2Then Hannah prayed: "My heart rejoices in the LORD! The LORD has made me strong. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me.H2584H6419H559H3820H5970H3068H7161H7311H3068H6310H7337H341H8055H34442No one is holy like the LORD! There is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.H6918H3068H1115H6697H4303"Stop acting so proud and haughty! Don't speak with such arrogance! For the LORD is a God who knows what you have done; he will judge your actions.H1696H7235H1364H1364H6277H3318H6310H3068H410H1844H5949H85054The bow of the mighty is now broken, and those who stumbled are now strong.H7198H1368H2844H3782H247H24285Those who were well fed are now starving, and those who were starving are now full. The childless woman now has seven children, and the woman with many children wastes away.H7649H7936H3899H7457H2308H6135H3205H7651H7227H1121H5356The LORD gives both death and life; he brings some down to the grave but raises others up.H3068H4191H2421H3381H7585H59277The LORD makes some poor and others rich; he brings some down and lifts others up.H3068H3423H6238H8213H637H73118He lifts the poor from the dust and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes, placing them in seats of honor. For all the earth is the LORD's, and he has set the world in order.H6965H1800H6083H7311H34H830H3427H5081H5157H3678H3519H4690H776H3068H7896H83989"He will protect his faithful ones, but the wicked will disappear in darkness. No one will succeed by strength alone.H8104H7272H2623H7563H1826H2822H3581H376H139610Those who fight against the LORD will be shattered. He thunders against them from heaven; the LORD judges throughout the earth. He gives power to his king; he increases the strength of his anointed one."H7378H3068H2865H8064H7481H3068H1777H657H776H5414H5797H4428H7311H7161H489911Then Elkanah returned home to Ramah without Samuel. And the boy served the LORD by assisting Eli the priest.H511H3212H7414H1004H5288H1961H8334H3068H6440H5941H3548
Eli’s Wicked Sons
12Now the sons of Eli were scoundrels who had no respect for the LORDH1121H5941H1121H1100H3045H306813or for their duties as priests. Whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, Eli's sons would send over a servant with a three-pronged fork. While the meat of the sacrificed animal was still boiling,H3548H4941H5971H376H2076H2077H3548H5288H935H1320H1310H4207H7969H8127H302714the servant would stick the fork into the pot and demand that whatever it brought up be given to Eli's sons. All the Israelites who came to worship at Shiloh were treated this way.H5221H3595H1731H7037H6517H4207H5927H3548H3947H6213H7887H3478H93515Sometimes the servant would come even before the animal's fat had been burned on the altar. He would demand raw meat before it had been boiled so that it could be used for roasting.H6999H2459H3548H5288H935H559H376H2076H5414H1320H6740H3548H3947H1310H1320H241616The man offering the sacrifice might reply, "Take as much as you want, but the fat must be burned first." Then the servant would demand, "No, give it to me now, or I'll take it by force."H376H559H6999H6999H2459H3117H3947H5315H183H559H5414H3947H239417So the sin of these young men was very serious in the LORD's sight, for they treated the LORD's offerings with contempt.H2403H5288H3966H1419H6440H3068H582H5006H4503H306818But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the LORD. He wore a linen garment like that of a priest.H8050H8334H6440H3068H5288H2296H906H64619Each year his mother made a small coat for him and brought it to him when she came with her husband for the sacrifice.H517H6213H6996H4598H5927H3117H3117H5927H376H2076H3117H207720Before they returned home, Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife and say, "May the LORD give you other children to take the place of this one she gave to the LORD."H5941H1288H511H802H559H3068H7760H2233H802H7596H7592H3068H1980H472521And the LORD gave Hannah three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the LORD.H3588H3068H6485H2584H2029H3205H7969H1121H8147H1323H5288H8050H1431H5973H306822Now Eli was very old, but he was aware of what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. He knew, for instance, that his sons were seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle.H5941H3966H2204H8085H1121H6213H3478H7901H802H6633H6607H168H415023Eli said to them, "I have been hearing reports from all the people about the wicked things you are doing. Why do you keep sinning?H559H6213H1697H8085H7451H1697H597124You must stop, my sons! The reports I hear among the LORD's people are not good.H1121H2896H8052H8085H3068H5971H567425If someone sins against another person, God can mediate for the guilty party. But if someone sins against the LORD, who can intercede?" But Eli's sons wouldn't listen to their father, for the LORD was already planning to put them to death.H376H2398H376H430H6419H376H2398H3068H6419H8085H6963H1H3068H2654H419126Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the LORD and with the people.H5288H8050H1432H1980H2896H3068H582
A Warning for Eli’s Family
27One day a man of God came to Eli and gave him this message from the LORD: "I revealed myself to your ancestors when the people of Israel were slaves in Egypt.H935H376H430H5941H559H559H3068H1540H1540H1004H1H4714H6547H100428I chose your ancestor Aaron from among all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer sacrifices on my altar, to burn incense, and to wear the priestly vest as he served me. And I assigned the sacrificial offerings to you priests.H977H7626H3478H3548H5927H4196H6999H7004H5375H646H6440H5414H1004H1H801H1121H347829So why do you scorn my sacrifices and offerings? Why do you give your sons more honor than you give me—for you and they have become fat from the best offerings of my people Israel!H1163H2077H4503H6680H4583H3513H1121H1254H7225H4503H3478H597130"Therefore, the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me.H3068H430H3478H5002H559H559H1004H1004H1H1980H6440H5704H5769H3068H5002H2486H3513H3513H959H704331The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. All the members of your family will die before their time. None will reach old age.H3117H935H1438H2220H2220H1H1004H2205H100432You will watch with envy as I pour out prosperity on the people of Israel. But no members of your family will ever live out their days.H5027H6862H4583H3190H3478H2205H1004H311733Those who survive will live in sadness and grief, and their children will die a violent death.H376H3772H4196H3615H5869H109H5315H4768H1004H4191H58234And to prove that what I have said will come true, I will cause your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, to die on the same day!H226H935H8147H1121H2652H6372H259H3117H4191H814735"Then I will raise up a faithful priest who will serve me and do what I desire. I will establish his family, and they will be priests to my anointed kings forever.H6965H539H3548H6213H3824H5315H1129H539H1004H1980H6440H4899H311736Then all of your surviving family will bow before him, begging for money and food. 'Please,' they will say, 'give us jobs among the priests so we will have enough to eat.'"H3498H1004H935H7812H95H3701H3603H3899H559H5596H259H3550H398H6595H3899
Ashburn, VA
. Now I have an answer for my enemies; I rejoice because you rescued me.H2584
