Hannah’s prayer
1Then Hannah prayed and said:
‘My heart rejoices in the Lord;
in the Lord my horn2:1 Horn here symbolises strength; also in verse 10. is lifted high.
My mouth boasts over my enemies,
for I delight in your deliverance.
2‘There is no-one holy like the Lord;
there is no-one besides you;
there is no Rock like our God.
3‘Do not keep talking so proudly
or let your mouth speak such arrogance,
for the Lord is a God who knows,
and by him deeds are weighed.
4‘The bows of the warriors are broken,
but those who stumbled are armed with strength.
5Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
but she who has had many sons pines away.
6‘The Lord brings death and makes alive;
he brings down to the grave and raises up.
7The Lord sends poverty and wealth;
he humbles and he exalts.
8He raises the poor from the dust
and lifts the needy from the ash heap;
he seats them with princes
and makes them inherit a throne of honour.
‘For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s;
on them he has set the world.
9He will guard the feet of his faithful servants,
but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness.
‘It is not by strength that one prevails;
10those who oppose the Lord will be broken.
The Most High will thunder from heaven;
the Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
‘He will give strength to his king
and exalt the horn of his anointed.’
11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the boy ministered before the Lord under Eli the priest.
Eli’s wicked sons
12Eli’s sons were scoundrels; they had no regard for the Lord. 13Now it was the practice of the priests that, whenever any of the people offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand while the meat was being boiled 14and would plunge the fork into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. Whatever the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is how they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15But even before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the person who was sacrificing, ‘Give the priest some meat to roast; he won’t accept boiled meat from you, but only raw.’
16If the person said to him, ‘Let the fat be burned first, and then take whatever you want,’ the servant would answer, ‘No, hand it over now; if you don’t, I’ll take it by force.’
17This sin of the young men was very great in the Lord’s sight, for they2:17 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text people were treating the Lord’s offering with contempt.
18But Samuel was ministering before the Lord – a boy wearing a linen ephod. 19Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. 20Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, ‘May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to2:20 Dead Sea Scrolls; Masoretic Text and asked from the Lord.’ Then they would go home. 21And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23So he said to them, ‘Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. 24No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. 25If one person sins against another, God2:25 Or the judges may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?’ His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.
26And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favour with the Lord and with people.
Prophecy against the house of Eli
27Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. 29Why do you2:29 The Hebrew is plural. scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honour your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?”
30‘Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: “I promised that members of your family would minister before me for ever.” But now the Lord declares: “Far be it from me! Those who honour me I will honour, but those who despise me will be disdained. 31The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no-one in it will reach old age, 32and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no-one in your family line will ever reach old age. 33Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.
34‘ “And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you – they will both die on the same day. 35I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. 36Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, ‘Appoint me to some priestly office so that 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.’ ”
