1 Tad Anna pielūdza un sacīja: "Mana sirds ir līksma 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 Neviens nav svēts, kā vien Tas Kungs, neviens, vienīgi Tu, un nav citas klints, kā vien mūsu Dievs. 3 Nerunājiet pārspīlētu, lepnu valodu, lai no jūsu mutes neiziet nekaunīgi vārdi! Jo Tas Kungs ir Dievs, visu zinātājs, 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 paaugstina. 8 Viņš no putekļiem pieceļ nabagu, un bēdīgos Viņš paceļ augšā no dubļiem, likdams tiem kopā sēdēt ar dižciltīgajiem, ļaudams tiem iemantot godības krēslu, jo zemes pamati pieder Tam Kungam; uz tiem Viņš arī ir cēlis pasauli. 9 Tā kājas, kas paļaujas uz Viņu, Viņš pasargā, 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 svaidītā pestīšanas ragu." 11 Un Elkana nogāja uz Rāmu savā namā, bet zēns kalpoja Tam Kungam priestera Ēļa uzraudzībā. 12 Bet Ēļa dēli bija bezgodīgi vīri; un 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 Šīlo. 15 Dažreiz, iekāms tie aizdedzināja upura taukus, lai tos kvēpinātu, priestera kalpi, kas bija arī viņa paša dēli, nāca un sacīja tam cilvēkam, kas pašreiz nesa savu kaujamo upuri: "Dod gaļu priesterim priekš cepeša! Tādēļ viņš negrib no tevis saņemt vārītu gaļu, bet gan tikai jēlu." 16 Tad 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, ja ne, tad es ņemšu ar varu." 17 Tā šo abu jauno vīru grēki bija ļoti lieli Tā Kunga priekšā, jo tie nicināja Tā Kunga ēdamo upuri. 18 Bet Samuēls, vēl zēns būdams, kalpoja Tam Kungam, apjozies ar linu efodu. 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 gadskārtējo 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 gāja uz savu dzīves vietu. 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 gan bija jau ļoti vecs, bet viņš dzirdēja visu, ko viņa dēli darīja 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 kurām 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 - kas tad var uzņemties tam būt par salīdzinātāju?" Bet tie neklausīja sava tēva balsij, jo Tas Kungs gribēja tos nonāvēt. 26 Bet zēns Samuēls augdams auga, un viņš labi patika gan Tam Kungam, gan cilvēkiem. 27 Tad kāds Dieva vīrs nāca pie Ēļa un tam sacīja: "Tā saka Tas Kungs: Es pats esmu atklādamies atklājies tava tēva Ārona dzimtai, 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 efodu Manā priekšā; un Es esmu tava tēva namam 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 mājoklī? 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 teicis, ka tavam un tava tēva namam būs Manā priekšā staigāt mūžīgi. Bet tagad Tā 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 nama 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 Tomēr visus Es neizdeldēšu, atraudams tos no Mana altāra, lai tavas acis neizīgtu un lai tava dvēsele neiztvīktu, bet vairums tava dzimuma mirs vīra gados. 34 Un tas lai tev ir par zīmi, kas nāks pār abiem taviem dēliem, Hofnuu un Pinehasu: 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 Manis svaidītā priekšā vienumēr. 36 Tad ikviens, kas vēl atlicies no tava nama, nāks, lai mestos tā priekšā zemē par naudas artavu un par riecienu maizes, un tad tas sacīs: pieņem mani kādā priestera kalpošanas vietā, lai man būtu kumoss maizes, ko ēst."
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.”
