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.”
Hanas di ǀgores
1 Tsîs ge Hanasa ge ǀgore:
“Ti ǂgaob ge ǃKhūb ǃnâ ra dâ;
ǃKhūb ge ra ǀgaiǀgai te.
Ti khākhoena ta ge ra âiǂui;
sa huib ǂama ta ge ra dâ.
2 “Khoe-i xare-i ge ǃKhūb khami ǃanu tama hâ;
ǀgui-i ǁîb khami ī-i xare-i hâ tama.
ǀNîb xareb ge ǃgareǀuise ī tama, sida Elob khami.
3 Tā ǂama rase ǃhoa,
î di ǁîǃgôasens mîde tā sadu amsa xu ǂoaxa.
ǃKhūb ge a ǂans di Elo,
dīgu hoagu ge ǁîb xa ra ǃâitsâhe.
4 Khādi ǀgaisan didi ge khôaǃāhe hâ,
xawe ǁnān ǀgaio ge in ge go ǀgaiǀgaihe.
5 ǁÂsa ge in ge nēsi ra sîsenôa, ǂû ǁkhān nîse,
xawe ǃâsa ge in ge ǀoasa ǂûxūna ūhâ.
ǁNās ǀgôa-e ge ūhâ tama hâ is
ge nēsi hû ǀgôana ūhâ,
xawe ǂgui ǀgôana ge ūhâ is
ge nēsi ǀguri, ǀgôa-i ose ǁnāxūhe hâ.
6 ǃKhūb ge ra ǃgam tsî ǁîb ge ra ûi kai;
ǁîb ra ǁîna ǁŌhân Hâǃkhaib ǃoa ǁgôa kai,
tsî ǁkhawa ǁnāpa xu oahā-ū.
7 ǃKhūb ge ǀnîna ǀgâ kai tsî nauna ra ǃkhū kai;
ǁîb ge ǀnîna ǃgamǃgam tsî nauna ra ǀgapiǀgapi.
8 ǁÎb ra ǀgâsana tsaraba xu ūkhâi;
tsî ǂhâsib ǃnâ hâna ǀapoba xu ǂgaekhâi,
ǃgôahesa khoen ǀkhab ǁîna nî ǂnû kaise;
ǃgôasib ǂnûǃkhaideb ge ǁîna ra mā.
ǃHūbaib di ǃgaoǃgaogu ge a ǃKhūb di,
ǁîb ge ǃhūbaiba ǁîgu ai ge ǁapoǁapo.
9 “ǁÎb ge ǂgomǂgomsan âba ra sâu,
xawe eloxoresan ge ǁōb ǃkhaenas ǃnâ ra ǃnōǃari.
Khoe-i ge ǀgaib â-e xu dan tama hâ.
10 ǃKhūba ra mâǃoan ge nî hîkākāhe;
ǁîn ǃoagub ge ǀhomma xu nî ǃguru.
ǃKhūb ge ǃhūbaib hoaba nî ǀgoraǃgâ,
ǁîb ge gao-aob âba ǀgaiba nî mā;
ǁîb di ǀnausabebab ge ǀgaiba ra mā.”
11 ǁNās khaoǃgâb ge Elkanaba oms âb ǃoa, Ramas ǁga ge oa, xawe ǀgôab Samueli ge pristeri Elib di mûǂams ǃnaka ǃKhūba gere ǃoaba.
Elib ôakha di ǁoreb
12 Elib ôakha ge ǂūǁoa ǀgôa ge i. ǁÎkha ge ǃKhūb ǀkha ge ǁae tama hâ i 13 tsî ǁkhāti pristersi ǂhanub, khoen ǃoa hâb on ǀkha. Khoe-i ga ǁguibasa hā-ū ǃnās hoasab ge pristeri ǃgāba ǁgan-i ra sâihe hîa ǃnonaǁgûxa ferkheba ǃomǁae ūhâse gere hā 14 tsî ǁîba sūs ǃnâ gere ǃkhāǂgā. Tsî ferkheb ga ūǂui-i hoa-eb ge pristera gere ūbasen. ǁNāti i ge Israelǁîn, Silos tawa gere sī ǁguiban hoan ǀkha gere dīhe. 15 Nēs xōǀkhāb ge ǁguibas di kaub nî ǂhubihes aiǃâ pristeri ǃgāba hā tsî ǁnā khoeb, ǁguiba rab ǃoa gere mî: “ǁGan-e mā, îb pristera ambahe. Sâihe hâ ǁgan-eb ge satsa xu ū tide, ora-i ǀgui-i.”
16 Tsî ǁguiba rab ga ǁîb ǃoa mîo: “A khom ǂhanuse dī. Ab kauba aibe ǂhubihe, ots ge ǂgaots ras kōse a ūbasen ǁkhā.” Ob ge ǃgāba gere mî: “Hî-î, nēsi mā te, ǁnā tamas ka io, o ta nî ǀgai-ū.”
17 Nē ǁoreb, ǁnā ǂkham khoekha dib ge ǃKhūb mûǁae kaise ge kai i, ǁîkha ge ǃKhūb di ǁguibasa ǃharaxū amaga.
Samueli ge ǃKhūb di ǃoabas ǃnâ ra kaikhâi
18 Samueli ge ǂkham axab ase ǃKhūba efoda ana hâse gere ǃoaba. 19 ǁÎb îs ge anaǂamsararoba ǂom tsî gere sī-ūba bi, aob âs ǀkha ǃgû tsîs kurikorobe ǁguibasa sī gere ǁguibao. 20 Ob ge Eliba Elkanab tsî ǁîb taras tsîra ǀkhae tsî ge mî: “Ab ǃKhūba nē tarasa xu ǀgôana mā tsi, ǁnā ǀgôab ǃKhūbas ge māb di soas ǃnâ.”
ǁNās khaoǃgâ ra ge ge oa.
21 Tsî ǃKhūb ge Hanasa ge ǀkhomxa tsîs ge noxopa ǃnona ǀgôagu tsî ǀgam ǀgôara tsîna ge hō. Tsî ǀgôab Samueli ge ǃKhūb di ǃoabas ǃnâ ge kaikhâi.
Elib ge ǀgôakha âba ra ǀau
22 Elib ge kaise ge kaira hâ i tsî ôasakha gere Israelǁîn ǃoagu dī xūn tsî ǁkhāti Tentoms ǃKhūb dis di dao-ams tawa ra ǃoaba khoedi ǀkha kha sorosise gere ǂharugu ǃkhaisa gere ǁnâu. 23 Ob ge ǁîkha ǃoa ge mî: “Tare xū-i ǃaroma kho nēti ī xūna ra dī? Hoaraga khoena xu ta ge sakho di tsūdīgu xa ra ǁnâu. 24 ǀÛ kho re ti ôa, ǃgâi tama ǂhôan ge nē ta ra ǁnâuna xuige. 25 Khoe-i ga khoe-i ǃoagu ǁore, ob ge Eloba ǁî-e a ǃgâiǃgâiba ǁkhā, xawe khoe-i ga ǃKhūb ǃoagu ǁoreo, tari-e ǁî-e nî ǃgâiǃgâiba ǁkhā?”
Xawe kha ge ǁîkha ǁgûb di ǀausa ǃgâ ǂgao tama ge i, ǃKhūb ge ǀnai ǁîkhab nî ǃgam ǃkhaisa ǂâibasen hâ i xui-ao.
26 Tsî ǀgôab Samueli ge ǃaruǀî ge kaikhâi tsîb ge ǃKhūb tsî khoen tsîn hoan tawa ǀnamǀnamsa ge i.
Elib omaris di ǀgoraǃgâhes
27 ǀGuitsēb ge Elob di kēbo-aoba Elib tawa hā tsî ǁîb ǃoa ge mî: “Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî: ‘Tita ge ǃgāsase sa îgu tawa ge ǂhaiǂhaisen, sa aboxab, Aronni tsî surib âb ganupe Egipteb ǃnâ, Faraob di khobose hâ hîa. 28 Tita ge sa îba Israelǁîn di ǃhaodi hoade xu pristerse ge ǁhûiǂuibasen, ti altars tawab nî ǃoabase, ǃgâihamxūnab nî ǂhubise tsî efodab nî anase tita tawab ga ǀape-ôa ǃnubai. Tsî ta ge ǁîna Israelǁîn gere ǁguiba ǁguibadi hoade xun ǃâ-e nî ūbasensa gere mā-am. 29 Tare xū-i ǃaroma go ti ǂāǁguibadi tsî ti ǂûǁguibadi, ti ommi ǃnâ nî dīhese ta ge mîmāde ra tura? Tsî tarexats sa ôakha tita xa ǃnāsase ra ǃgôa, ǁîkhats hoan xa ǃgâin, ti ǁaes Israels ǁguibadi din ǀkha kaukausensa ra mā-ams ǀkha?’ 30 ǁNā-amagab ge ǃKhūb, Israeli di Eloba ra mî: ‘Tita ge ǀnai ǃgāsase ge mî sa surib tsî sa îgu di surib tsîn ti ǃoabas ǃnâ ǀamos kōse pristerse nî hâ ǃkhaisa.’ Xawe nēsib ge ǃKhūba ra mî: ‘ǁNās ge ī tide. Tita ge tita ra ǃgôana nî ǃgôa tsî tita ra ǃharaxūna nî ǃharaxū. 31 Mû, tsēdi ge nî hā, ǁîdi ai ta ǂkham khoegu hoaga sa ôananôagub tsî sa ǃhaosa xu nî ūbēde tsî i ge kaira ao-i xare-e sa ôananôagub ǃnâ hōhe tide. 32 Sats ge ǂōǂōsib ǃnâts hâpa xu suri rase mâ nî kō, ǁnā ǀkhaegu hoagu nau khoen Israels dina ta nî māga, xawe ǀgui-i sa ôananôagub di-i tsîn ge kaira tide. 33 Tita ge ǀguib sa ôananôagub diba ûib ǃnâ nî ūhâ tsîb ge tita pristerse nî ǃoaba, xawe ǁîb ge nî ǂgī tsî ǃâubasen-i xare-e ūhâ tide. Tsî sa ôananôagub din hoan ge ǁkhō ǁōba nî ǁō. 34 Sa ôakha, Hofnib tsî Pinehasi tsîkha ǀkha nî ī ǃkhais ge ǁgauǁgaus ase nî ība tsi, tita ge mîn hoan nî ama ǃkhaisa; ǁîkha hoakha ge ǁkhā tsēs ǁkhās ai nî ǁō. 35 O ta ge ǂgomǂgomsa pristeri, ti ǁkhoreb tsî ǂgaoǀkhās ǃoa nî sîsenna nî ǁhûiǂuibasen. Tita ge hâhâ ra ôananôaguba nî mā bi tsî gu ge ǀamose ti ǂkhauǀkhāsabeb aiǃâ nî ǃoaba. 36 Sa ôananôaguba xu ga ǃgau-i hoa-i ge ǁîb aiǃâ, mariro-i tsî perero-i ǃaroma hā ǃhonǁgoa tsî nî ǀkhoma: Toxopa pristersi ǃoabadi ǀguis ǃnâ ū te re, î ta perero-e hō ǁkhā, ǂû ta nîse.’ ”
