1 Tad Anna pielūdza un sacīja: „Mana sirds ir liksma par to Kungu, mans rags ir augstu pacelts tā Kunga spēkā; mana mute ir atvērta pret maniem ienaidniekiem, jo es priecājos par Tavu pestīšanu.
2 Nav neviena, kas ir svēts, kā vienīgi tas Kungs, jo nav neviena, izņemot vienīgi Tevi, un nav citas klints kā tikai mūsu Dievs.
3 Nerunājiet pārspīlētu, lepnu valodu, lai no jūsu mutes neiziet nekautrīgi vārdi! Jo tas Kungs ir Dievs, visuzinātājs, Viņš sver darbus.
4 Stipro loki guļ salauzti, bet nogurušie apjozti ar spēku.
5 Kas bija paēduši, sader par maizi, bet izsalkušie nav vairs izsalkuši; pat neauglīgā ir dzemdējusi septiņus, bet bērniem svētītā ir sakaltusi.
6 Tas Kungs nokauj, un Viņš dara dzīvu, Viņš nogrūž lejā ellē un atkal uzved augšā.
7 Tas Kungs dara nabagu un dara bagātu, Viņš pazemo, un Viņš liek piecelties.
8 Viņš no putekļiem pieceļ nabagu, un bēdīgos Viņš paceļ augšā no dubpem, likdams tiem kopā sēdēt ar ķēniņa dēliem, ļaudams tiem iemantot godības krēslu, jo zemes pamati pieder tam Kungam: uz tiem Viņš ari ir cēlis pasauli.
9 Tā kājas, kas paļaujas uz Viņu, Viņš pasarga, bet bezdievīgie dabū galu tumsā, jo ne ar paša spēku cilvēks iegūst uzvaru.
10 Tas Kungs liek salūzt saviem pretiniekiem, Viņš liek pār tiem debesīs rūkt pērkoniem. Tas Kungs tiesās zemes galus, un Viņš dos spēku savam ķēniņam, un Viņš pacels sava svaiditā pestīšanas ragu.“
11 Un Elkana nogāja uz Rāmu savā namā, bet zēns kalpoja tam Kungam priestera Eļa uzraudzībā.
12 Bet Eļa dēli bija netikli un bezgodīgi jaunieši, tie neatzina to Kungu.
13 Priesteru pienākums pret tautu bija šāds: ja kāds cilvēks nāca un nesa savu kaujamo upuri, tad bija jānāk priestera kalpam, kamēr gaļa vārījās, un tam bija rokā dakšas ar trim zariem.
14 Un viņam bija šīs dakšas jāiedur vārāmā podā vai katlā, vai pannā, vai māla podā, un visu, ko varēja uz dakšām uzdurt, to priesteris ņēma sev. Tā viņi darīja ar visiem Israēla ļaudīm, kas vien nāca uz Šilo.
15 Dažreiz, pat vēl iekāms tie aizdedzināja upura taukus, lai tos kvēpinātu, priestera kalpi, kas bija arī viņa paša dēli, mēdza nākt un sacīja tam cilvēkam, kas patreiz nesa savu kaujamo upuri: „Dod gaļu priesterim cepetim! Tādēļ viņš negrib no tevis saņemt vārītu gaļu, bet gan tikai jēlu.“
16 Kad nu tas vīrs tam atbildēja: „Papriekš taču kvēpināšanai iededzināmi tauki, pēc ņem tu sev, ko tava sirds kāro!“ Bet viņš tam atbildēja: „Nē, tev tūdaļ pat ir jādod, un ja ne, tad es ņemšu savu tiesu ar varu!“
17 Tā šo abu jauniešu grēki tā Kunga acīs sakrājās ļoti lieli, jo tie izturējās ar nievām pret tā Kunga ēdamo upuri.
18 Bet Samuēls, vēl zēns būdams, kalpoja tam Kungam godam, apjozies ar linu plecu segu.
19 Un māte viņam uzšuva mazus virsū uzvelkamus svārkus, un viņa tos uznesa tam augšā gadu no gada, kad tā turpu devās ar savu vīru, lai upurētu savu gadskārtas kaujamo upuri.
20 Un Ēlis svētīja Elkanu un viņa sievu ar vārdiem: „Lai tas Kungs dod tev pēcnācējus no šīs sievas tā izlūgtā vietā, kuru viņa ir no tā Kunga izlūgusi!“ Un tie atgriezās savā dzīves vietā.
21 Un tas Kungs svētīja Annu, un tā kļuva grūta un dzemdēja trīs dēlus un divas meitas. Bet zēns Samuēls pieauga, būdams pie tā Kunga.
22 Ēlis bija gan jau ļoti vecs, bet viņš visu dzirdēja, ko viņa dēli darīja pāri visam Israēlam un kā tie gulēja ar tām sievām, kuras kalpoja saiešanas telts durvju priekšā.
23 Un viņš tiem sacīja: „Kādēļ jūs darāt tādas lietas, šīs ļaunās lietas, par kuļ-ām es dzirdu no visas tautas?
24 Nē, mani dēli! Tā nav laba slava, kādu jūs esat—kā es dzirdu—iemantojuši tā Kunga tautā.
25 Kad cilvēks pret cilvēku grēko, tad Dievs var salīdzināt, bet kad cilvēks apgrēkojas pret to Kungu, —jā, kas tad var uzņemties tam būt par salīdzinātāju?“ Bet tie neklausīja sava tēva balsi, jo tas Kungs gribēja tos iznīcināt.
26 Bet zēns Samuēls augdams auga, un viņš labi patika ir tam Kungam, ir cilvēkiem.
27 Tad kāds Dieva vīrs nāca pie Eļa un tam sacīja: „Tā saka tas Kungs: Bs pats esmu atklādamies atklājies tava tēva—Ārona—dzimtij, kad viņi vēl bija Ēģiptē, faraona namā.
28 Un Es esmu tas, kas viņu izraudzīja no visām Israēla ciltīm sev par priesteri, lai tas tuvotos manam altārim un tur iededzinātu kvēpināmo upuri un lai tas valkātu plecu segu manā priekšā; un Es esmu tava tēva dzimtij novēlējis visus uguns upurus no visiem Israēla bērniem.
29 Kāpēc jūs minat kājām manus kaujamos upurus un manus ēdamos upurus, ko Es esmu pavēlējis nest manā miteklī? Un kāpēc tu savus dēlus vairāk godā nekā Mani, ka jūs paši uzbarojaties no manas tautas, Israēla, pirmo augļu un pirmdzimušo dāvanu upuriem?
30 Tādēļ šāds ir tā Kunga, Israēla Dieva, lēmums: Tiešām, Es biju pateicis, ka tavam un tava tēva dzimumam būs manā priekšā staigāt mūžīgi. Bet tagad ta Kunga lēmums ir šāds: tas lai ir tālu no Manis! Bet to, kas Mani turēs godā, to arī Es pagodināšu, bet kas Mani nicina, tie tiks pazemoti.
31 Redzi, nāks dienas, tad Es nocirtīšu tavu elkoni un arī tava tēva dzimts elkoni, tā ka nebūs vairs sirmgalvja tavā namā.
32 Un tad tu ar lielu skaudību noraudzīsies uz visu to labumu, kas ir Israēlam sataisīts, bet visā tavā namā nākošās dienās nebūs neviena sirmgalvja.
33 Bet gluži ikkatru Es neiznīcināšu, atraudams tos no mana altāra, lai tavas acis neizīgtu un nepaliktu tumšas sērās, lai tava sirds nesalūztu bēdās un lai tava dvēsele neiztvīktu, bet vairums tava dzimuma mirs vīra gados.
34 Un lai par zīmi tev būtu abu tavu dēlu, Hofnus un Pinehasa, liktenis: viņi abi mirs vienā un tai pašā dienā!
35 Bet sev Es iecelšu uzticīgu priesteri; tas darīs pēc mana sirdsprāta, un tas būs manai dvēselei tuvs, tam Es uzcelšu pastāvīgu namu, un viņš staigās mana svaidītā priekšā vienmēr.
36 Tad ikviens, kas vēl atlicies tavā dzimtī, nāks, lai nomestos tā priekšā zemē un lai salīgtu par algādža artavu un par riecienu maizes, un tad tas sacīs: Pieņem mani par palīgu savā priestera kalpošanas vietā, lai man būtu ko ēst kumoss maizes!“
Hannah's Prayer
1 Hannah prayed:
“The Lord has filled my heart with joy;
how happy I am because of what he has done!
I laugh at my enemies;
how joyful I am because God has helped me!
2 “No one is holy like the Lord;
there is none like him,
no protector like our God.
3 Stop your loud boasting;
silence your proud words.
For the Lord is a God who knows,
and he judges all that people do.
4 The bows of strong soldiers are broken,
but the weak grow strong.
5 The people who once were well fed
now hire themselves out to get food,
but the hungry are hungry no more.
The childless wife has borne seven children,
but the mother of many is left with none.
6 The Lord kills and restores to life;
he sends people to the world of the dead
and brings them back again.
7 He makes some people poor and others rich;
he humbles some and makes others great.
8 He lifts the poor from the dust
and raises the needy from their misery.
He makes them companions of princes
and puts them in places of honor.
The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord;
on them he has built the world.
9 “He protects the lives of his faithful people,
but the wicked disappear in darkness;
a man does not triumph by his own strength.
10 The Lord's enemies will be destroyed;
he will thunder against them from heaven.
The Lord will judge the whole world;
he will give power to his king,
he will make his chosen king victorious.”
11 Then Elkanah went back home to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed in Shiloh and served the Lord under the priest Eli.
The Sons of Eli
12 The sons of Eli were scoundrels. They paid no attention to the Lord 13 or to the regulations concerning what the priests could demand from the people. Instead, when someone was offering a sacrifice, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fork. While the meat was still cooking, 14 he would stick the fork into the cooking pot, and whatever the fork brought out belonged to the priest. All the Israelites who came to Shiloh to offer sacrifices were treated like this. 15 In addition, even before the fat was taken off and burned, the priest's servant would come and say to the one offering the sacrifice, “Give me some meat for the priest to roast; he won't accept boiled meat from you, only raw meat.”
16 If the person answered, “Let us do what is right and burn the fat first; then take what you want,” the priest's servant would say, “No! Give it to me now! If you don't, I will have to take it by force!”
17 This sin of the sons of Eli was extremely serious in the Lord's sight, because they treated the offerings to the Lord with such disrespect.
Samuel at Shiloh
18 In the meantime the boy Samuel continued to serve the Lord, wearing a sacred linen apron. 19 Each year his mother would make a little robe and take it to him when she accompanied her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say to Elkanah, “May the Lord give you other children by this woman to take the place of the one you dedicated to him.”
After that they would go back home.
21 The Lord did bless Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. The boy Samuel grew up in the service of the Lord.
Eli and His Sons
22 Eli was now very old. He kept hearing about everything his sons were doing to the Israelites and that they were even sleeping with the women who worked at the entrance to the Tent of the Lord's presence. 23 So he said to them, “Why are you doing these things? Everybody tells me about the evil you are doing. 24 Stop it, my sons! This is an awful thing the people of the Lord are talking about! 25 If anyone sins against someone else, God can defend the one who is wrong; but who can defend someone who sins against the Lord?”
But they would not listen to their father, for the Lord had decided to kill them.
26 The boy Samuel continued to grow and to gain favor both with the Lord and with people.
The Prophecy against Eli's Family
27 A prophet came to Eli with this message from the Lord: “When your ancestor Aaron and his family were slaves of the king of Egypt, I revealed myself to Aaron. 28 From all the tribes of Israel I chose his family to be my priests, to serve at the altar, to burn the incense, and to wear the ephod to consult me. And I gave them the right to keep a share of the sacrifices burned on the altar. 29 Why, then, do you look with greed at the sacrifices and offerings which I require from my people? Why, Eli, do you honor your sons more than me by letting them fatten themselves on the best parts of all the sacrifices my people offer to me? 30 I, the Lord God of Israel, promised in the past that your family and your clan would serve me as priests for all time. But now I say that I won't have it any longer! Instead, I will honor those who honor me, and I will treat with contempt those who despise me. 31 Listen, the time is coming when I will kill all the young men in your family and your clan, so that no man in your family will live to be old. 32 You will be troubled and look with envy on all the blessings I will give to the other people of Israel, but no one in your family will ever again live to old age. 33 Yet I will keep one of your descendants alive, and he will serve me as priest. But he will become blind and lose all hope, and all your other descendants will die a violent death. 34 When your two sons Hophni and Phinehas both die on the same day, this will show you that everything I have said will come true. 35 I will choose a priest who will be faithful to me and do everything I want him to. I will give him descendants, who will always serve in the presence of my chosen king. 36 Any of your descendants who survive will have to go to that priest and ask him for money and food, and beg to be allowed to help the priests, in order to have something to eat.”
