Hannah’s Prayer

1 Samuel 2

Hannah prayed, and said,

“My heart jumps for joy in YHWH! My horn is exalted in YHWH. My mouth is speaks boldly over my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. There is no one as holy as YHWH, for there is no one besides you, nor is there any rock like our God.

 

“Y’all must not speak so proudly, Or let arrogant words come from y’all’s mouth, For YHWH is a God of knowledge. By ʜɪᴍ actions are weighed.

 

“The bows of the mighty are shattered. Those who stumbled are armed with strength. Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread. Those who were hungry are satisfied. Yes, the barren has borne seven. She who has many children languishes.

 

“YHWH kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol+2:6 Sheol is the place of the dead. and brings up. YHWH makes poor and makes rich. He brings low, he also lifts up. He raises up the poor out of the dust. He lifts up the needy from the dunghill to make them sit with princes and inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are YHWH’s. He has set the world on them. He will keep the feet of his holy ones, but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness; for no man will prevail by strength. Those who strive with YHWH will be shattered. Hᴇ will thunder against them in the sky.

 

“YHWH will judge the ends of the earth. Hᴇ will give strength to ʜɪꜱ king, and exalt the horn of ʜɪꜱ anointed.”

Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served YHWH before Eli the priest.

Eli’s Worthless Sons

Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They didn’t know YHWH. The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand; and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, “Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw.”

If the man said to him, “Let the fat be burned-burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires,” then he would say, “No, give it to me now! If you don’t, I’ll take it by force.” The sin of the young men was very great before YHWH, for the men despised YHWH’s offering. But Samuel ministered before YHWH, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod. Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, “May YHWH give you offspring+2:20 or, seed from this woman for the petition which was asked of YHWH.” Then they went to their own home. YHWH visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before YHWH.

Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. He said to them, “Why are y’all doing these things? For I hear about y’all’s evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make YHWH’s people disobey. If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against YHWH, who will intercede for him?” Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because YHWH intended to kill them.

The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with YHWH and also with men.

YHWH Rejects the House of Eli

A man of God came to Eli and said to him, “YHWH says, ‘Did I reveal-reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? Why do y’all kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my dwelling, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’ “Therefore YHWH, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said-said that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now YHWH says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed. Look, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house. You will see the trouble of my dwelling. Israel will have blessing, but there will not no men who reach old age in your family. The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes+2:33 or, blind your eyes with tears and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age. This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die. I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever. It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread.”’”