1 And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the LORD {YHWH, Source of Triumph}; my horn is lifted high in the LORD, and my mouth {pi: speech of victory} is enlarged over my enemies, for I have rejoiced in your salvation.”
2 There is no one holy like the LORD {YHWH, Unmatched Holiness}; indeed, there is no one besides you {biltecha: exclusive devotion}, and there is no rock like our God.
3 Do not keep speaking proud words, proud words; let not arrogance go forth from your mouth. For the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Examiner} is a God {El, Supreme Judge} of knowledge, and by Him deeds are weighed.
4 The bow of the mighty ones {gibborim: warriors of renown} is broken, but those who stumbled have girded themselves with strength {chayil: heroic power}.
5 Those who were satisfied with bread have hired themselves out, and the hungry {re’evim: lacking nourishment} have ceased to hunger; so that the barren woman has borne seven, and she who had many sons is forlorn {umlalah: worn down}.
6 The LORD {YHWH, Lord of Life and Death} puts to death and makes alive; He brings down to Sheol {sheol: realm of the dead} and raises up.
7 The LORD {YHWH, Supreme Sovereign} causes to be poor {morish: causes loss of possessions} and causes to be rich; He brings low and even exalts.
8 He raises the poor {dal: socially disadvantaged} from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heaps, to seat them with nobles and grant them an inheritance of a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth belong to the LORD {YHWH, Universal Ruler}, and He has set the world upon them.
9 He {YHWH, Faithful Protector} will guard the feet of His loyal ones, but the wicked will be silenced in darkness {choshekh: Impenetrable Gloom}; for not by strength does man prevail.
10 The LORD {YHWH, Supreme Judge} will shatter those who contend with Him; against them He will thunder in the heavens. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth, grant strength to His king and lift up the horn {keren: emblem of power} of His anointed one.
11 And Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house, and the boy was ministering to the LORD {YHWH, Service Recipient} in the presence of Eli the priest {kohen: consecrated official}.
12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of worthlessness {beliy’al: utter lawlessness}; they did not know the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Judge}.
13 And this was the practice {mishpat: ritual practice} of the priests {hakohanim: authorized mediators} toward the people: whenever someone was offering a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come while the meat was boiling, with a fork having three prongs in his hand.
14 He would strike {vehikkah: forceful plunge} the fork {hammazleg: three-pronged implement} into the basin, pot, kettle, or pan. He would take for himself whatever it brought up. Thus they did so for all Israel who came to Shiloh.
15 Also, before the fat {chelev: sacrificial portion} was burned, the priest’s servant {na’ar: attendant} would step forward and say to the one sacrificing, “Offer meat to roast for the priest, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.”
16 If the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat {chelev: prized portion} as an offering today, and afterward take whatever your soul {nephesh: inner self} desires,” he would reply, “No; you shall give it now, and if you do not, I will take it by force.”
17 And the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD {YHWH, Divine Judge}, for the men despised the offering {minkhat: sacred gift} of the LORD.
18 Samuel was ministering before the LORD {YHWH, Divine Presence}, a boy girded with a linen ephod {ephod: sacred vestment}.
19 And his mother would make a little robe for him every year, and she would bring it to him when she went up with her husband {ba‘alotah: ascent to festival} to offer the annual sacrifice {hayamim: festival offering}.
20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, “May the LORD {YHWH, Blessing Giver} grant you offspring {zera: covenant seed} from this woman in return for the request which she asked of the LORD.” Then they went to their home.
21 For the LORD {YHWH, Faithful Giver} visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons {banim: male offspring} and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew before the LORD.
22 And Eli {Eli: aged priest} was very old, and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women {nashim: serving women} at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
23 And he said to them, "Why do you do such things{kadvarim: these actions}? For I am hearing of your evil dealings{ra'im: morally corrupt acts} from all these people."
24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report{hashemuah: word being carried} that I am hearing: you are causing the people of the LORD{YHWH, Covenant Lord} to transgress.
25 If a man sins against another man, God {Elohim, Judge of Disputes} will intercede for him; but if a man sins against the LORD {YHWH, Enforcer of Covenant}, who can intercede for him? They did not listen to the voice of their father, because the LORD desired to put them to death.
26 And the boy Samuel continued to grow and found favor {tov: pleasing, approved} both with the LORD {YHWH, Approver of Hearts} and with people.
27 And a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the LORD {YHWH, Self-Revealer}: ‘Was I not revealed to the house of your father {avikha: ancestral lineage} when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh’s house?’”
28 And I {YHWH, Sovereign Chooser} chose him from all the tribes of Israel to serve as priest, to ascend upon my altar {mizbeach: place of sacrifice}, to burn incense, and to wear the ephod before me; and I gave to your father's house all the fire-offerings of the sons of Israel.
29 Why do you scorn my sacrifice and my offering, which I commanded for my dwelling? And you honor your sons more than me {YHWH, Righteous Judge}, to fatten yourselves from the choicest {reishit: first and best} of every offering of Israel for my people.
30 Therefore the LORD God of Israel {YHWH Elohei Yisrael, Covenant Judge} declares, “I have said, ‘Your house and the house of your father will walk before Me forever {lefanai: my continual presence}.’ But now,” the LORD declares, “far be it from Me! For those who honor Me I will honor, but those who despise Me will be lightly esteemed.”
31 Behold, days are coming when I {YHWH, Judge of Lineages} will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that no elder {zaken: honored elder} remains in your house.
32 And you will see an adversary {tsar: rival oppressor} in my dwelling amid all the good that is done to Israel; and there shall never be an elder {zaken: aged one} in your house all the days.
33 Any man whom I {YHWH, Divine Judge} do not cut off from you at my altar {mizbeach: place of sacrifice} shall serve only to consume your eyes and to grieve your soul, and all the increase of your house shall die as men.
34 And this shall be the sign {ot: confirming evidence} to you—what will come upon your two sons, upon Hophni and Phinehas—in one day they will both die {yamutu: divine judgment}.
35 I {YHWH, Covenant Upholder} will raise up for myself a faithful priest {kohen: divinely appointed} who will do according to what is in my heart and soul. I will establish for him a faithful house, and he will walk before my anointed one all the days.
36 And it will be that everyone who remains {hanotar: surviving remnant} in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, “Please attach me {sephach: join, connect} to one of the priestly orders so that I may eat a piece of bread.”