A From the Firft Book of SAMUEL. CHAP. II. ND Hannah prayed, and faid, My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies: because I rejoice in thy falvation. 2 There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none befide thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 3 Talk no more fo exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that tumbled are girded with ftrengta. 5 They that were full, have hired out themfelves for bread; and they that were hungry ceafed; fo that the barren hath borne feven, and fhe that hath many children is waxed feeble. the beggar from the dunghill, to fet them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the Lord's, and he hath fet the world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of his faints, and the wicked fhall be filent in darkness : for by ftrength fhall no man prevail. 10 The adverfaries of the Lord fhall be broken to pieces out of heaven fhall he thunder upon them: the Lord fhall judge the ends of the earth; and he fhall give ftrength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed. 11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his houfe: and the child did minifter unto the Lord before Eli the priest. 12 Now the fons of Eli were fons of Belial: they knew not the Lord. 13 And the priest's cuf tom with the people was, that 6 The Lord killeth, and when any man offered facrimaketh alive; he bringeth | fice, the priest's fervant came, down to the grave, and bring-while the flesh was in feething, with a flesh hook of three teeth in his hand; eth up. 7 The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the duft, and lifteth up 14 And he struck it inta the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot: all that the fleshhook brought up, the priest took took for himself. So they Hannah, fo that the con did in Shiloh, unto all the Ifraelites that came thither. 15 Alfo before they burnt the fat, the priest's fervant came, and faid to the man that facrificed, Give flesh to roaft for the priest: for he will not have fodden flesh of thee, but raw. 16 And if any man faid unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy foul "defireth; then he would anfwer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now and if not, I will take it by force. 17 Wherefore the fin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord. 18 But Samuel miniftered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover, his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when fhe came up with her husband to offer the yearly facrifice. 20 And Eli bleffed Elkanah and his wife, and faid, The Lord give thee feed of this woman, for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home. ceived and bare three fons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord. 22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his fons did unto all Ifrael; and how they lay with the women that affembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he faid unto them, Why do ye fuch things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. : 24 Nay, my fons for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to tranfgrefs. 25 If one man fin against another, the judge fhall judge him: but if a man fin against the Lord, who fhall intreat for him? notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would flay them. 26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men. 27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus faith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt în Pharaoh's houfe? 28 And did I choose him 21 And the Lord vifited ou of all the tribes of Ifrael to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incenfe, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Ifrael? 29 Wherefore kick ye at my facrifice, and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation, and honoureft thy fons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Ifrael my people? 30 Wherefore the Lord God of Ifrael faith, I said indeed, that thy house and the houfe of thy father fhould walk before me for ever: but now the Lord faith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that defpife me fhall be lightly esteemed. 3 Behold, the days come that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father's house, that there fhall not be an old man in thine house. 32 And thou fhalt fee an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God fhall give Ifrael and there fhall not be an old man in thine house for ever, 33 And the man of thine, whom I fhall not cut off from mine altar, fhall be to confume thine eyes, and to | grieve thine heart: and all the increafe of thine houfe fhall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this fhall be a fign unto thee that shall come upon thy two fons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind and I will build him a fure houfe; and he shall walk before mine Anointed for ever. 36 And it fhall come to país, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of filver, and a morfel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread. A CHAP. III. ND the child Samuel miniftered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in thofe days; there was no open vifion. 2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not fee; 6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arofe and went to Eli, and faid, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he anfwered, I called not, my fon; lie down again, 7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him. 8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arofe and went to Eli, and faid, Here am I; for thou didst call me. Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child. And 9 Therefore Eli faid unto Samuel, Go, lie down and it fhall be, if he call thee, that thou fhalt fay, Speak Lord; for thy fervant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 And the Lord came and flood, and called as at other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel anfwered, Speak; for thy fervant heareth. 11 ¶ And the Lord faid to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Ifrael, at which both the ears of every one that heareth it fhall tingle. 12 In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have fpoken concerning his houfe: when I begin, I will alfo make an end. 13 For I have told him, that I will judge his houfe for ever, for the iniquity which he knoweth because his fons made themfelves vile, and he restrained them not. 14 And therefore I have fworn unto the house of Eli, that the iniquity of Eli's houfe fhall not be purged with facrifice nor offering for ever. 15 ¶ And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the houfe of the Lord. And Samuel feared to fhew Eli the vifion. 16 Then Eli called Sa muel, and faid, Samuel, my fon. And he answered, here am I. 17 And he said, What is the thing that the Lord hath faid unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me: God do fo to thee, and more alfo, if thou hide any thing from me of all the things that he faid unto thee. 18 And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he faid, it is the Lord : let him do what feemeth him good. 19 And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground. 20 And all Ifrael, from Dan even to Beer-fheba, knew that Samuel was eftablifhed to be a prophet of the Lord. 21 And the Lord appeared again in Shiloh; for the Lord revealed himfelf to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the Lord. 3 Behold, here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before his annointed: whofe ox have I taken? or whofe afs have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppreffed or of whofe hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will reftore it you. 4 And they faid, Thou haft not defrauded us, nor oppreffed us, neither haft thou taken ought of any man's hand. 5 And he faid unto them, The Lord is witness against you, and his anointed is witnefs this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. 64 And Samuel faid unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Mofes and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt. 7 Now therefore ftand ftill, that I may reason with you before the Lord, of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you. and to your fathers. 8 When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the Lord, then the Lord fent Mofes and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers |