< Kings I 2 >

1 My heart is established in the Lord, my horn is exalted in my God; my mouth is enlarged over my enemies, I have rejoiced in your salvation.
And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoices in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 For there is none holy as the Lord, and there is none righteous as our God; there is none holy besides you.
There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside you: neither is there any rock like our God.
3 Boast not, and utter not high things; let not high-sounding words come out of your mouth, for the Lord [is] a God of knowledge, and God prepares his own designs.
Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bow of the mighty has waxed feeble, and the weak have girded themselves with strength.
The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.
5 They that were full of bread are brought low; and the hungry have forsaken the land; for the barren has born seven, and she that abounded in children has waxed feeble.
They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren has born seven; and she that has many children is waxed feeble.
6 The Lord kills and makes alive; he brings down to the grave, and brings up. (Sheol h7585)
The LORD kills, and makes alive: he brings down to the grave, and brings up. (Sheol h7585)
7 The Lord makes poor, and makes rich; he brings low, and lifts up.
The LORD makes poor, and makes rich: he brings low, and lifts up.
8 He lifts up the poor from the earth, and raises the needy from the dunghill; to seat him with the princes of the people, and causing them to inherit the throne of glory:
He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD's, and he has set the world upon them.
9 granting his petition to him that prays; and he blesses the years of the righteous, for by strength can’t man prevail.
He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.
11 and departed to Armathaim: and the child ministered in the presence of the Lord before Heli the priest.
And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.
12 And the sons of Heli the priest [were] evil sons, not knowing the Lord.
Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
13 And the priest's claim from every one of the people that sacrificed [was this: ] the servant of the priest came when the flesh was in seething, and a flesh-hook of three teeth [was] in his hand.
And the priest's custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fork of three teeth in his hand;
14 And he struck it into the great cauldron, or into the brazen vessel, or into the pot, and whatever came up with the flesh-hook, the priest took for himself: so they did to all Israel that came to sacrifice to the Lord in Selom.
And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fork brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.
15 And before the fat was burnt for a sweet savour, the servant of the priest would come, and say to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest, and I will by no means take of you sodden flesh out of the cauldron.
Also 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 you, but raw.
16 And [if] the man that sacrificed said, First let the fat be burnt, as it is fit, and take for yourself of all things which your soul desires: then he would say, Nay, for you shall give it me now; and if not I will take it by force.
And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as your soul desires; then he would answer him, Nay; but you shall give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.
17 So the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord, for they set at nothing the offering of the Lord.
Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.
18 And Samuel ministered before the Lord, a child girded with a linen ephod.
But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.
19 And his mother made him a little doublet, and brought it to him from year to year, in her going up in company with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.
20 And Heli blessed Helcana and his wife, saying The Lord recompense to you seed of this woman, in return for the loan which you have lent to the Lord: and the man returned to his place.
And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give you seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home.
21 And the Lord visited Anna, and she bore yet three sons, and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.
And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.
22 And Heli [was] very old, and he heard what his sons did to the children of Israel.
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.
23 And he said to them, Why do you according to this thing, which I hear from the mouth of all the people of the Lord?
And he said unto them, Why do all of you such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.
24 Nay [my] sons, for the report which I hear [is] not good; do not so, for the reports which I hear [are] not good, so that the people do not serve God.
Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: all of you make the LORD's people to transgress.
25 If a man should at all sin against another, then shall they pray for him to the Lord; but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? But they listened not to the voice of their father, because the Lord would by all means destroy them.
If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall implore for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.
26 And the child Samuel advanced, and was in favour with God and with men.
And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.
27 And a man of God came to Heli, and said, Thus says the Lord, I plainly revealed myself to the house of your father, when they were servants in Egypt to the house of Pharao.
And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus says the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of your father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?
28 And I chose the house of your father out of all the tribes of Israel to minister to me in the priest's office, to go up to my altar, and to burn incense, and to wear an ephod. And I gave to the house of your father all the offerings by fire of the children of Israel for food.
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 your father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?
29 And therefore have you looked upon my incense-offering and my meat-offering with a shameless eye, and have honoured your sons above me, so that they should bless themselves with the first fruits of every sacrifice of Israel before me?
Wherefore kick all of you at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honour your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
30 Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel, I said, Your house and the house of your father shall pass before me for ever: but now the Lord says, That be far from me; for I will only honour them that honour me, and he that sets me at nothing shall be despised.
Wherefore the LORD God of Israel says, I said indeed that your house, and the house of your father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD says, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed.
31 Behold, the days come when I will destroy your seed and the seed of your father's house.
Behold, the days come, that I will cut off your arm, and the arm of your father's house, that there shall not be an old man in your house.
32 And you shall not have an old man in my house for ever.
And you shall see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in your house for ever.
33 And [if] I do not destroy a man of your from my altar, [it shall be] that his eyes may fail and his soul may perish; and every one that remains in your house shall fall by the sword of men.
And the man of yours, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume your eyes, and to grieve your heart: and all the increase of your house shall die in the flower of their age.
34 And this which shall come upon your two sons Ophni and Phinees shall be a sign to you; in one day they shall both die.
And this shall be a sign unto you, that shall come upon your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.
35 And I will raise up to myself a faithful priest, who shall do all that is in my heart and in my soul; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before my Christ for ever.
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.
36 And it shall come to pass that he that survives in your house, shall come to do obeisance before him for a little piece of silver, saying, Put me into one of your priest's offices to eat bread.
And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in your house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray you, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

< Kings I 2 >