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.” ’ ”
Pemphero la Hana
1Ndipo Hana anapemphera nati,
“Moyo wanga ukukondwera mwa Yehova;
Ndiyenda mwa tukumutukumu chifukwa cha Yehova.
Pakamwa panga pakula ndi kuseka adani anga mowanyogodola.
Ndikukondwa chifukwa mwandipulumutsa.
2“Palibe wina woyera ngati Yehova,
palibe wina koma inu nokha,
palibe thanthwe lofanana ndi Mulungu wathu.
3“Musandiyankhulenso modzitama,
pakamwa panu pasatuluke zonyada,
pakuti Yehova ndi Mulungu wanzeru,
ndipo ndiye amene amayesa ntchito za anthu onse.
4“Mauta a anthu ankhondo athyoka
koma anthu ofowoka avala dzilimbe.
5Amene kale anali okhuta tsopano akukagula chakudya,
koma iwo amene anali ndi njala sakumvanso njala.
Amene anali wosabereka, wabereka ana aamuna asanu ndi awiri,
koma iye wobereka ana ambiri watsala yekha.
6“Yehova amabweretsa imfa ndipo amaperekanso moyo,
amatsitsira ku manda ndipo amawatulutsakonso.
7Yehova amasaukitsa ndipo amalemeretsa,
amatsitsa ndipo amakweza.
8Iye amakweza osauka kuwachotsa pa fumbi,
ndipo amachotsa anthu osowa pa dzala.
Iye amawakhazika pamodzi ndi ana a mafumu,
amawapatsa mpando waulemu.
“Pakuti nsanamira za dziko lapansi ndi za Yehova,
anakhazika dziko lapansi pa nsanamirazo.
9Iye adzateteza moyo wa anthu okhulupirika
koma anthu oyipa adzawonongedwa mu mdima.
“Pakuti munthu sapambana ndi mphamvu zake.
10Yehova adzaphwanya omutsutsa.
Adzawaopsa ndi bingu kuchokera kumwamba;
Yehova adzaweruza mathero a dziko lapansi.
“Koma adzapereka mphamvu kwa mfumu yake,
adzakuza mphamvu za odzozedwa wake.”
11Tsono Elikana anapita ku mudzi kwawo ku Rama, koma mnyamatayo amatumikira Yehova pansi pa ulamuliro wa wansembe Eli.
Kuyipa kwa Ana a Eli
12Ana a Eli anali ana achabechabe pakuti samasamala za Yehova. 13Ndipo chizolowezi cha ansembe pakati pa anthu chinali motere kuti pamene munthu aliyense ankapereka nsembe ndipo nyama ija ikuwira pa moto, mtumiki wa wansembe ankabwera ndi chifoloko cha mano atatu mʼdzanja lake. 14Iye ankachipisa mu mʼphikamo, ndipo wansembeyo amatenga chilichonse chimene folokoyo yabaya. Umu ndi mmene ansembewo amachitira ndi Aisraeli onse amene amabwera ku Silo. 15Ndipo ngakhale mafuta asanatenthedwe, mtumiki wansembe amabwera ndi kunena kwa munthu amene akupereka nsembeyo kuti, “Ndipatse nyama kuti ndiwotche, pakuti Yehova salandira nyama yophika koma yayiwisi.”
16Ngati munthuyo anena kuti, “Apseretu mafuta poyamba, ndipo kenaka mutenge mmene mufunira,” mtumikiyo amayankha kuti, “Ayi ndipatse tsopano lino. Ngati sutero, ine nditenga molanda.”
17Tchimo la ana a Eli linali lalikulu kwambiri pamaso pa Yehova pakuti iwo amanyoza nsembe za Yehova.
18Koma Samueli amatumikira pamaso pa Yehova atavala efodi ya nsalu yofewa yosalala. 19Chaka chilichonse amayi ake ankamusokera kamkanjo ndi kukamupatsa akamapita ndi mwamuna wake kukapereka nsembe za pa chaka. 20Tsono Eli amadalitsa Elikana ndi mkazi wake ndi mawu akuti “Yehova akupatseni ana mwa mkazi uyu kulowa mʼmalo mwa amene anapempha ndi kumupereka kwa Yehova.” 21Ndipo Yehova anamukomera mtima Hana. Anakhala ndi pathupi ndi kubereka ana aamuna atatu ndi ana aakazi awiri. Ndipo Samueli ankakula pamaso pa Yehova.
22Tsono Eli anakalamba kwambiri. Iye ankamva zonse zimene ana ake aamuna ankachitira Aisraeli onse, ndiponso kuti ankagona ndi akazi pa chipata cha tenti ya msonkhano. 23Choncho anawafunsa kuti, “Nʼchifukwa chiyani mukuchita zinthu zotere? Ine ndikumva kuchokera kwa anthu onse za zoyipa zanuzo. 24Ayi, ana anga si mbiri yabwino imene ndikumva anthu a Mulungu akufalitsa. 25Ngati munthu alakwira munthu mnzake, mwina Mulungu adzamupepesera, koma ngati munthu achimwira Yehova adzamupepesera ndani?” Koma ana ake sanamvere kudzudzula kwa abambo awo, pakuti chinali cholinga cha Yehova kuti awaphe.
26Ndipo mnyamata Samueli anapitirira kukula mu msinkhu, ndipo ankapeza kuyanja pamaso pa Yehova ndi anthu.
Uneneri Wotsutsa Banja la Eli
27Tsiku lina munthu wa Mulungu anabwera kwa Eli ndipo anamuwuza kuti, “Yehova akuti, ‘Kodi Ine sindinadziwulule ndekha kwa banja la kholo lako pamene iwo anali akapolo a Farao ku Igupto? 28Ndipo ndinamusankha pakati pa mafuko a Israeli kuti akhale wansembe wanga ndi kuti azipita pa guwa langa la nsembe, kufukiza Lubani ndi kuvala efodi pamaso panga. Ndinapatsa banja la abambo ako gawo la nsembe zonse zopsereza zimene Aisraeli amapereka. 29Nʼchifukwa chiyani ukunyoza nsembe ndi zopereka zanga zimene ndinalamula? Nʼchifukwa chiyani ukupereka ulemu kwa ana ako kuposa Ine podzinenepetsa nokha ndi zopereka zabwino kwambiri za nsembe zimene Aisraeli amapereka?’ ”
30“Paja Ine Yehova Mulungu wa Israeli ‘Ndinalonjeza kuti anthu a pa banja lako ndi a pa banja la abambo ako azidzanditumikira nthawi zonse.’ Koma tsopano ndikuti, ‘Zonsezi zithe!’ Tsopano anthu amene amandilemekeza Inenso ndidzawalemekeza koma iwo amene amandinyoza Ine ndidzawanyoza. 31Nthawi ikubwera imene ndidzachotsa anyamata ako ndi anyamata a pa banja la abambo ako, kotero kuti sipadzakhala munthu wokalamba pa banja lako. 32Pa mavuto ako udzayangʼana ndi maso ansanje zabwino zimene ndidzachitira Aisraeli ena. Mʼbanja lako simudzapezeka munthu wokalamba. 33Komabe pa banja lako mmodzi yekha ndidzamuleka wosamuchotsa kuti azidzanditumikira. Iyeyu azidzakuliritsa ndi kukumvetsa chisoni. Koma ena onse pa banja lako adzafa akanali aangʼono.”
34“ ‘Ndipo chimene chidzachitike kwa ana ako awiriwa, Hofini ndi Finehasi, chidzakhala chizindikiro kwa iwe. Onse awiri adzafa pa tsiku limodzi. 35Pambuyo pake ndidzasankha wansembe wokhulupirika, amene adzachita zimene zili mu mtima ndi mʼmaganizo mwanga. Ndidzakhazikitsa banja lako kolimba ndipo adzatumikira pamaso pa wodzozedwa wanga nthawi zonse. 36Ndipo aliyense wotsala wa banja lako adzabwera ndi kugwada pamaso pake kupempha ndalama kapena chakudya.’ Adzati, ‘Chonde ndiloleni kuti ndizithandizako pa ntchito iliyonse ya unsembe kuti ndipeze chakudya.’ ”
