1 Hannah prayed:
You make me strong
and happy, Lord.
You rescued me.
Now I can be glad
and laugh at my enemies.
2 No other god is like you.
And with you we are safer
than on a high mountain.
3 I can tell those proud people,
“Stop your boasting!
Nothing is hidden from the Lord,
and he judges what we do.”
4 Our Lord, you break
the bows of warriors,
but you give strength
to everyone who stumbles.
5 People who once
had plenty to eat
must now hire themselves out
for only a piece of bread.
But you give the hungry more
than enough to eat.
A woman did not have a child,
and you gave her seven,
but a woman who had many
was left with none.
6 You take away life,
and you give life.
You send people down
to the world of the dead
and bring them back again.
7 Our Lord, you are the one
who makes us rich or poor.
You put some in high positions
and bring disgrace on others.
8 You lift the poor and homeless
out of the garbage dump
and give them places of honor
in royal palaces.
You set the world on foundations,
and they belong to you.
9 You protect your loyal people,
but everyone who is evil
will die in darkness.
We cannot win a victory
by our own strength.
10 Our Lord, those who attack you
will be broken in pieces
when you fight back
with thunder from heaven.
You will judge the whole earth
and give power and strength
to your chosen king.
Samuel Stays with Eli
11 Elkanah and Hannah went back home to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed to help Eli serve the Lord.
Eli's Sons
12-13 Eli's sons were priests, but they were dishonest and refused to obey the Lord. So, while people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices, these priests would send over a servant with a large, three-pronged fork. 14 The servant would stick the fork into the cooking pot, and whatever meat came out on the fork was taken back to Eli's two sons. That was how they treated every Israelite who came to offer sacrifices in Shiloh. 15 Sometimes, when people were offering sacrifices, the servant would come over, even before the fat had been cut off and sacrificed to the Lord.
Then the servant would tell them, “The priest doesn't want his meat boiled! Give him some raw meat that he can roast!”
16 Usually the people answered, “Take what you want. But first, let us sacrifice the fat to the Lord.”
“No,” the servant would reply. “If you don't give it to me now, I'll take it by force.”
17 Eli's sons did not show any respect for the sacrifices that the people offered. This was a terrible sin, and it made the Lord very angry.
Hannah Visits Samuel
18 The boy Samuel served the Lord and wore a special linen garment 19 and the clothes his mother made for him. She brought new clothes every year, when she and her husband came to offer sacrifices at Shiloh.
20 Eli always blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, “Samuel was born in answer to your prayers. Now you have given him to the Lord. I pray that the Lord will bless you with more children to take his place.” After Eli had blessed them, Elkanah and Hannah would return home.
21 The Lord was kind to Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. But Samuel grew up at the Lord's house in Shiloh.
Eli Warns His Sons
22 Eli was now very old, and he heard what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. 23-24 “Why are you doing these awful things?” he asked them. “I've been hearing nothing but complaints about you from all of the Lord's people. 25 If you harm another person, God can help make things right between the two of you. But if you commit a crime against the Lord, no one can help you!”
But the Lord had already decided to kill them. So he kept them from listening to their father.
A Prophet Speaks to Eli
26 Each day, as Samuel grew older, the Lord was pleased with him, and so were the people.
27 One day a prophet came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord:
When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I came and showed them who I am. 28-29 Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests. I wanted them to offer sacrifices and burn incense to me and to find out from me what I want my people to do. I commanded everyone to bring their sacrifices here where I live, and I allowed you and your family to keep those that were not offered to me on the altar.
But you honor your sons instead of me! You don't respect the sacrifices and offerings that are brought to me, and you've all grown fat from eating the best parts.
30 I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I promised to always let your family serve me as priests, but now I tell you that I cannot do this any longer! I honor anyone who honors me, but I put a curse on anyone who hates me. 31 The time will come when I will kill you and everyone else in your family. Not one of you will live to an old age.
32 Your family will have a lot of trouble. I will be kind to Israel, but everyone in your family will die young. 33 If I let anyone from your family be a priest, his life will be full of sadness and sorrow. But most of the men in your family will die a violent death! 34 To prove to you that I will do these things, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day.
35 I have chosen someone else to be my priest, someone who will be faithful and obey me. I will always let his family serve as priests and help my chosen king. 36 But if anyone is left from your family, he will come to my priest and beg for money or a little bread. He may even say to my priest, “Please let me be a priest, so I will at least have something to eat.”
Hannas slavas dziesma
(Lk 1:46–55)1 Hanna lūdza, sacīdama:
“Mana sirds gavilē Kungā,
Kungs manu spēku augstu cēlis,
mute man lielās pret maniem naidniekiem,
jo es līksmoju par tavu pestīšanu.
2 Neviens nav tik svēts kā Kungs,
neviens nestāv tev līdzās!
Nav tādas klints kā mūsu Dievs!
3 Nerunājiet vairs tik pārlieku lepni,
ka uzpūtība jums nāk no mutes,
jo Kungs ir zināšanas Dievs,
viņš izsver visus darbus!
4 Varoņu loki salauzti,
bet vārguļi apjozušies spēku.
5 Pārtikušie salīgst par maizi,
un, kas cieta badu, tiem atliek.
Neauglīgā dzemdē septiņus,
bet, kurai bija daudz dēlu, tā nīkst.
6 Kungs nokauj un dara dzīvu,
noved šeolā un izved no tā.
7 Kungs piešķir mantojumu un bagātību,
gan pazemo, gan ceļ augstu.
8 Viņš pieceļ no pīšļiem zemo,
no saslaukām paceļ trūcīgo,
lai sēdinātu ar augstmaņiem
un godības troni dotu mantot!
Jo Kungam pieder zemes balsti –
uz tiem viņš pasauli stiprinājis.
9 Savu uzticīgo soļus viņš sargā,
bet ļaundari tumsā tiks apklusināti –
ne paša spēks vīru dara stipru!
10 Kungs sagrauj tos, kas pretojas viņam, –
pret tādiem viņš pērkonu debesīs dārdina.
Kungs iztiesās zemes galus,
viņš dos varu savam ķēniņam
un augstu cels sava svaidītā spēku.”
11 Tad Elkāna devās mājup uz Rāmu, un zēns kļuva par Kunga kalpu priestera Ēlī uzraudzībā.
Ēlī dēli
12 Bet Ēlī dēli bija nelieši, kas neatzina Kungu. 13 Priesteriem bija sava tiesa no ļaudīm – kad kāds pienesa upuri, kamēr gaļa vārījās, nāca priestera kalps ar trīszaru dakšu rokā 14 un dūra katlā vai podā, vai bļodā, vai pannā. Visu, ko dakša izcēla, priesteris paņēma sev. Tā viņi darīja ikreiz, kad kāds no Israēla nāca uz Šīlo. 15 Pat vēl pirms tauki bija kvēpināti, nāca priestera kalps un teica tam, kurš pienesa upuri: “Dod gaļu, ko cept priesterim! Viņš neņems no tevis vārītu gaļu, bet jēlu.” 16 Tad tas viņam atbildēja: “Lai taču vispirms viņi kvēpina taukus, un tad tu ņem sev, ko gribi!” Bet tas sacīja: “Nē, dod tagad! Ja ne, ņemšu ar varu!” 17 Šo jaunekļu grēks bija ļoti liels Kunga priekšā, jo tie nicināja Kunga dāvanu.
Samuēla bērnība Šīlo
18 Bet Samuēls kalpoja Kunga priekšā – zēns bija apjozts ar linu efodu, 19 un viņa māte tam darināja mazu priestera tērpu un ik gadu nesa to viņam. Kad viņa devās turp, viņas vīrs pienesa ikgadējo upuri. 20 Un Ēlī svētīja Elkānu un viņa sievu un sacīja: “Kungs dāvās tev dzimumu no šīs sievas tā izlūgtā bērna vietā, ko viņa Kungam lūgusi.” Un viņi devās mājās. 21 Kungs gādāja par Hannu, un viņa ieņēma un dzemdēja trīs dēlus un divas meitas. Bet zēns Samuēls auga pie Kunga.
Pravietojums par Ēlī namu
22 Ēlī jau bija ļoti vecs. Viņš uzzināja visu, ko viņa dēli dara Israēlam un ka tie guļ ar sievām, kas kalpo Saiešanas telts durvīs. 23 Viņš teica tiem: “Kāpēc gan jūs tā darāt? No visiem es dzirdu par jūsu ļaunajiem darbiem! 24 Nē, mani dēli, tās nav labas ziņas, ko es dzirdu izplatāmies Kunga tautā. 25 Ja cilvēks grēko pret cilvēku, Dievs tos iztiesās, bet, ja cilvēks grēko pret Kungu, kas iztiesās viņus?!” Taču tie neklausījās tēvā, jo Kungs gribēja, lai tie tiktu nonāvēti. 26 Bet zēns Samuēls auga un pieņēmās vēlībā gan pie Kunga, gan cilvēkiem.
27 Kāds Dieva vīrs nāca pie Ēlī un teica: “Tā saka Kungs: vai gan es neesmu atklājies tava tēva namam, kad tie bija Ēģiptē, faraona namā, 28 lai to no visām Israēla ciltīm izvēlētos man par priesteri – lai tas nāk pie mana altāra, kvēpina kvēpināmās smaržzāles un valkā efodu manā priekšā? Un es taču esmu devis tava tēva namam visus Israēla dēlu dedzināmos upurus! 29 Kāpēc jūs nievājat manu upuri un manu dāvanu, ko esmu pavēlējis pienest Mājoklī? Savus dēlus tu godā vairāk par mani – jūs aptaukojaties no visām labākajām manas Israēla tautas dāvanām! 30 Tāpēc šāds ir Kunga, Israēla Dieva, vēstījums: sacīt esmu sacījis – tavam namam un tava tēva namam jāstaigā manā priekšā mūžīgi! Bet nu Kunga vēstījums ir šāds: lai tas ir tālu no manis! Kas mani godā, to es godāšu, un, kas mani nicina, tas netiks ņemts vērā! 31 Redzi, nāk dienas, kad es nocirtīšu tavu spēku un tava tēva nama spēku un tavā namā neviens nesasniegs vecumu. 32 Tu redzēsi Mājokļa postu – bet Israēlam viņš darīs labu. Un tavā namā neviens nekad nesasniegs vecumu! 33 Tomēr es neatraušu visus tavējos no mana altāra – ka dzistu tavas acis un sērotu tava dvēsele, bet lielākā daļa tava nama ļaužu mirs vīra gados. 34 Un šī tev ir zīme, kas nāks pār abiem taviem dēliem Hofnī un Pinhāsu – viņi abi mirs vienā dienā! 35 Bet sev es iecelšu uzticamu priesteri, kas darīs pēc manas sirds un prāta, es viņam uzcelšu paliekošu namu, un viņš staigās mana svaidītā priekšā vienmēr! 36 Un būs tā – ikviens, kas atlicis tavā namā, nāks zemoties viņam par sudraba gabalu vai maizes klaipu un sacīs: jel iecel mani par vienu no priesteriem, lai man būtu maizes kumoss, ko ēst!”
