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Then Hannahprayed and said, "My heartexults in the LORD; My horn is exalted in the LORD, My mouthspeaksboldlyagainst my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation.
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"The bows of the mighty are shattered, But the feeblegird on strength.
lIy'x .Wr.z'a ~yil'v.kin.w ~yiT;x ~yir{BiG t,v,q
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"Those who were fullhire themselves out for bread, But those who were hungrycease to hunger. Even the barrengivesbirth to seven, But she who has manychildrenlanguishes.
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"The LORDkills and makesalive; He bringsdown to Sheol and raises up.
l;['Y;w lw{a.v dyirw{m h,Y;x.m.W tyimem h'wh.y
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"The LORDmakespoor and rich; He bringslow, He alsoexalts.
~emw{r.m -p;a lyiP.v;m ryiv][;m.W vyirw{m h'wh.y
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"He raises the poor from the dust, He lifts the needy from the ashheap To make them sit with nobles, And inherit a seat of honor; For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, And He set the world on them.
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"Those who contend with the LORD will be shattered; Against them He will thunder in the heavens, The LORD will judge the ends of the earth; And He will givestrength to His king, And will exalt the horn of His anointed."
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and the custom of the priests with the people. When anyman was offering a sacrifice, the priest'sservant would come while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged*fork in his hand.
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Then he would thrust it into the pan, orkettle, orcaldron, orpot; all that the forkbrought up the priest would take for himself. Thus they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who camethere.
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Also, before they burned the fat, the priest'sservant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, "Give the priestmeat for roasting, as he will not takeboiledmeat from you, only*raw."
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If the mansaid to him, "They must surelyburn the fatfirst, and then take as much as you desire," then he would say, "No, but you shall give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force."
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And his mother would make him a littlerobe and bring it to him from year to year when she would come up with her husband to offer the yearlysacrifice.
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Then Eli would blessElkanah and his wife and say, "May the LORDgive you children from thiswoman in place of the one she dedicated* to the LORD." And they went to their own home.
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Now Eli was veryold; and he heardall that his sons were doing to allIsrael, and how* they lay with the women who served at the doorway of the tent of meeting.
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"If one mansins against another, God will mediate for him; but if a mansins against the LORD, who can intercede for him?" But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for the LORDdesired to put them to death.
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Then a man of Godcame to Eli and said to him, "Thussays the LORD, 'Did I not indeedreveal Myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt in bondage to Pharaoh'shouse?
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'Did I not choose them from all the tribes of Israel to be My priests, to go up to My altar, to burnincense, to carry an ephodbefore Me; and did I not give to the house of your fatherall the fire offerings of the sons of Israel?
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'Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offeringwhich I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sonsabove Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of everyoffering of My peopleIsrael?'
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"Therefore the LORDGod of Israeldeclares, 'I did indeedsay that your house and the house of your father should walkbefore Me forever* '; but now the LORDdeclares, 'Far be it from Me-for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me will be lightlyesteemed.
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'Behold, the days are coming when I will break your strength and the strength of your father'shouseso that there will not be an oldman in your house.
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'Yet I will not cutoffeveryman of yours from My altar so that your eyes will fail from weeping and your soulgrieve, and all the increase of your house will die in the prime of life.
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'But I will raise up for Myself a faithfulpriest who will do according to what is in My heart and in My soul; and I will build him an enduringhouse, and he will walkbefore My anointedalways*.
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'Everyone who is left in your house will come and bowdown to him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and say, "Pleaseassign me to one of the priest'soffices so that I may eat a piece of bread.""'