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          DASV: 1 Samuel 2    

1 Hannah prayed,
      "My heart rejoices in the LORD,
           my strength is increased in the LORD.
      My mouth boasts over my enemies,
           for I rejoice in your deliverance.
2 No one is as holy as the LORD,
      for there is no one besides you,
           there is no Rock like our God.
3 Stop talking so proudly,
      let no arrogance come out of your mouth,
    for the LORD is a God who knows,
      and by him actions are weighed.
4 The bows of the mighty are broken,
      but those who frailly stumble are clothed with strength.
5 They who were full have sold themselves for food,
      and those who were starved are no longer hungry.
    The woman who was barren gives birth to seven,
      while she who has many children wastes away.
6 The LORD kills and gives life,
      he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7 The LORD makes some poor, and makes others rich,
      he humbles some, and others he exalts.
8 He raises the poor out of the dust,
      he lifts up the needy from the ash heap,
      to make them sit with princes,
           and inherit the throne of honor.
    For the pillars of the earth are the LORD's,
      and he has set the world on them.
9 He will protect the feet of his holy ones,
      but the wicked will be silenced in darkness,
           for no one will succeed by mere strength.
10 They who oppose the LORD will be shattered,
      he will thunder from heaven against them.
    The LORD will judge the ends of the earth,
      he will give strength to his king,
           and increase the strength of his anointed one."

11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. The boy ministered
to the LORD before Eli the priest.

12 The sons of Eli were wicked scoundrels; they had
no respect for the LORD.
13 Now it was the custom of the priests with the people
that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest's
servant came with a three-pronged fork in his hand,
while the meat was still boiling.
14 He would stick it into the pan, kettle, caldron or
pot and whatever the fork brought up the priest would
take for himself. This is what they did to all the
Israelites who came to Shiloh.
15 Even before they burned the fat, the priest's servant
would come, and say to the one who sacrificed, "Give
meat for the priest to roast; for he will not accept
your boiled meat, but only raw."
16 If the person said to him, "Let them burn the fat first,
and then take as much as you want." Then he would say,
"No, but give it to me right now, and if not, I will
take it by force."
17 The sin of the young men was very great before the LORD,
for they were treating the offering of LORD with contempt.

18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, a boy, dressed in
a linen priestly ephod.
19 Each year his mother made him a little robe, and brought it
to him when she came up with her husband to offer the annual
sacrifice.
20 Then Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said,
"May the LORD give you children by this woman for the
gift she has given to the LORD." Then they would
return home.
21 The LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three
sons and two daughters. So the boy Samuel grew up in the
presence of the LORD.

22 Now Eli was very old. He heard everything that his sons
did to all Israel, and how they slept with the women who
served at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting.
23 He questioned them, "Why are you doing such things?
For I hear about your evil dealings from all these
people.
24 No, my sons, it is not a good report that I hear
circulating among the LORD's people.
25 If someone sins against another person, God may mediate
for him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who can
intercede for him?" But they refused to listen to
their father, because the LORD had already decided
to put them to death.
26 But the boy Samuel grew up, and increased in favor
with both the LORD and with people.

27 A man of God came to Eli, and told him, "This is what
the LORD says, 'Didn't I clearly reveal myself to your
forefather's house when they were slaves in Pharaoh's
house in Egypt?
28 I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my
priest, to approach my altar, to burn incense and to wear
an ephod before me. I gave to your father's house all
the offerings the Israelites made by fire.
29 Why then are you scorning my sacrifice and offering
that I commanded for my dwelling place, by honoring your
sons more than me by making yourselves fat with the
best parts of all the offerings of my people Israel?'
30 Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, says, 'I promised
that your house, and the house of your father should walk
before me forever,' but now the LORD says, 'May it never be,
for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise
me will themselves be despised.
31 Look, the time is coming when I will cut off your strength
and the strength of your father's house, so that there will
not be an old man left in your house.
32 You will look on with distress in my dwelling place,
as prosperity is poured out on Israel yet no one in
your house will live to old age forever.
33 The only descendant of yours that I will not cut off
from my altar, will be spared so you may cry your eyes
out and grieve your heart. All the descendants of your
house will die by the hands of men.
34 This will be the sign to you, that will come on your
two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, both of them will die
on the same day.
35 But I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, that
will do according to what is in my heart and soul.
I will build a sure house for him and he will walk
before my anointed one forever.
36 Then everyone who is left from your house will come
and bow down before him for a piece of silver or a
loaf of bread, and will beg, "Please let me serve
as a priest, so that I may eat a piece of bread."'"

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