¶ And Hannah prayed¹, and said, My heart² rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn³ is exalted in the LORD: my mouth⁴ is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice⁵ in thy salvation.

There is none holy⁶ as the LORD: for there is none beside⁷ thee: neither is there any rock⁸ like our God.

Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy⁹ come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God¹⁰ of knowledge, and by him¹¹ actions are weighed.

The bows¹² of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled¹³ are girded with strength.

They that were full¹⁴ have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren¹⁵ hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble¹⁶.

The LORD killeth¹⁷, and maketh alive: he bringeth¹⁸ down to the grave, and bringeth up.

The LORD maketh¹⁹ poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth²⁰ low, and lifteth up.

He raiseth up the poor²¹ out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them²² among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars²³ of the earth are the LORD'S, and he hath set the world upon them.

He will keep²⁴ the feet of his saints²⁵, and the wicked shall be silent²⁶ in darkness; for by strength²⁷ shall no man prevail.

¶ The adversaries²⁸ of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven²⁹ shall he thunder³⁰ upon them: the LORD shall judge³¹ the ends of the earth; and he shall³² give strength unto his king, and exalt³³ the horn of his anointed³⁴.

¶ And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister³⁵ unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

Now the sons³⁶ of Eli were sons of Belial³⁷; they knew³⁸ not the LORD.

And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;

And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook³⁹ brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.

⁴⁰Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.

And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently⁴¹, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take⁴² it by force.

Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before⁴³ the LORD: for men abhorred⁴⁴ the offering of the LORD.

But Samuel ministered⁴⁵ before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod⁴⁶.

Moreover his mother made him a little coat⁴⁷, and brought it to him from year to year⁴⁸, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

¶ And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.

And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.

Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgress.

If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.

¶ And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?

Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?

¶ Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.

Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man⁸⁵ in thine house.

And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.

And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.