hearing is not good causing the people of Jehovah to transgress. --

No, my sons, the news is not good which I hear from the Lord’s people.

25 I f a man sin against a man, then hath God judged him; but if against Jehovah a man sin, who doth pray for him?' and they hearken not to the voice of their father, though Jehovah hath delighted to put them to death.

If one man sins against another, God will help make peace for him. But if a man sins against the Lord, who can make peace for him?” Yet they would not listen to what their father said, for it was the Lord’s will to kill them.

26 A nd the youth Samuel is going on and growing up, and good both with Jehovah, and also with men.

Now the boy Samuel grew and was in favor both with the Lord and with men.

27 A nd there cometh a man of God unto Eli, and saith unto him, `Thus said Jehovah, Was I really revealed unto the house of thy father in their being in Egypt, before Pharaoh's house,

Then a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says. ‘Did I not let Myself be known to those of your father’s family when they were in Egypt being made to work for Pharaoh’s house?

28 e ven to choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to Me for a priest, to go up on Mine altar, to make a perfume, to bear an ephod before Me, and I give to the house of thy father all the fire-offerings of the sons of Israel?

Did I not choose them from all the families of Israel to be My religious leaders, to go up to My altar, to burn special perfume, and to wear a linen vest before Me? Did I not give all the gifts made by fire of the people of Israel to the family of your father?

29 W hy do ye kick at My sacrifice, and at Mine offering which I commanded My habitation, and dost honour thy sons above Me, to make yourselves fat from the first part of every offering of Israel, of My people?

Why do you show no respect to My gifts which I have asked for, and honor your sons more than Me? You make yourselves fat with the best part of every gift given in worship by My people Israel.’

30 ` Therefore -- the affirmation of Jehovah, God of Israel -- I certainly said, Thy house and the house of thy father, do walk up and down before Me to the age; and now -- the affirmation of Jehovah -- Far be it from Me! for he who is honouring Me, I honour, and those despising Me, are lightly esteemed.

So the Lord God of Israel says, ‘I did promise that those of your family and the family of your father should walk before Me forever.’ But now the Lord says, ‘May this be far from Me. For I will honor those who honor Me. And those who hate Me will not be honored.

31 ` Lo, days coming, and I have cut off thine arm, and the arm of the house of thy father, that an old man is not in thy house;

See, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father’s family. So there will not be an old man in your family.

32 a nd thou hast beheld an adversary habitation, in all that He doth good with Israel, and there is not an old man in thy house all the days.

You will see the trouble of My family, even in all the good I do for Israel. And an old man will not be in your family forever.

33 ` And the man I cut not off of thine from Mine altar, to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy soul; and all the increase of thy house do die men;

But I will not destroy every man of yours from My altar. Some will be left to cry and be filled with sorrow. But all the children of your family will die in their best years.

34 a nd this to thee the sign that cometh unto thy two sons, unto Hophni and Phinehas -- in one day they die both of them;

This will be the special thing that you will see. Your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will both die on the same day.

35 a nd I have raised up for Me a stedfast priest; as in My heart and in My soul he doth do; and I have built for him a stedfast house, and he hath walked up and down before Mine anointed all the days;

I will raise up for Myself a faithful religious leader who will act by what is in My heart and mind. I will build him a family to last. And he will walk before My chosen one forever.

36 a nd it hath been, every one who is left in thy house doth come in to bow himself to him, for a wage of silver, and a cake of bread, and hath said, Admit me, I pray thee, unto one of the priest's offices, to eat a morsel of bread.'

Everyone who is left in your family will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread, and say, “I beg you, put me in one of the religious leader’s places so that I may eat a piece of bread.”’”