1 Hannah prayed, and said,
"My heart exults in Yahweh!
My horn is exalted in Yahweh.
My mouth is enlarged over my enemies,
because I rejoice in your salvation.
2 There is no one as holy as Yahweh,
for there is no one besides you,
nor is there any rock like our God.
3 "Don’t keep talking so exceedingly proudly.
Don’t let arrogance come out of your mouth,
for Yahweh is a God of knowledge.
By him actions are weighed.
4 "The bows of the mighty men are broken.
Those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread.
Those who were hungry are satisfied.
Yes, the barren has borne seven.
She who has many children languishes.
6 "Yahweh kills and makes alive.
He brings down to Sheol and brings up.
7 Yahweh makes poor and makes rich.
He brings low, he also lifts up.
8 He raises up the poor out of the dust.
He lifts up the needy from the dunghill
to make them sit with princes
and inherit the throne of glory.
For the pillars of the earth are Yahweh’s.
He has set the world on them.
9 He will keep the feet of his holy ones,
but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness;
for no man will prevail by strength.
10 Those who strive with Yahweh shall be broken to pieces.
He will thunder against them in the sky.
"Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to his king,
and exalt the horn of his anointed."
11 Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. The child served Yahweh before Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were wicked men. They didn’t know Yahweh. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when anyone offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant came while the meat was boiling, with a fork of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he stabbed it into the pan, or kettle, or cauldron, or pot. The priest took all that the fork brought up for himself. They did this to all the Israelites who came there to Shiloh. 15 Yes, before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man who sacrificed, "Give meat to roast for the priest; for he will not accept boiled meat from you, but raw."
16 If the man said to him, "Let the fat be burned first, and then take as much as your soul desires;" then he would say, "No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force." 17 The sin of the young men was very great before Yahweh; for the men despised Yahweh’s offering. 18 But Samuel ministered before Yahweh, being a child, clothed with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little robe, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "May Yahweh give you offspring from this woman for the petition which was asked of Yahweh." Then they went to their own home. 21 Yahweh visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. The child Samuel grew before Yahweh.
22 Now Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel, and how that they slept with the women who served at the door of the Tent of Meeting. 23 He said to them, "Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; for it is not a good report that I hear! You make Yahweh’s people disobey. 25 If one man sins against another, God will judge him; but if a man sins against Yahweh, who will intercede for him?" Notwithstanding, they didn’t listen to the voice of their father, because Yahweh intended to kill them.
26 The child Samuel grew on, and increased in favor both with Yahweh and also with men.
27 A man of God came to Eli and said to him, "Yahweh says, ‘Did I reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh’s house? 28 Didn’t I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? Didn’t I give to the house of your father all the offerings of the children of Israel made by fire? 29 Why do you kick at my sacrifice and at my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honor your sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the best of all the offerings of Israel my people?’ 30 "Therefore Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father should walk before me forever.’ But now Yahweh says, ‘Far be it from me; for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be cursed. 31 Behold, the days come that I will cut off your arm and the arm of your father’s house, that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 You will see the affliction of my habitation, in all the wealth which I will give Israel. There shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The man of yours whom I don’t cut off from my altar will consume your eyes and grieve your heart. All the increase of your house will die in the flower of their age. 34 This will be the sign to you that will come on your two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they will both die. 35 I will raise up a faithful priest for myself who will do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. I will build him a sure house. He will walk before my anointed forever. 36 It will happen that everyone who is left in your house will come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread, and will say, "Please put me into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a morsel of bread."’"
1 Toe het Hanna gebid en gesê: My hart jubel in die HERE, my horing is hoog in die HERE; my mond is wyd oop oor my vyande, want ek verheug my in u verlossing.
2 Niemand is heilig soos die HERE nie; ja, daar is niemand buiten U, en daar is geen rots soos onse God nie.
3 Spreek nie voortdurend alte hoog nie, laat vermetele taal nie uit julle mond uitgaan nie; want die HERE is 'n God van diepe kennis, en deur Hom word die dade beproef.
4 Die boog van die helde is verbreek; maar die wat gestruikel het, is met krag omgord.
5 Die wat versadig was, het hulle vir brood verhuur; maar die wat honger gehad het, rus. Selfs die onvrugbare het sewe gebaar, maar sy wat ryk aan kinders was, het verwelk.
6 Die HERE maak dood en maak lewend; Hy laat neerdaal in die doderyk en laat daaruit opkom.
7 Die HERE maak arm en maak ryk; Hy verneder, ook verhoog Hy.
8 Hy rig die geringe op uit die stof, uit die ashoop verhef Hy die behoeftige, om hulle te laat sit by die vorste en hulle 'n erestoel te laat beërwe. Want aan die HERE behoort die pilare van die aarde, en Hy het die wêreld daarop gevestig.
9 Die voete van sy gunsgenote bewaar Hy, maar die goddelose mense kom om in duisternis; want 'n mens oorwin nie deur krag nie.
10 Die wat met die HERE twis, word verpletter; oor hulle donder Hy in die hemel; die HERE oordeel die eindes van die aarde, en Hy gee sterkte aan sy koning en verhef die horing van sy gesalfde.
11 Daarna het Âlkana na sy huis, na Rama, gegaan, terwyl die seun by die priester Eli die HERE bly dien het.
12 Maar die seuns van Eli was deugniete; hulle het die HERE nie erken nie.
13 Die handelwyse van die priesters teenoor die volk was so: As iemand 'n offer slag, dan kom die dienaar van die priester, net soos die vleis kook, met die drietand-vurk in sy hand,
14 en steek in die kastrol of in die pot of in die pan of in die skottel: alles wat die vurk optrek, neem die priester vir homself. So het hulle met al die Israeliete gedoen wat daar, in Silo, gekom het.
15 Selfs voordat hulle die vet aan die brand steek, kom die dienaar van die priester en sê aan die man wat offer: Gee vleis om vir die priester te braai, want hy sal nie gekookte nie, maar net rou vleis van jou neem.
16 As die man vir hom sê: Laat hulle net eers die vet aan die brand steek, neem dan vir jou soos jou siel begeer -- dan sê hy: Nee, maar jy moet dit nou gee; en so nie, dan neem ek dit met geweld.
17 En die sonde van die jongmanne was baie groot voor die aangesig van die HERE, want die mense het die offer aan die HERE verag.
18 Maar Samuel het as seun gedien voor die aangesig van die HERE, omgord met 'n linne-skouerkleed.
19 En sy moeder was gewoond om vir hom 'n klein manteltjie te maak wat sy van jaar tot jaar vir hom gebring het as sy met haar man opgaan om die jaarlikse offer te bring.
20 Dan seën Eli Âlkana en sy vrou en sê: Mag die HERE jou 'n nageslag gee uit hierdie vrou ter vergoeding van wat aan die HERE afgestaan is. Daarop gaan hulle na sy woonplek toe.
21 En die HERE het ag gegee op Hanna, sodat sy swanger geword en nog drie seuns en twee dogters gebaar het; en die seun Samuel het groot geword by die HERE.
22 Maar Eli was baie oud, en as hy hoor alles wat sy seuns aan die hele Israel doen, en dat hulle gemeenskap hou met die vroue wat dien by die ingang van die tent van samekoms,
23 dan sê hy vir hulle: Waarom doen julle sulke dinge, dat ek van hierdie hele volk julle slegte dinge moet hoor?
24 Dit moenie wees nie, my seuns, want dit is geen goeie gerug wat ek hoor nie; julle maak dat die volk van die HERE oortree.
25 As mens teen mens sondig, dan beslis die owerheid oor hom, maar as 'n mens teen die HERE sondig, wie sal dan vir hom as skeidsregter optree? Maar hulle het nie na hul vader geluister nie, want die HERE wou hulle ombring.
26 Maar die seun Samuel het toegeneem in grootte en in guns by die HERE sowel as by die mense.
27 En daar het 'n man van God by Eli gekom en vir hom gesê: So spreek die HERE: Het Ek My nie duidelik geopenbaar aan die huis van jou vader toe hulle in Egipte in die huis van Farao was nie?
28 En Ek het hom vir My as priester uitgekies uit al die stamme van Israel om op my altaar te klim om die reukwerk aan die brand te steek, om die skouerkleed te dra voor my aangesig; en Ek het aan die huis van jou vader al die vuuroffers van die kinders van Israel gegee.
29 Waarom verag julle my slagoffer en my spysoffer wat Ek in my woning beveel het, en eer jy jou seuns meer as vir My deur julle vet te voer met die beste van elke offergawe van my volk Israel?
30 Daarom spreek die HERE, die God van Israel: Ek het wel duidelik gesê: Jou huis en die huis van jou vader sal voor my aangesig wandel tot in ewigheid. Maar nou spreek die HERE: Dit is ver van My; want die wat My eer, sal Ek eer; maar die wat My verag, sal veragtelik wees.
31 Kyk, die dae kom dat Ek jou arm en die arm van jou vader se huis sal afkap, sodat daar geen bejaarde in jou huis sal wees nie.
32 Dan sal jy die benoudheid van my woning aanskou, in alles waarin Hy aan Israel goed sal doen; en in jou huis sal daar al die dae geen bejaarde wees nie.
33 Maar Ek sal, om jou oë te laat wegkwyn en jou siel te laat versmag, een vir jou nie uitroei van my altaar af nie; en al wat aangroei uit jou huis, sal op manlike leeftyd sterwe.
34 En dit sal vir jou die teken wees wat oor jou twee seuns, oor Hofni en P¡nehas, sal kom: Op een dag sal hulle altwee sterwe.
35 En Ek sal vir My 'n getroue priester verwek wat sal handel soos dit in my hart en in my siel is, en Ek sal vir hom 'n bestendige huis bou, sodat hy al die dae voor die aangesig van my gesalfde kan wandel.
36 En almal wat in jou huis oorbly, sal kom om hulle voor hom neer te buig vir 'n geldstukkie en 'n broodjie, en hulle sal sê: Voeg my tog by een van die priesterordes, dat ek 'n stukkie brood kan eet.