Oración de Ana
1Ana elevó esta oración:
«Mi corazón se alegra en el Señor;
en él radica mi poder.2:1 poder. Lit. cuerno; también en v. 10.
Puedo celebrar su salvación
y burlarme de mis enemigos.
2»Nadie es santo como el Señor;
no hay roca como nuestro Dios.
¡No hay nadie como él!
3»Dejen de hablar con tanto orgullo y altivez;
¡no profieran palabras soberbias!
El Señor es un Dios que todo lo sabe,
y él es quien juzga las acciones.
4»El arco de los poderosos se quiebra,
pero los débiles se arman de valor.
5Los que antes tenían comida de sobra se venden por un pedazo de pan;
los que antes sufrían hambre ahora viven saciados.
La estéril ha dado a luz siete veces,
pero la que tenía muchos hijos languidece.
6»Del Señor vienen la muerte y la vida;
a unos hace bajar al sepulcro2:6 al sepulcro. Lit. al Seol. y a otros los levanta.
7El Señor nos da la riqueza y la pobreza;
nos humilla, pero también nos enaltece.
8Levanta del polvo al desvalido
y saca del basurero al pobre
para sentarlos en medio de príncipes
y darles un trono esplendoroso.
»Del Señor son los fundamentos de la tierra;
sobre ellos afianzó el mundo.
9Él guardará los pasos de sus fieles,
pero los malvados se perderán entre las sombras.
»¡Nadie triunfa por sus propias fuerzas!
10El Señor destrozará a sus enemigos;
desde el cielo lanzará truenos contra ellos.
El Señor juzgará los confines de la tierra,
fortalecerá a su rey
y enaltecerá el poder de su ungido».
11Elcaná volvió a su casa en Ramá, pero el niño se quedó para servir al Señor, bajo el cuidado del sacerdote Elí.
Perversidad de los hijos de Elí
12Los hijos de Elí eran unos perversos que no tomaban en cuenta al Señor. 13La costumbre de estos sacerdotes era la siguiente: Cuando alguien ofrecía un sacrificio, el asistente del sacerdote se presentaba con un tenedor de tres dientes en la mano y, mientras se cocía la carne, 14metía el tenedor en la olla, en el caldero, en la cacerola o en la cazuela; y el sacerdote tomaba para sí mismo todo lo que se enganchaba en el tenedor. De esta forma trataban a todos los israelitas que iban a Siló. 15Además, antes de quemarse la grasa, solía llegar el ayudante del sacerdote para decirle al que estaba por ofrecer el sacrificio: «Dame carne para el asado del sacerdote, pues no te la va a aceptar cocida, sino cruda».
16Y, si el hombre contestaba: «Espera a que se queme la grasa, como es debido; luego podrás tomar lo que desees», el asistente replicaba: «No, dámela ahora mismo; de lo contrario, te la quito por la fuerza».
17Así que el pecado de estos jóvenes era gravísimo a los ojos del Señor, pues trataban con desprecio las ofrendas que le pertenecían.
18El niño Samuel, por su parte, vestido con un efod de tela de lino, seguía sirviendo en la presencia del Señor. 19Cada año su madre hacía una pequeña túnica y se la llevaba cuando iba con su esposo para ofrecer su sacrificio anual. 20Elí entonces bendecía a Elcaná y a su esposa, diciendo: «Que el Señor te conceda hijos de esta mujer, a cambio del niño que ella pidió para dedicárselo al Señor». Luego regresaban a su casa. 21El Señor bendijo a Ana, de manera que ella concibió y dio a luz tres hijos y dos hijas. Durante ese tiempo, Samuel crecía en la presencia del Señor.
22Elí, que ya era muy anciano, se enteró de todo lo que sus hijos estaban haciendo al pueblo de Israel, incluso de que se acostaban con las mujeres que servían a la entrada de la Tienda de reunión. 23Les dijo: «¿Por qué se comportan así? Todo el pueblo me habla de su mala conducta. 24No, hijos míos; no es nada bueno lo que se comenta en el pueblo del Señor. 25Si alguien peca contra otra persona, Dios servirá de árbitro; pero si peca contra el Señor, ¿quién podrá interceder por él?». No obstante, ellos no hicieron caso a la advertencia de su padre, pues la voluntad del Señor era quitarles la vida.
26Por su parte, el niño Samuel seguía creciendo y ganándose el aprecio del Señor y de la gente.
Profecía contra la familia de Elí
27Un hombre de Dios fue a ver a Elí y dijo:
«Así dice el Señor: “Bien sabes que yo me manifesté a tus antepasados levitas cuando estaban en Egipto bajo el poder del faraón. 28De entre todas las tribus de Israel, escogí a Aarón para que fuera mi sacerdote, es decir, para que en mi presencia se acercara a mi altar, quemara el incienso y se pusiera el efod. Además, a su familia concedí las ofrendas puestas al fuego que los israelitas queman en mi honor. 29¿Por qué, pues, tratan ustedes con tanto desprecio los sacrificios y las ofrendas que yo he ordenado traer a mi santuario? ¿Por qué honras a tus hijos más que a mí, y los engordas con lo mejor de todas las ofrendas de mi pueblo Israel?”.
30»Por lo tanto —dice el Señor, Dios de Israel—, de ninguna manera permitiré que tus parientes me sirvan, aun cuando yo había prometido que toda tu familia, tanto tus antepasados como tus descendientes, me servirían siempre. Yo, el Señor, lo afirmo. Yo honro a los que me honran y humillo a los que me desprecian. 31En efecto, se acerca el día en que acabaré con tu poder y con el de tu familia; ninguno de tus descendientes llegará a viejo. 32Verás angustia en mi morada. Y aunque a Israel se le hará el bien, ninguno de tus descendientes llegará a viejo. 33Si permito que alguno de los tuyos continúe sirviendo en mi altar, será para arruinarte la vista y abatirte la vida; todos tus descendientes morirán en la flor de la vida.
34»Y te doy esta señal: tus dos hijos, Ofni y Finés, morirán el mismo día. 35Pero yo levantaré a un sacerdote fiel que hará mi voluntad y cumplirá mis deseos. Jamás le faltará descendencia y vivirá una larga vida en presencia de mi ungido. 36Y los familiares tuyos que sobrevivan vendrán y se postrarán rogando que les regale una pieza de plata o un pedazo de pan. Suplicarán: “¡Dame algún trabajo sacerdotal para mi sustento!”».
Hannah’s Prayer
1Then Hannah prayed. She said,
“The Lord has filled my heart with joy.
He has made me strong.
I can laugh at my enemies.
I’m so glad he saved me.
2“There isn’t anyone holy like the Lord.
There isn’t anyone except him.
There isn’t any Rock like our God.
3“Don’t keep talking so proudly.
Don’t let your mouth say such proud things.
The Lord is a God who knows everything.
He judges everything people do.
4“The bows of great heroes are broken.
But those who trip and fall are made strong.
5Those who used to be full have to work for food.
But those who used to be hungry aren’t hungry anymore.
The woman who couldn’t have children has seven of them now.
But the woman who has had many children is sad now because hers have died.
6“The Lord causes people to die. He also gives people life.
He brings people down to the grave. He also brings people up from death.
7The Lord makes people poor. He also makes people rich.
He brings people down. He also lifts people up.
8He raises poor people up from the trash pile.
He lifts needy people out of the ashes.
He lets them sit with princes.
He gives them places of honor.
“The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord.
On them he has set the world.
9He guards the paths of his faithful servants.
But evil people will lie silent in their dark graves.
“People don’t win just because they are strong.
10Those who oppose the Lord will be totally destroyed.
The Most High God will thunder from heaven.
The Lord will judge the earth from one end to the other.
“He will give power to his king.
He will give honor to his anointed one.”
11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. But the boy Samuel served the Lord under the direction of Eli the priest.
Eli’s Evil Sons
12Eli’s sons were good for nothing. They didn’t honor the Lord. 13When any of the people came to offer a sacrifice, here is what the priests would do. While the meat was being boiled, the servant of the priest would come with a large fork in his hand. 14He would stick the fork into the pan or pot or small or large kettle. Then the priest would take for himself everything the fork brought up. That’s how Eli’s sons treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15Even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come over. He would speak to the person who was offering the sacrifice. He would say, “Give the priest some meat to cook. He won’t accept boiled meat from you. He’ll only accept raw meat.”
16Sometimes the person would say to him, “Let the fat be burned first. Then take what you want.” But the servant would answer, “No. Hand it over right now. If you don’t, I’ll take it away from you by force.”
17That sin of Eli’s sons was very great in the Lord’s sight. That’s because they were not treating his offering with respect.
18But the boy Samuel served the Lord. He wore a sacred linen apron. 19Each year his mother made him a little robe. She took it to him when she went up to Shiloh with her husband. She did it when her husband went to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife. He would say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman. May they take the place of the boy she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home. 21The Lord was gracious to Hannah. Over a period of years she had three more sons and two daughters. During that whole time the boy Samuel grew up serving the Lord.
22Eli was very old. He kept hearing about everything his sons were doing to all the Israelites. He also heard how his sons were sleeping with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23So Eli said to his sons, “Why are you doing these things? All the people are telling me about the evil things you are doing. 24No, my sons. The report I hear isn’t good. And it’s spreading among the Lord’s people. 25If a person sins against someone else, God can help that sinner. But if anyone sins against the Lord, who can help them?” In spite of what their father Eli said, his sons didn’t pay any attention to his warning. That’s because the Lord had already decided to put them to death.
26The boy Samuel continued to grow stronger. He also became more and more pleasing to the Lord and to people.
Prophecy Against Eli’s Family
27A man of God came to Eli. He told him, “The Lord says, ‘I made myself clearly known to your relatives who lived long ago. I did it when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh’s rule. 28At that time, I chose Aaron from your family line to be my priest. I chose him out of all the tribes of Israel. I told him to go up to my altar. I told him to burn incense. I chose him to wear a linen apron when he served me. I also gave his family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. 29Why don’t you treat my sacrifices and offerings with respect? I require them to be brought to the house where I live. Why do you honor your sons more than me? Why do you fatten yourselves on the best parts of every offering that is made by my people Israel?’
30“The Lord is the God of Israel. He announced, ‘I promised that members of your family line would serve me as priests forever.’ But now the Lord announces, ‘I will not let that happen! I will honor those who honor me. But I will turn away from those who look down on me. 31The time is coming when I will cut your life short. I will also cut short the lives of those in your family line of priests. No one in your family line will grow old. 32You will see nothing but trouble in the house where I live. Good things will still happen to Israel. But no one in your family line will ever grow old. 33I will prevent the members of your family from serving me at my altar. I will destroy the eyesight of all of you I allow to live. I will also cause you to lose your strength. And everyone in your family line will die while they are still young.
34“ ‘Something is going to happen to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas. When it does, it will show you that what I am saying is true. They will both die on the same day. 35I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what my heart and mind want him to do. I will make his family line of priests very secure. They will always serve as priests to my anointed king. 36Everyone left in your family line will come and bow down to him. They will beg him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread. They will say, “Please give me a place to serve among the priests. Then I can have food to eat.” ’ ”
