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 哈拿祷告说： "我的心因耶和华喜乐， 我的角因耶和华高举， 我的口向仇敌大大夸耀， 因为我以你的救恩为乐。
2 没有人像耶和华那么圣洁， 因为除你以外没有别的神， 也没有磐石像我们的 神。
3 你们不要多说骄傲的话， 也不要口出狂妄之言， 因为耶和华是全知的 神， 人的一切行为他都鉴察。
4 勇士的弓都被折断， 跌倒的人却以力量束腰。
5 饱足的， 要劳碌觅食， 饥饿的， 不再饥饿； 不能生育的， 生了七个儿女， 有过许多儿女的， 反倒衰微。
6 耶和华使人死， 也使人活； 使人下阴间， 也使人从阴间上来。
7 耶和华使人贫穷， 也使人富足； 使人降卑， 也使人升高。
8 他从灰尘中抬举贫寒的人， 从粪堆中提拔穷乏的人， 使他们与显贵同坐， 承受尊贵的座位。大地的柱子属于耶和华， 他把全地安放在柱子上面。
9 耶和华必保护虔诚人的脚步， 却使恶人在黑暗中灭亡， 因为人得胜不是靠着力量。
10 至高者在天上打雷， 耶和华必打碎与他作对的人。耶和华要审判地的四极， 却要赐力量给他所立的王， 高举他膏立之人的角。"
11 后来， 以利加拿回拉玛自己的家去。那孩子却留在以利祭司面前事奉耶和华。
12 以利的两个儿子是无赖， 不尊重耶和华，
13 也不理会当时祭司待人民的规矩。有人献祭， 在煮肉的时候， 祭司的仆人就来， 手里拿着三齿的叉，
14 把叉子插入煎盘里， 或鼎里， 或釜里， 或锅里， 叉子插上来的， 祭司都拿去。所有到示罗来的以色列人， 祭司都是这样待他们。
15 还有， 在焚烧脂油以前， 祭司的仆人就来， 对献祭的人说： "把祭肉交给祭司烧烤吧， 因为他不会向你要煮过的肉， 单要生的。"
16 如果那人对仆人说： "必须先把脂油焚烧了， 然后你才可以随意去拿。"他就说： "不可以， 你现在就要给我， 否则我就抢去。"
17 这样， 那两个青年人在耶和华面前所犯的罪很大， 因为他们藐视献给耶和华的祭物。
18 那时， 撒母耳还是个孩童， 束着细麻布的以弗得， 在耶和华面前事奉。
19 撒母耳的母亲每年为他做一件小外袍， 她和丈夫一同上来献年祭的时候， 就带来给他。
20 以利给以利加拿和他的妻子祝福， 说： "愿耶和华从这妇人身上还给你后裔， 代替你献给耶和华的孩子。"他们就回自己的地方去了。
21 耶和华眷顾哈拿， 她再怀孕， 先后生了三个儿子和两个女儿。那孩子撒母耳在耶和华面前， 渐渐长大。
22 以利已经老了， 听见自己的儿子对待以色列人的一切事， 又听见他们与在会幕门口侍应的妇女同寝。
23 以利就对他们说： "你们为什么作这些事？我亲自从众民那里听见了你们的恶行。
24 我儿啊， 不要这样， 因为我听见的消息很不好， 你们使耶和华的子民违背律法。
25 如果有人得罪人， 有官长（"官长"原文作" 神"）惩罚他； 如果有人得罪耶和华， 有谁为他求情呢？"他们却不听父亲的话， 因为耶和华有意要杀他们。
26 那孩子撒母耳的身量， 耶和华和众人对他的喜爱， 都不断增长。
27 有一位神人来见以利， 对他说： "耶和华这样说： ‘你父家在埃及法老家为奴的时候， 我不是向他们显现吗？
28 我不是从以色列众支派中， 选出他们作我的祭司， 上我的坛烧香， 在我面前穿以弗得吗？我不是把以色列人所献的火祭， 都赐给了你的父家吗？
29 你们为什么还以妒羡的眼光， 轻视我所吩咐要献上的祭牲和礼物呢？你为什么尊重你的儿子过于尊重我， 用我子民以色列所献一切最好的礼物自肥呢？’
30 因此， 耶和华以色列的 神说： ‘我曾说： 你的家和你的父家， 必永远行在我面前。’现在耶和华却说： ‘我决不容你们这样行了， 因为尊重我的， 我必尊重他； 藐视我的， 必受到轻视。
31 日子快到了， 我要砍下你和你父亲的膀臂， 使你家中再没有有权势的长者。
32 我赐给以色列人的一切福分， 你必像一个对头， 以嫉妒的眼光来看； 而在你的家中， 必永远再没有有权势的长者。
33 我必不从我的祭坛那里灭绝你家的人， 免得你的眼睛昏花， 心灵忧伤， 但所有你家中增添的人都必像世人一样死去。
34 你的两个儿子何弗尼和非尼哈所要遭遇的事， 是给你的一个证据： 他们二人必同日而死。
35 我要为自己兴起一位忠心的祭司， 他必依照我的心意行事； 我要为他建立一个稳固的家， 他一生必行在我的受膏者面前。
36 你家中剩下的人， 都要来向他下拜； 求一个银币， 一块饼， 也要说： 求你容我参与祭司的职务， 使我可以有点饼吃。’"