21When this man Elkanah and his entire household went up to offer the annual sacrifice to the Lord and to fulfill his vow, 22Hannah did not go up with them, because she said to her husband, “Not until the child is weaned. Then I will bring him, so that he can appear before the Lord and remain there permanently.”
23Her husband Elkanah said to her, “Do whatever you think is best. Wait until you have weaned him. Yes, then the Lord will establish his word.”
So the woman stayed at home, and she nursed her son until she was ready to wean him. 24When she had weaned him, she took him up with her. She also took a three-year-old bull,[] twenty-five pounds[] of flour, and a container of wine, and she brought him to the House of the Lord in Shiloh. The boy was ˻with them. And they brought him before the Lord, and his father killed the sacrifice as he regularly did before the Lord, and he brought˼[] the boy. 25When they had killed the bull, they presented the child to Eli. 26She said, “Excuse me, my lord. As your soul lives,[] my lord, I am the woman who stood here next to you, praying to the Lord. 27I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked for. 28So now I have also dedicated him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is dedicated to the Lord.” So he worshipped the Lord there. Hannah's Song
21Hannah prayed and said:
My heart rejoices in the Lord!
In the Lord, my horn[] is raised high. My mouth is opened wide against my enemies,
because I find joy in your salvation.
2There is no one holy like the Lord.
Yes, there is no one but you,
and there is no rock like our God.
3Do not talk so high and mighty.
Do not let proud words come out of your mouth,
because the Lord is a God who knows.
By him actions are weighed.[] 4The bows of powerful warriors are broken.
Those who were staggering are now armed with strength.
5Those who once were full now hire themselves out for bread,
but those who were hungry are satisfied.
Yes, the childless woman has given birth to seven children,
but she who had many children is weak with sorrow.
6The Lord puts to death, and he makes alive.
He brings down to the grave, and he raises up.
7The Lord makes some people poor, and he makes others wealthy.
He brings some low. He raises others up.
8He raises the poor out of the dust.
He lifts up the needy from the garbage pile.
He makes them sit with nobles.
He gives them a glorious throne as a possession.
The pillars of the earth belong to the Lord.
He has set the world upon them.
9He will guard the feet of his favored ones,
but the wicked will be put to silence in darkness,
because a person does not prevail by his own strength.
10Those who oppose the Lord will be broken to pieces.
He will thunder against them in the heavens.
The Lord will judge the ends of the earth.
He will give strength to his king.
He will raise up the horn of his anointed one.[] 11Then Elkanah went home to Ramah, but the young boy served the Lord as an attendant to Eli the priest.
Eli's Wicked Sons Contrasted With Samuel
12Now the sons of Eli were wicked scoundrels. They did not know the Lord.
13The practice of the priests with the people was that whenever anyone offered a sacrifice, while the meat was still boiling, the priest's servant would come with a three-pronged fork in his hand. 14He would thrust it into the basin, kettle, caldron, or cooking pot. The priest would then take for himself everything that the fork brought up. This is the way they treated all the Israelites who came to Shiloh. 15Before the people had even burned the fat, the priest's servant would come and tell the person who was making the sacrifice, “Give me meat for the priest to roast, because he will not accept boiled meat from you, but only raw meat.”
16If the man said to him, “Let us burn the fat first. Then take as much as you want,” the servant would say, “No, you must give it to me right now. If you do not, I will take it by force.” 17So the sin of the young men was very serious in the sight of the Lord, because the men were treating the Lord's offerings with contempt.
