12

remember me, and not forget thy handmaid, and wilt give to thy handmaid a man-child; then will I give him to Jehovah all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. And it came to pass, as she continued pray13 ing before Jehovah, that Eli observed her mouth. And Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. And Eli thought her a drunken wom14 an. And Eli said to her: How long wilt thou be drunken? 15 Put away thy wine from thee. And Hannah answered and said: No, my lord; I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink; and I poured 16 out my soul before Jehovah. Count not thy handmaid for a vile woman; for out of the abundance of my complaint 17 and my grief have I spoken hitherto. And Eli answered and said: Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thy peti18 tion that thou hast asked of him. And she said: Let thy handmaid find favor in thy sight. And the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad.

19

And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before Jehovah; and they returned, and came to their house, to Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Jeho20 vah remembered her. And it came to pass, in the course of time, that Hannah conceived, and she bore a son; and she called his name Samuel, saying: Because I have asked him 21 of Jehovah. And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer to Jehovah the yearly sacrifice, and his vow. 22 And Hannah went not up, for she said to her husband: Until the child be weaned, and I bring him that he may appear 23 before Jehovah, and there abide for ever. And Elkanah her husband said to her: Do what seems to thee good. Wait until thou hast weaned him; only, may Jehovah establish his word. And the woman waited, and gave suck to her son until she weaned him.

24

And when she had weaned him, she brought him up with her, with three bullocks, and an ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him to the house of Jehovah in Shiloh. 25 And the child was young. And they slew the bullock, and

26 they brought the child to Eli. And she said: Beseech thee my lord, as thy soul lives, my lord, I am the woman that 27 stood by thee here, praying to Jehovah. For this child I prayed; and Jehovah has given me my petition which I 28 asked of him. And I also have lent him to Jehovah; as long as he lives he shall be lent to Jehovah. And he worshipped Jehovah there.

2

7

8

My heart is joyful in Jehovah;
My horn is exalted in Jehovah.
My mouth is opened against my enemies,
Because I rejoice in thy help.
There is none holy as Jehovah;
For there is none besides thee,
Nor any rock like our God.

Talk no more so proudly, proudly;

Let not arrogancy come out of your mouth.
For Jehovah is a God of knowledge,

And by him actions are weighed.

The bows of the mighty are broken,

And they that stumbled are girded with strength.
The full have hired themselves out for bread;

And the hungry cease from toil.

Even the barren has borne seven;

And she that had many children mourns.

Jehovah kills, and makes alive;

He brings down to the grave, and he brings up.
Jehovah makes poor, and he makes rich;

He brings low, and he lifts up.

He raises up the poor out of the dust,

10

Lifts up the needy from the dunghill;

To set them with princes,

And he makes them inherit a throne of glory.

For the pillars of the earth are Jehovah's,
And he has set the world upon them.

He will keep the feet of his saints,

And the wicked shall perish in darkness;
For by strength shall no man prevail.
His adversaries will Jehovah break in pieces;
Out of heaven will he thunder upon them.
Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth;
And he will give strength to his king,
And will exalt the horn of his anointed.

11

And Elkanah went to Ramah, to his house. And the child ministered to Jehovah before Eli the priest.

12 And the sons of Eli were wicked men; they knew not 13 Jehovah. And it was the custom of the priests with the

people, that when any man offered sacrifice the priest's servant came, while the flesh was cooked, with a flesh-hook of 14 three teeth in his hand; and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the flesh-hook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh to all 15 Israel that came thither. Also before they burn the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed : Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not take of thee 16 flesh cooked, but raw. And the man said to him: They will verily burn the fat presently, and then take for thee as much as thy soul desires; and he said to him: Thou shalt give it and if not I will take it by force. And the sin of the young men was very great before Jehovah; because the men despised the offering of Jehovah.

17

18

now,

And Samuel ministered before Jehovah, a child, girded 19 with a linen ephod. And his mother made him a little robe, and brought it up to him from year to year, when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said: Jehovah give thee seed from this woman, for the loan which is lent to 21 Jehovah. And they went to his place. And Jehovah visited Hannah, and she conceived; and she bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew up before Jehovah.

22

And Eli was very old; and he heard all that his sons did to all Israel; and that they lay with the women who served 23 at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he

said to them: Why do ye such things? For I hear of your 24 evil deeds from all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no

good report that I hear. Ye make Jehovah's people trans25 gress. If one man sin against another, God judges him; but if a man sin against Jehovah, who shall entreat for him? And they hearkened not to the voice of their father; be

26 cause Jehovah was pleased to slay them.

27

to slay them. And the child Samuel grew in stature, and in favor both with Jehovah and with men.

And there came a man of God to Eli, and said to him: This says Jehovah : Did I plainly reveal myself to the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt subject to 28 Pharaoh's house? And I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel for my priest, to offer upon my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me; and I gave to the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel. 29 Wherefore do ye trample on my sacrifice and on my offering, which I have commanded in my habitation? And thou honorest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the 30 chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people. Therefore Jehovah God of Israel says: I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever. But now Jehovah says: Be it far from me; for them that honor me I will honor, and they that despise me shall be 21 lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall 32 not be an old man in thy house. And thou shalt see an

enemy in my habitation, in all which shall do good to Israel; 23 and there shall not be an old man in thy house for ever. And

34

the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from my altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thy heart; and all the increase of thy house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign to thee, that which shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day 35 they both of them shall die. And I will raise up for me a faithful priest, and he shall do according to that which is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure 36 house, and he shall walk before my anointed for ever. And

it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thy house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say: Put me, I pray thee, in one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.

V. 33. Shall die in the flower of their age. Literally, shall die men; in manhood's prime, and not longer spared. See vs. 31, 32

1 AND the child Samuel ministered to Jehovah before Eli. And the word of Jehovah was unfrequent in those days; 2 there was no wide-spread vision. And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place, and his eyes 3 began to grow dim, that he could not see; and ere the lamp

of God went out, and Samuel was lying down in the temple 4 of Jehovah, where the ark of God was, that Jehovah called 5 to Samuel. And he said: Here am I. And he ran to Eli, and said: Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said: I called not; go back, and lie down. And he went and lay 6 down. And Jehovah called yet again, Samuel! And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said: Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said: I called not, my son; go back, and lie 7 down. And Samuel did not yet know Jehovah, nor was the 8 word of Jehovah yet revealed to him. And Jehovah called Samuel again, the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said: Here am I; for thou calledst me. And Eli 9 perceived that Jehovah was calling the child. And Eli said to Samuel: Go, lie down. And it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say: Speak, O Jehovah; for thy servant 10 hears. And Samuel went, and lay down in his place. And Jehovah came, and stood, and called as at other times, Samuel! Samuel! And Samuel said: Speak; for thy servant hears.

11

And Jehovah said to Samuel: Behold, I do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears of every one that hears it shall 12 tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house, beginning and 13 ending. And I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knew, that his sons were 14 bringing on them a curse, and he restrained them not. And therefore I have sworn to the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be expiated with sacrifice or offering for ever.

V. 1. Vision; a revelation from God, in whatever form, whether an audible voice, or suggested thoughts, or a dream, or a sign.- Wide-spread; either widely imparted to different instruments of the divine will, or widely promulgated through them.