1 Hannah prayed:
You make me strong
and happy, Lord.
You rescued me.
Now I can be glad
and laugh at my enemies.
2 No other god is like you.
And with you we are safer
than on a high mountain.
3 I can tell those proud people,
“Stop your boasting!
Nothing is hidden from the Lord,
and he judges what we do.”
4 Our Lord, you break
the bows of warriors,
but you give strength
to everyone who stumbles.
5 People who once
had plenty to eat
must now hire themselves out
for only a piece of bread.
But you give the hungry more
than enough to eat.
A woman did not have a child,
and you gave her seven,
but a woman who had many
was left with none.
6 You take away life,
and you give life.
You send people down
to the world of the dead
and bring them back again.
7 Our Lord, you are the one
who makes us rich or poor.
You put some in high positions
and bring disgrace on others.
8 You lift the poor and homeless
out of the garbage dump
and give them places of honor
in royal palaces.
You set the world on foundations,
and they belong to you.
9 You protect your loyal people,
but everyone who is evil
will die in darkness.
We cannot win a victory
by our own strength.
10 Our Lord, those who attack you
will be broken in pieces
when you fight back
with thunder from heaven.
You will judge the whole earth
and give power and strength
to your chosen king.
Samuel Stays with Eli
11 Elkanah and Hannah went back home to Ramah, but the boy Samuel stayed to help Eli serve the Lord.
Eli's Sons
12-13 Eli's sons were priests, but they were dishonest and refused to obey the Lord. So, while people were boiling the meat from their sacrifices, these priests would send over a servant with a large, three-pronged fork. 14 The servant would stick the fork into the cooking pot, and whatever meat came out on the fork was taken back to Eli's two sons. That was how they treated every Israelite who came to offer sacrifices in Shiloh. 15 Sometimes, when people were offering sacrifices, the servant would come over, even before the fat had been cut off and sacrificed to the Lord.
Then the servant would tell them, “The priest doesn't want his meat boiled! Give him some raw meat that he can roast!”
16 Usually the people answered, “Take what you want. But first, let us sacrifice the fat to the Lord.”
“No,” the servant would reply. “If you don't give it to me now, I'll take it by force.”
17 Eli's sons did not show any respect for the sacrifices that the people offered. This was a terrible sin, and it made the Lord very angry.
Hannah Visits Samuel
18 The boy Samuel served the Lord and wore a special linen garment 19 and the clothes his mother made for him. She brought new clothes every year, when she and her husband came to offer sacrifices at Shiloh.
20 Eli always blessed Elkanah and his wife and said, “Samuel was born in answer to your prayers. Now you have given him to the Lord. I pray that the Lord will bless you with more children to take his place.” After Eli had blessed them, Elkanah and Hannah would return home.
21 The Lord was kind to Hannah, and she had three more sons and two daughters. But Samuel grew up at the Lord's house in Shiloh.
Eli Warns His Sons
22 Eli was now very old, and he heard what his sons were doing to the people of Israel. 23-24 “Why are you doing these awful things?” he asked them. “I've been hearing nothing but complaints about you from all of the Lord's people. 25 If you harm another person, God can help make things right between the two of you. But if you commit a crime against the Lord, no one can help you!”
But the Lord had already decided to kill them. So he kept them from listening to their father.
A Prophet Speaks to Eli
26 Each day, as Samuel grew older, the Lord was pleased with him, and so were the people.
27 One day a prophet came to Eli and gave him this message from the Lord:
When your ancestors were slaves of the king of Egypt, I came and showed them who I am. 28-29 Out of all the tribes of Israel, I chose your family to be my priests. I wanted them to offer sacrifices and burn incense to me and to find out from me what I want my people to do. I commanded everyone to bring their sacrifices here where I live, and I allowed you and your family to keep those that were not offered to me on the altar.
But you honor your sons instead of me! You don't respect the sacrifices and offerings that are brought to me, and you've all grown fat from eating the best parts.
30 I am the Lord, the God of Israel. I promised to always let your family serve me as priests, but now I tell you that I cannot do this any longer! I honor anyone who honors me, but I put a curse on anyone who hates me. 31 The time will come when I will kill you and everyone else in your family. Not one of you will live to an old age.
32 Your family will have a lot of trouble. I will be kind to Israel, but everyone in your family will die young. 33 If I let anyone from your family be a priest, his life will be full of sadness and sorrow. But most of the men in your family will die a violent death! 34 To prove to you that I will do these things, your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will die on the same day.
35 I have chosen someone else to be my priest, someone who will be faithful and obey me. I will always let his family serve as priests and help my chosen king. 36 But if anyone is left from your family, he will come to my priest and beg for money or a little bread. He may even say to my priest, “Please let me be a priest, so I will at least have something to eat.”
صلاة حنة
1 وصلَّت حَنَّةُ وقالَت:
بِكَ، يا ربُّ تَهَلَّلَ قلبـي
وارتَفَعَ رأسي عاليا
فَمي يَضحكُ في وجهِ أعدائي
لأنِّي فرِحتُ بِـخَلاصِكَ
2 لا أحدَ مِثلُ الرّبِّ،
لا قُدُّوسَ ولا خالقَ سِواهُ.
3 لا تُكثِروا مِنَ التَّبجُّحِ والإفتخارِ
ولا يَخرُجْ مِنْ أفواهِكُم تكبُّرٌ
لأنَّ الرّبَّ إلهٌ عليمٌ.
يَدينُ أعمالَ البشَرِ.
4 تكسَّرَت أقواسُ الجَبابرةِ
وتَزنَّرَ الضُّعَفاءُ بالقوَّةِ.
5 الشَّبعانُ أجَّرَ نفْسَهُ لِـيأكُلَ،
وأمَّا الجَوعانُ فاستَغنى.
العاقِرُ ولَدَتْ سَبعةً،
وكثيرةُ البَنينَ ذَبلَت.
6 الرّبُّ يُميتُ ويُحيـي.
وإلى عالَمِ الأمواتِ يُسقِطُ ويُعلي.
7 الرّبُّ يُفقِرُ ويُغني.
يَحُطُّ مَنْ يشاءُ ويرفَعُ مَنْ يشاءُ.
8 يُقيمُ المِسكينَ عَنِ التُّرابِ
والبائِسَ عَنِ المَزبَلةِ،
يُجلِسُهُما معَ العُظَماءِ
ويَمنَحُهُما عرشَ المَجدِ،
لأنَّ لِلرّبِّ أعمِدةَ الأرضِ،
وعلَيها أرسى المسكونةَ،
9 يحفَظُ خَطواتِ أتقيائِهِ،
يَزولُ الأشرارُ في الظَّلامِ
10 خُصومُ الرّبِّ يَنكسرونَ
حينَ يُرعِدُ علَيهِم مِنَ السَّماءِ.
الرّبُّ يَدينُ أقاصيَ الأرضِ.
يَختارُ مَلِكَهُ ويَمسحُهُ
ويَمنَحهُ النَّصرَ والعِزَّ.
11 ثمَّ ذهبَ ألقانَةُ إلى مَنزِلِه في الرَّامةِ، وأمَّا الصَّبـيُّ فظَلَّ يَخدُمُ الرّبَّ عِندَ عالي الكاهنِ.
بنو عالي الكاهن
12 وكانَ بَنو عالي حقيرينَ لا يعرفونَ الرّبَّ 13 ولا حَقَّ الكهَنةِ على الشَّعبِ. فكُلَّما ذبحَ رَجُلٌ ذبـيحةً أرسلوا خادِمَ الكاهنِ عِندَ طَبْخِ اللَّحمِ، وبِيدِهِ شوكةٌ لها ثَلاثُ شُعَبٍ، 14 فيضرِبُها في المِرجَلِ أوِ الطَّبَقِ أوِ المِقلَى أوِ القِدرِ ويأخُذُ ما خرجَ بِها لِلكاهنِ. هكذا كانَ بَنو عالي يُعامِلونَ جميعَ بَني إِسرائيلَ القادِمينَ إلى شيلوهَ لِـيَذبَحوا لِلرّبِّ. 15 بل كانَ خادِمُ الكاهنِ يَجيءُ قَبلَ حَرْقِ الشَّحْمِ إلى صاحِبِ الذَّبـيحةِ ويقولُ لَه: «هاتِ لحما لِلشَّويِ، فالكاهنُ لا يأخُذُ مِنكَ لحما مَطبوخا بل نيِّئا». 16 فإذا أجابَهُ الرَّجُلُ: «مَهلا حتّى يحترِقَ الشَّحْمُ أوَّلا فتأخُذَ ما تشتَهي نفْسُكَ». أجابَهُ الخادمُ: «كلاَّ، بلِ الآنَ تُعطيني وإلاَّ أخذْتُ مِنكَ بِالقوَّةِ». 17 وكانَت خطيئةُ بَني عالي عظيمةً جِدًّا أمامَ الرّبِّ لأنَّهُم احتَقَروا ذبـيحتَهُ.
صموئيل في شيلوه
18 وكانَ صَموئيلُ يَخدُمُ الرّبَّ وهوَ صَبـيٌّ، وكانَ يَلبَسُ أفودا مِنْ كَتَّانٍ. 19 وكانَت حَنَّةُ أمُّهُ تَنسُجُ لَه جُبَّةً صغيرةً وتَأتيهِ بِها كُلَّ سنَةٍ حينَ تصعَدُ معَ زَوجِها لِـيقَدِّمَ الذَّبـيحةَ السَّنويَّةَ. 20 فيُبارِكُ عالي الكاهنُ ألقانَةَ وزَوجتَهُ ويقولُ لَه: «يَرزُقُكَ اللهُ نَسلا مِنْ هذِهِ المرأةِ بدَلَ الابنِ الّذي كَرَّسْتَهُ لِلرّبِّ». ثمَّ يَرجِعانِ إلى مَنزِلِهِما.
21 وبارَكَ الرّبُّ حَنَّةَ، فحَملَت ووَلَدت ثَلاثةَ بَنينَ وابنَتَينِ. وشبَّ صَموئيلُ الصَّبـيُّ أمامَ الرّبِّ، 22 وأمَّا عالي فشاخَ جِدًّا. وعَلِمَ عالي بِكُلِّ ما يفعَلُ بَنوهُ بِـجميعِ بَني إِسرائيلَ، وبأنَّهُم ينامونَ مع النِّساء اللَّواتي كُنَّ يخدُمنَ عِندَ بابِ خَيمَةِ الاجتِماعِ، 23 فقالَ لهُم: «لِماذا تعملونَ هذِهِ الأعمالَ؟ وما هذا الخبَرُ القبـيحُ الّذي أسمَعُ عَنكُم مِنْ جميعِ هذا الشَّعبِ؟ 24 لا يا أبنائي، فهذِهِ السُّمعَةُ غيرُ حسَنةٍ، وأنتُم تدفعونَ شعبَ الرّبِّ إلى المعصِيةِ. 25 إذا خَطِـئَ إنسانٌ إلى آخَرَ فاللهُ يَحكُمُ، وأمَّا إذا خَطئَ إنسانٌ إلى الرّبِّ فمَنْ يكونُ حَكَما؟» فما سَمِعوا لِكلامِ أبـيهِم، لأنَّ الرّبَّ شاءَ أن يُميتَهُم.
26 وأمَّا صَموئيلُ الصَّبـيُّ فكانَ يَنمو ويَحظى بِــعَطفِ الرّبِّ والنَّاسِ.
كلام الرّبّ على بني عالي
27 وجاءَ نبـيٌّ إلى عالي وقالَ لَه: «هذا ما يقولُ الرّبُّ: أما تَجَلَّيتُ لِسَلَفِكَ هرونَ، وهوَ بِمصْرَ في أرضِ فِرعَونَ، 28 واخترْتُ بَيتَ هرونَ مِنْ جميعِ أسباطِ بَني إِسرائيلَ كهَنةً لي لِـيَصعَدوا إلى مذبَحي ويُحرِقوا البَخورَ ويلبَسوا أفودا أمامي؟ أما أعطَيتُهُم حِصَّةً مِنْ جميعِ الذَّبائِـحِ الّتي يُقَدِّمُها لي بَنو إِسرائيلَ؟ 29 فلماذا نظَرْتُم بِنَهَمٍ إلى ذبائحي وتقدماتي الّتي أمَرْتُ بِها في بَيتي المُقدَّسِ؟ لماذا فضَّلتَ بَنيكَ عليَّ حتّى يتَسمَّنوا بأفضَلِ ما يُقَدِّمُهُ لي بَنو إسرائيلَ شعبـي؟ 30 قُلتُ مِنْ قَبلُ، أنا الرّبُّ إلهُ إِسرائيلَ، إنَّ نسلَكَ ونسلَ أبـيكَ يَخدِمونَني إلى الأبدِ، أمَّا الآنَ فأقولُ: لن يكونَ ذلِكَ بَعدَ اليومِ. فأنا أُكرِمُ الّذينَ يُكرِمونَني، أمَّا الّذينَ يَستَهينونَ بـي، يُهانونَ. 31 لِذَلكَ تأتي أيّامٌ أُعاقِبُكَ فأُزيلُ فيها كُلَّ شابٍّ في بَيتِكَ وعشيرتِكَ، فلا يَشيخُ مِنهُم أحدٌ. 32 وترى خصمَكَ يَخدُمُ في المَعبدِ وتنظُرُ بِــعينِ الحسَدِ إلى جميعِ الخَيرِ الّذي أُحسِنُ بِهِ إلى بَني إِسرائيلَ، ولن يَشيخَ في بَيتِكَ أحدٌ. 33 ولكِنِّي أُبقي في بَيتِكَ على رَجُلٍ يَخدُمُ أمامَ مذبَحي، إلى أنْ تكِلَّ عيناهُ وتذوبَ نفْسُهُ، وكُلُّ مَن يُولَدُ في بَيتِكَ يموتُ شابًّا. 34 وعِندَما يموتُ ابناكَ حفني وفِنحاسُ في يومٍ واحدٍ، يكونُ لكَ ذلِكَ عَلامةً تُثبِتُ ما أقولُ. 35 ثمَّ أُقيمُ لي كاهنا أمينا يعمَلُ حسَبَ ما في قلبـي ونفْسي، وأبني لَه بَيتا لا تنقطِـعُ ذُرِّيَّتُه، فيخدمونَ مَنْ أمسَحُهُ مَلِكا كُلَّ الأيّامِ. 36 وكُلُّ مَنْ يـبقى مِنْ ذُرِّيَّتِكَ يأتيهِ ويرتَمي أمامَهُ لأجلِ قِطعةٍ منْ فِضَّةٍ ورغيفِ خُبزٍ، ويقولُ لَه مُلتَمِسا: دَعني أساعِدِ الكهَنةَ لآكُلَ كِسرَةَ خُبزٍ».
